Now that Libya has come apart at the seams, money is to be had, and what better item to sell quickly than weapons. Nothing too big, but the usual small arms loved by jihadists everywhere. The largest buyer to date is Hamas and with these extra RPGs and anti-aircraft guns they increase their inventory but not their firepower. A small comfort to those who will suffer from the use of these weapons.
As other Arab countries fall, the glut of weapons like these, and more powerful ones will find a way into the hands of those who need them.
From YNet August 29
'Gaza militants have Libyan arms'
Palestinians in Gaza have acquired anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets from Libya during its six-month civil war, enlarging but not significantly improving their arsenal, Israeli officials said on Monday.
While the rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi has stirred concern abroad about the fate of Libya's ageing chemical weapons stockpiles, Israel has no indication Hamas or other Palestinian factions have sought these, the officials said.
Instead, Israeli officials have detected an inflow of SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), said one official, describing an overland supply route that opened up between eastern Libya – after it fell to the rebels – and the Gaza Strip via Egypt.
"We've been seeing more SA-7s and RPGs coming across," said the official. "It's not a major qualitative enhancement for them."
The Soviet-designed SA-7 is a shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missile which Israel said Palestinians had previously smuggled into Gaza. Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), designed to penetrate armour, are plentiful in the territory.
Another Israeli official said "thousands" of the weapons had reached Gaza in recent months, but did not provide figures on how many had originated in Libya.
Read it all
No comments:
Post a Comment