Michael Yon on Hamas Rockets: It's Raining

Michael Yon on Hamas Rockets: It’s Raining

Middle EastFebruary 2009 • Views: 2,189

Instapundit has a report from Michael Yon on the Hamas rockets that continue to terrorize Israeli citizens: It’s Raining.

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65 comments

noshariaincanada Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:30:40am

f* hamas

Dianna Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:31:27am

I can’t bear this. I’m diving into number world and not coming out for a bit.

JAT Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:31:36am

Did anyone expect less from these cowards

Wyatt Earp Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:31:51am

Why is this not on every news outlet in the country? When will we get widespread condemnation of Hamas?!

noshariaincanada Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:32:08am

maybe Obama can just talk nicely to hamas, and they will “unclench their fist”?

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:32:20am

So, what’s the problem…

Human rights groups argued Wednesday that a detailed probe into Hamas’s firing of Kassam rockets at Israeli communities is not necessary, because it constitutes such a “blatant” war crime. By contrast, Israel’s actions are more complex, and therefore do require such investigation, they said… said Sarit Micha’eli of B’tselem… “It is quite clear that [Hamas is] attacking and targeting civilians… With Israel things are more complicated because Israel states it does not deliberately target civilians and that it safeguards them. With Israel, you have to investigate each specific incident because even if a civilian is killed in an attack…” “The Israeli authorities deny everything, so one has to prove what happened in a way that you don’t need to do with the Palestinian rockets,” said Donatella Rovera of Amnesty International.

Channeling Amnesty International - Oh my goodness, LFG is stuck in a loop!
/

Wyatt Earp Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:32:40am

re: #5 noshariaincanada

maybe Obama can just talk nicely to hamas, and they will “unclench their fist”?

The only ones getting the fist here is Israel.

jcm Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:33:55am

Operation Cast Iron Bitch coming up…….

calvin coolidge Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:34:28am

I can’t wait for the weather report of the big mushroom cloud over Iran.

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:34:37am

“The hardening of lines, the embrace of fundamentalism and tribes, dooms us all.”

Kragar Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:34:40am

In the NWO, self defense is a capital offense.

albusteve Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:34:56am

re: #8 jcm

Operation Cast Iron Bitch coming up…….

Bibi said he was gonna take down Hamas if elected…no link

thefallingman Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:35:08am

Well, thank goodness this is happening so openly or some human rights group would have to investigate it…or something like that.

eschew_obfuscation Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:35:08am

re: #8 jcm

Operation Cast Iron Bitch coming up…….

Yeah…where’s that “Disproportionate Response” we were promised last week?

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:35:34am

re: #7 Wyatt Earp

The only ones getting the fist here is Israel.

See my #10 … all fixed.

eschew_obfuscation Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:35:42am

re: #8 jcm

Operation Cast Iron Bitch coming up…….

Was that a reference to Hillary?

Wyatt Earp Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:35:50am

re: #14 eschew_obfuscation

Yeah…where’s that “Disproportionate Response” we were promised last week?

I hope someone is fueling the tanks as we type.

Truth Stick Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:36:28am

I wonder if the raining rockets can be attributed to Gorebull warming, quick someone know where to get me a grant to find out

RELOADINGISNOTAHOBBY Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:36:43am

Kassam Rockets from Hamas? This begs for a
48 hour rule! After all there’s a ceasefire in place right?
F*ing MSM!

Kragar Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:36:50am

re: #10 Walter L. Newton

“The hardening of lines, the embrace of fundamentalism and tribes, dooms us all.”

The Pocket Obama (c) 2008

/s

Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, and to repel the enemy’s assault by fire and close-combat.

Mission of USMC Infantry

Wyatt Earp Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:37:33am

re: #18 Truth Stick

I wonder if the raining rockets can be attributed to Gorebull warming, quick someone know where to get me a grant to find out

//

It could be worse. It could be raining men. Heh.

subsailor68 Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:37:43am

I posted this earlier, but wanted to re-post, as I’d really like to know what you all think about this.

The Unconstitutional Compromise

Latest George Will column. He covers the move by members in the House and Senate to “view” the District of Columbia as a “state”, with full voting rights. This opens the door to adding two senators (from DC), and as DC votes overwhelmingly Democrat, the bottom line would be two additional Democrat(ic) senators.

He notes that this is part of a deal with Utah to give it a fourth House seat, which appears to be a “bribe” to the two Utah Republican senators.

It seems to me that, if what Mr. Will writes is a) accurate and b) comes to fruition, that conservatives, or Republicans, may have lost the Senate forever - or at least make it a Herculean task to take it back.

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:37:51am

re: #8 jcm

Operation Cast Iron Bitch coming up…….

That sounds like the last time I tried to make love to my ex-wife!

[deleted] Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:37:54am

lawhawk Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:38:03am

It makes no sense to risk life and limb only to allow people who intentionally target children to talk through my pen. Not until they stop the terrorism. Those members of the press who transmute Hamas’s crocodile tears into ink only exacerbate the disease.
Recently, I traveled about a thousand miles around Afghanistan, without military, to learn more about the country. Taking chances for good people is one thing, but taking chances to talk with Hamas terrorist leaders, whom I would not believe anyway, is just not smart. Their propaganda is widely available.

That’s the media for you, and kudos to Yon!

Kenneth Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:38:04am

From Yon’s report:

The playgrounds in Sderot come equipped with bomb shelters, decorated with kid-friendly art. When the alarms sound, the youngsters have 15 seconds to dash, tumble or waddle into a shelter before impact, or risk being torn asunder.

Earsplitting detonations, spewing searing hot steel, must be terrifying for the kids. It is truly sad to imagine that a ten year-old can have more experience diving for cover than many combat experienced soldiers.

dhg4 Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:38:09am

Read today’s report in the NYT about how despite Israeli efforts to minimize civilian casualties, they weren’t always able to. I don’t think that reporting is awful, but it misses a lot of context. Then go read Yon’s piece how despite Hamas’s efforts to maximize civilian casualties, they weren’t always able to. And you realize that Israel’s critics are deliberately looking at only one side of the issue.

eschew_obfuscation Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:38:45am

re: #10 Walter L. Newton

“The hardening of lines, the embrace of fundamentalism and tribes, dooms us all.”

The Pocket Obama (c) 2008

/s

Heh….someone should publicly accuse Obama of “fundamentalist socialism” just to see what it does to his brain.

RELOADINGISNOTAHOBBY Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:38:56am

re: #13 thefallingman
Frightening !
Sound like Mien Kampf……………..
Do it plan sight and no one will believe!

bj Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:39:02am

G-d bless Michael Yon. He’s on the ground in more ways than one.

Ringo the Gringo Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:39:34am

Someone forgot to inform Mr Yon that Hamas’ rocket fire is so obvious that only a lazy journalist would bother reporting on it. If he were a serious reporter he’d be investigating something more complex, like the possibility of Israel unintentionally injuring a Palestinian human-shield.

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:40:51am

re: #20 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, and to repel the enemy’s assault by fire and close-combat.

Mission of USMC Infantry

Please, put down your weapons, your negative attitude, and think, with your heart, not with your head, and you will understand. (Moe and Curly Canhdi - 1934)

nyc redneck Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:41:32am

how does a country ever get used to rockets raining down?
this is designed not just to kill but to demoralize.
israelis should keep in the front of their minds that no other country in the world would willingly put up w/ this dangerous situation.
any country would do what it had to do to stop the attacks.
permanently.
now is the time.

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:41:56am

re: #24 buzzsawmonkey

That’s the kind of reporting that our print and broadcast media should be doing on a daily basis.

That they do not is a stain on their profession, an affront to the special status the press enjoys under the Constitution, and an abomination before G-d.

Silly guy, that doesn’t sell papers.

jorline Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:42:22am

Bring back the Rooster!

Tamron Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:42:42am

I’m curious as to why Israel isn’t implementing this technology, ASAP?

Shoot every one of those rockets down just when they leave the launcher:

Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser - MTHEL

.

pre-Boomer Marine brat Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:42:45am

Allison believes that Gaza could be as prosperous as Singapore if …

The little-realized truth (highly conditional upon the “if”).

Geography doesn’t lie. Gaza could be the gateway the Negev — a blossoming Negev.

A roll-on/roll-off port was proposed and construction was started, on the coast a few miles south of Gaza City. (Get on Google Maps and look for two buildings with red roofs smack on the coast.) It’s gone belly-up now, and it had a problem from the beginning. There was no breakwater in the plans.

What if? What if? What if?

Gaza’s economic woes are of the Palestinians’ own making.

big steve Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:42:52am

re: #22 subsailor68

I posted this earlier, but wanted to re-post, as I’d really like to know what you all think about this.

The Unconstitutional Compromise

Latest George Will column. He covers the move by members in the House and Senate to “view” the District of Columbia as a “state”, with full voting rights. This opens the door to adding two senators (from DC), and as DC votes overwhelmingly Democrat, the bottom line would be two additional Democrat(ic) senators.

He notes that this is part of a deal with Utah to give it a fourth House seat, which appears to be a “bribe” to the two Utah Republican senators.

It seems to me that, if what Mr. Will writes is a) accurate and b) comes to fruition, that conservatives, or Republicans, may have lost the Senate forever - or at least make it a Herculean task to take it back.

Small problem

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state

- US Constitution.

Unless they want to amend the constitution there is only one way for DC to get voting senators, all them to become a state. Which then that nasty old constitution gets in the way again

New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union; but no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress.

DC clearly being formed at the juncture of two other states.

Walter L. Newton Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:43:06am

Something’s not right here, I don’t see anything about this on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, New York Times or Entertainment Weekly.
/

Kenneth Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:44:16am

Yon’s thoughts on why he won’t go to Gaza:

It makes no sense to risk life and limb only to allow people who intentionally target children to talk through my pen. Not until they stop the terrorism. Those members of the press who transmute Hamas’s crocodile tears into ink only exacerbate the disease.

Amen.

subsailor68 Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:44:35am

re: #38 big steve

Hi Big Steve! Yep, you’re right. What they’re trying to do is get around that little inconvenience. From the column:

But the District is not a state. It is (as the Constitution says in Article I, Section 8) “the seat of the government of the United States.” That is why, in 1978, the District’s advocates sent to the states a constitutional amendment requiring that “for purposes of representation” the district would be “treated as though it were a state.” Only 16 states ratified it, 22 short of the required number. So the District’s advocates decided that an amendment is unnecessary — a statute will suffice because the Constitution empowers Congress “to exercise exclusive legislation” over the District.

Kosh's Shadow Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:44:42am

re: #5 noshariaincanada

maybe Obama can just talk nicely to hamas, and they will “unclench their fist”?

They will. The rockets can be launched with a finger more easily than with a fist.

DaddyG Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:44:47am

I used to wonder why the adults in Germany and elsewhere were so blind and stupid not to see what was happening to the Jews and other victims of the Nazis in the years prior to and during World War II.

Sadly as a grown up I am discovering that too many people don’t give a damn about others or are even silently happy to see them victimized. Even more sad are the tools that are subject to their propaganda. “Nothing to see here, move along” or “He hit me first” are the watchwords of the bullies and sadly most people are all to quick to accept these at face value and go back to their private selfish concerns.

The world is a poorer place for it and those who think the problem is someone else’s or too far away should not be surprised when the barbarians are at the gate calling out for their religion, race or nationality to be next on the list.

albusteve Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:44:48am

re: #35 jorline

Bring back the Rooster!

soon come

Kosh's Shadow Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:45:33am

re: #10 Walter L. Newton

“The hardening of lines, the embrace of fundamentalism and tribes, dooms us all.”

The Pocket Obama (c) 2008

/s

Trying to stay out of the re-education camps, Walter?

eschew_obfuscation Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:47:09am

re: #38 big steve

DC clearly being formed at the juncture of two other states.

I think that in “nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states,…”, the term “junction” is archaic language meaning “joining” or “combining” two extant states.

Randall Gross Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:50:07am

It makes no sense to risk life and limb only to allow people who intentionally target children to talk through my pen. Not until they stop the terrorism. Those members of the press who transmute Hamas’s crocodile tears into ink only exacerbate the disease.

Tamron Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:53:57am

re: #36 Tamron

I’m curious as to why Israel isn’t implementing this technology, ASAP?

Shoot every one of those rockets down just when they leave the launcher:

Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser - MTHEL

.

OOOOPS! Bad link, above. Try this one:

MOBILE TACTICAL HIGH ENERGY LASER
.

realwest Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:56:27am

re: #43 DaddyG
“The world is a poorer place for it and those who think the problem is someone else’s or too far away should not be surprised when the barbarians are at the gate calling out for their religion, race or nationality to be next on the list.”
Just a wonderful, thoughtful comment. Thank you.

abaleh Thu, Feb 5, 2009 9:58:07am

this is why according to Ynet:

Firstly, its interceptive capabilities depend largely on weather conditions. Secondly, it can only fire once every few seconds, which means that Nautilus wouldn’t be effective against fast rockets. And its biggest disadvantage is that each cannon can only protect 2 kilometers (1.242 miles) of land, which means that it would take 40-50 cannons in order to protect the Galilee and the southern communities at a cost of USD 2-3 billion.

abaleh Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:00:31am

re: #43 DaddyG

“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then … they came for me … And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”

Pastor Martin Niemöller

RickatLandstuhl Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:07:32am

re: #40 Kenneth

THIS is why I send Michael Yon support money. HE is a journalist that the MFM condemn and secretly wish they could be…or not…no Teleprompter, hair or make-up people…

DaddyG Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:09:17am

re: #51 abaleh A good reminder, thank you. I had heard that before but filed it away in my memory banks. Perhaps it was ruminating around below conscious level prompting my thoughts on the subject.

Tamron Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:21:57am

re: #50 abaleh

this is why according to Ynet:

Firstly, its interceptive capabilities depend largely on weather conditions. Secondly, it can only fire once every few seconds, which means that Nautilus wouldn’t be effective against fast rockets. And its biggest disadvantage is that each cannon can only protect 2 kilometers (1.242 miles) of land, which means that it would take 40-50 cannons in order to protect the Galilee and the southern communities at a cost of USD 2-3 billion.

Here’s a MORE RECENT TACTICAL-LASER UPDATE from Wikipedia.

In 2000 and 2001 THEL shot down 28 Katyusha artillery rockets and 5 artillery shells.

On November 4, 2002, THEL shot down an incoming artillery shell. A mobile version has completed successful testing. During a test conducted on August 24, 2004 the system successfully shot down multiple mortar rounds. The test represented actual mortar threat scenarios. Targets were intercepted by the THEL testbed and destroyed; both single mortar rounds and salvo were tested.

Even though military experts such as the former head of the Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry, Aluf Yitzhak Ben Yisrael, were calling for the implementation of the THEL, the project was discontinued. During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Ben Yisrael, currently the chairman of the Israeli Space Agency, renewed his calls to implement the THEL against high-trajectory fire.

(Still doesn’t answer why Israel isn’t using them right now.)

Unakite Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:30:09am

re: #38 big steve

DC clearly being formed at the juncture of two other states.

If I’m not mistaken, DC is actually part of the state of maryland. This would require forming a state within the jurisdiction of another state.

abaleh Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:30:15am

re: #54 Tamron

(Still doesn’t answer why Israel isn’t using them right now.)

According to GlobalSecurity, the use of toxic chemicals was also an issue:

Evolving requirements from the customer, concerns about the logistics tail in fielding, and operating a relocatable system in a battlefield environment that employs toxic and corrosive chemicals caused the program to be terminated

Amer-I-Can Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:49:03am

No surprise here, Hamas is still a bunch of cowards who hide in the dark. I’ll bet that a few well aimed counter battery shots would get their attention. Israel gave in and gave back Gaza… they should have just finished the job and removed HamASS from the picture all together.

Andopolis Thu, Feb 5, 2009 10:49:04am

re: #37 pre-Boomer Marine brat

The little-realized truth (highly conditional upon the “if”).

Geography doesn’t lie. Gaza could be the gateway the Negev — a blossoming Negev.

A roll-on/roll-off port was proposed and construction was started, on the coast a few miles south of Gaza City. (Get on Google Maps and look for two buildings with red roofs smack on the coast.) It’s gone belly-up now, and it had a problem from the beginning. There was no breakwater in the plans.

What if? What if? What if?

Gaza’s economic woes are of the Palestinians’ own making.

A territory with a Mediterranean coastline.. they could turn it into a tourist Mecca. Wait.. maybe Mecca is the wrong word….

One note to Mr. Yon, it’s Filipina, not Philppina.

[deleted] Thu, Feb 5, 2009 12:10:33pm

[deleted] Thu, Feb 5, 2009 12:16:46pm

winston06 Thu, Feb 5, 2009 1:49:28pm

Great piece again by Michael Yon

blangwort Thu, Feb 5, 2009 4:50:35pm

re: #43 DaddyG

I used to wonder why the adults in Germany and elsewhere were so blind and stupid not to see what was happening to the Jews and other victims of the Nazis in the years prior to and during World War II.

Sadly as a grown up I am discovering that too many people don’t give a damn about others or are even silently happy to see them victimized. Even more sad are the tools that are subject to their propaganda. “Nothing to see here, move along” or “He hit me first” are the watchwords of the bullies and sadly most people are all to quick to accept these at face value and go back to their private selfish concerns.

The world is a poorer place for it and those who think the problem is someone else’s or too far away should not be surprised when the barbarians are at the gate calling out for their religion, race or nationality to be next on the list.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had many things to say about such terrible “neutrality.” In effect, there is no such thing.

People don’t like to fight the battles of others. However, they do like underdogs, even where the underdogs are mangy, mean, and wild. Europe is voting for the underdogs for two reasons. First it makes good copy. Second, it looks good with Iran with whom they really must maintain good relations or risk a significant energy crisis.

I look forward to the day when Hamas decides to take root in Europe. Perhaps that will be enough of a wake up call to deal with the problem. Of course by then, who knows what Europe will be like…

Ron Shaw Fri, Feb 6, 2009 6:40:04am

Just maybe a few billion added to the stimulus total for Hamas will help silence the rocketeers…according to the One a little socialism solves most problems but a whole lot of the free stuff that comes from socialism will cure all ills. Hamas simply needs a dose of stimulus to be social in an ‘ism’ kind of way.

Macker Sun, Feb 8, 2009 10:19:04pm

re: #5 noshariaincanada

Little does БХО know that their fist is for fisting him…

Macker Sun, Feb 8, 2009 10:21:56pm

re: #63 Ron Shaw

Just maybe a few billion added to the stimulus total for Hamas will help silence the rocketeers…according to the One a little socialism solves most problems but a whole lot of the free stuff that comes from socialism will cure all ills. Hamas simply needs a dose of stimulus to be social in an ‘ism’ kind of way.

That is offensive to The Rocketeer!

Spy Mode Auto

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