Iran Tested New Missile During Summit

Jerusalem Post via AP ^ | December 13, 2007 | JP Staff

[america4vr]

Iran tested a newly-developed ballistic missile on the day of the Annapolis conference, Channel 10 reported Wednesday.

The Ashoura missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers and is capable of reaching Israel, US Army bases in the Middle East and eastern European cities, including Moscow, said the TV channel.

According to the report, the new missile is an improvement on the existing Shihab-3 missile. The Ashoura uses solid fuel instead of the Shihab's liquid fuel, giving it a significantly faster launch sequence which is harder to detect.

Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Mostafa Muhammad-Najjar had announced the development of the new missile on the day of the summit, but had not specified whether it had actually been tested.

According to the country's IRNA news agency, Najjar said the missile was named the "Ashoura," meaning "the tenth day" in Farsi - a sacred reference among Shi'ite Muslims to the martyrdom of the third imam.

The Iranian defense minister said that "the production of the new missile was one of the Defense Ministry's greatest achievements."

Analysts believe much of Iran's military production has benefited from assistance from Russia, China and other countries, but many of their weapons development claims have not been independently verified.

Recent weapons development has been motivated by Iran's standoff with the US over its controversial nuclear program. The Shihab-3, which means "shooting star" in Farsi, has a range of at least 1,300 kilometers.

In 2005, Iranian officials said they had improved the range of the Shihab-3 to 2,000 kilometers, a range equal to that of the new missile reported Wednesday.

Experts also believe Iran is developing the Shihab-4 missile, thought to have a range between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers that would enable it to hit much of Europe.

[American in Israel]

The message is clear, the target is America. Israel is 300 miles away, the old skuds would work just fine. The range improvement is to work towards hitting America, the firing of the missile on the day of the American peace treaty is clearly defining the target and the last imam is supposed to lead the Muslims in the last jihad to kill all the infidels of the earth.

It is chilling alright, we are hoping MAD will constrain a madman, which is pure insanity. Our state department fits the old saying perfectly, "Thinking themselves wise, they become fools..."

[txhurl]

What's wrong with this picture? France had Charles Martel, we have W.

Do England, Spain, Austria, Greece, Portugal have any Crusade creds?

(in my best educator voice) If not so, then why?

[skully]

txflake wrote:
What’s wrong with this picture? France had Charles Martel, we have W.

I agree Modern France has had a rap of late of being a “wimpy” country, but they seem to get it on the Iran thing.

Chucky M stopped them at Tours in the 730’s I believe.

I’m sure Iran dismantled their nuclear weapons program for now. That only takes about 6 months to a year to reconstitute. Of course the enrichment of Uranium, the lengthy process which gives the bomb its kick is still continuing..So Iran is 6-12 months away from having a bomb once they enrich enough Uranium for fuel.

[txhurl]

I was thinking Martel was ~1000- A.D.

At any rate, Rome is not showing any true resistance. The Holy Father issues edicts castigating the war from time to time, but doesn't seem to ever address the true, eternal war between Islam and (any religion's) civilization, in any country.

[omega4179]

Spain-el cid
Greece-leonidas
Romania-vlad the impaler

[txhurl]

bump