- Terrorism took a new and bold step during the battle
between Israel and Lebanese-based Hezbollah. The terror group raised the
technological stakes by scoring a direct hit on an Israeli warship with
a Chinese made radar guided cruise missile.
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- Press reports cited by the AP stated the missile was
an "Iranian-made C-802 missile." The missile struck the Spear,
an Israeli Saar 5-class missile ship. The warship is one of the most technologically
advanced in the Israeli fleet, equipped with an array of high-tech weapons
and sophisticated electronic counter-measures designed to defeat incoming
missiles.
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- A second Hezbollah radar-guided anti-ship missile hit
and sank a nearby Cambodian merchant ship around the time the Spear was
struck. According to Israeli sources, 12 Egyptian sailors were pulled from
the water by passing ships. Thus, while scoring a hit against Israel -
Hezbollah has actually killed more innocent Sunni Muslims.
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- The C-802 missiles fired at the Israeli warship were
provided with targeting information using long range radars. Israel responded
to the threat by destroying several shore based Lebanese radar sites with
air strikes.
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- The so-called Iranian made missile was actually manufactured
in China and purchased by Iran. Iran recently test fired an air-launched
version of the Chinese C-802 cruise missile, named "Noor" by
Iran. The launch platform was believed to be a Russian Mil-17 helicopter.
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- The C-802 anti-ship missile was developed by China HaiYing
Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy (CHETA), also known as 3rd Aerospace
Academy, located in the southwest suburbs of Beijing.
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- The C-802 is powered by a turbojet with paraffin-based
fuel and carries a 363-pound high-explosive warhead. The turbojet gives
the sea-skimming weapon a range of over 60 miles. The missile could pose
a threat to major warships including U.S. aircraft carriers.
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- Iran has a long history of purchasing Chinese missiles.
China sold Iran the HY-2 during the Iran-Iraq War. The HY-2 is often referred
to in the media as the "Silkworm" but this is an incorrect identification.
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- The first of Chinese HY-2 missiles were delivered in
the summer of 1986. In October 1987, an American-owned tanker under the
Liberian flag and a Kuwaiti tanker under the U.S. flag, the Sea Isle City,
were stuck by Iranian HY-2 missiles. In an attempt to cover up the missile
sales, China responded to American complaints by claiming that the weapons
had been supplied by North Korea.
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- Yet, in March 1988 China stated that it would not sell
anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran. Despite the promises, HY-2 transfers
reportedly continued.
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- Iran imported C-802 anti-ship cruise missile from China
after the 1991 Gulf war.
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- In 1996, China suspended exports in response to complaints
by the United States. Iran expected to purchase 150 C-802 missiles from
China but only received half of them because of the arms suspension.
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- By mid-1997 Iran reportedly installed 60 missiles deployed
in coastal batteries on Qeshm Island, a strategic point on the eastern
side of the Arabian peninsula. In 1997, China transferred 15 patrol boats
armed with C-802 missiles.
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- In early 2000 it was reported that North Korea and Iran
were jointly developing an advanced version of the C-802 cruise missile.
The missiles acquired by Iran were not equipped with advanced guidance
systems and were considered outdated. Iran reportedly turned to North Korea
for missile system technology, and the two countries are jointly developing
an upgraded version with improved accuracy.
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- However, more up-to-date intelligence has shown that
the real source of the improved C-802 missiles was China.
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- The Bush administration recently responded to the up-to-date
intelligence by sanctioning the Chinese firms that are transferring cruise
missile technology to Iran. Ironically, Israel provides advanced arms and
electronics to China. In fact, Israel sold a large number of "Harpy"
anti-radar missiles to China. China, in turn, may have provided the Harpy
design to Iran. Iranian armed forces parades have recently shown an anti-radar
missile that is virtually identical to the Harpy Israel sold to China.
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- While China and Chinese defenders in the mainstream media
may elect to cover up or excuse Beijing's irresponsible sale of advanced
missiles the fact remains that a terrorist group is now armed with advanced
cruise missiles.
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- The C-802 is the kind of missile that can be fired from
a variety of platforms, including ships or as demonstrated by Hezbollah,
from a land site. This threat shows that a single cargo ship in the right
location, armed with a C-802, could attack U.S. ports, coastal facilities,
and shipping.
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- It does not take much imagination to understand that
a single C-802 could kill thousands if it were aimed at a nuclear reactor,
a large tanker filled with liquid natural gas, or a similar selected target
along the U.S. coast line.
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- The missile could also be armed with one of Saddam's
leftover chemical weapons - the very same weapons that so many people said
did not exist. None of these scenarios are impossible or unlikely. Last
year a gang of Chinese criminals was arrested in America for passing counterfeit
North Korean $100 bills.
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- The charges included an attempt to sell under cover agents
advanced Chinese made missiles. The undercover agents told the criminals
that they were terrorists and intended on using the Chinese missiles against
American airliners.
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- Once again, the lesson here is to know thy enemy. China
is no friend to America or Israel. The pro-Chinese, sell-anything-to-Beijing
crowd in both countries needs to be shown the facts: Chinese missiles will
appear in American skies unless some real action is taken to stop Beijing's
willing and ugly nature to sell advanced weapons to anyone with cash.
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