Thursday, November 02, 2006
Islamic Army in Iraq claims missile production
Insurgency
The Islamic Army in Iraq has claimed that it has produced a surface-to-surface missile. In a statement sent to Aljazeera.net, the armed group said the missile can carry a 20kg warhead as far as 20km. US media outlets reported last month that US officials and members of the Islamic Army met in Amman, Jordan, and held secret talks. The Islamic Army denied the reports and said in the statement that such talks never happened; however, the statement did not close the door on the possibilty of negotiations in the future, but demanded U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to acknowledge the Iraqi resistance as the sole legitimate representative of Iraqi people.
Mounzer Sleiman, a Washington-based military analyst, said: "The missile does not enjoy significant capabilities; however, it does deliver a serious message. "The missile will allow the resistance fighters to perform attacks miles away from the target, which is safer for them. "Also, the video shows that they depended on domestic capabilities, which implies the possibility of further enhancement to the missile and the launching technique. "Basically, if they did this, that means they will manufacture a launching battery soon."
Mounzer Sleiman, a Washington-based military analyst, said: "The missile does not enjoy significant capabilities; however, it does deliver a serious message. "The missile will allow the resistance fighters to perform attacks miles away from the target, which is safer for them. "Also, the video shows that they depended on domestic capabilities, which implies the possibility of further enhancement to the missile and the launching technique. "Basically, if they did this, that means they will manufacture a launching battery soon."
A 6:48 minute video depicting the manufacture the rocket and its launch was issued on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. The rocket itself has painted on its exterior the name “Abeer,” written in both Arabic and English. A message with the clip indicates that this weapon is named for Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, a 14-year old Iraqi girl who was raped and killed by American soldiers in Mahmoudiya in March 2006.
