Rockets used in al-Rashid hotel match "aluminum tubes" rockets

[Robb McLeod]

There's a picture of the type of rocket used in the attack on the
al-Rashid hotel where Wolfowitz was staying:

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/homepage/hp10-26-03a.jpg

Just from the picture you can tell that the length to diameter ratio
of the rocket is 11:1. It's known that the "aluminum tubes" of
centrifuge infamy had the dimensions 81 x 900 mm, which matches the
size of the pictured rocket quite well.

It's generally accepted now that those tubes where actually intended
for helicopter fired rocket casings.

http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iraq/al_tubes.html

It's not a huge jump from the data to conclude that the rockets used
in yesterday's attack where in fact the knock offs of the Italian
Medusa-81 that Iraq was producing.

It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.

--
Robb McLeod )
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk I have a work station...

[Jack Linthicum]

Robb McLeod > wrote in message >...
> There's a picture of the type of rocket used in the attack on the
> al-Rashid hotel where Wolfowitz was staying:
>
> http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/homepage/hp10-26-03a.jpg
>
> Just from the picture you can tell that the length to diameter ratio
> of the rocket is 11:1. It's known that the "aluminum tubes" of
> centrifuge infamy had the dimensions 81 x 900 mm, which matches the
> size of the pictured rocket quite well.
>
> It's generally accepted now that those tubes where actually intended
> for helicopter fired rocket casings.
>
> http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iraq/al_tubes.html
>
> It's not a huge jump from the data to conclude that the rockets used
> in yesterday's attack where in fact the knock offs of the Italian
> Medusa-81 that Iraq was producing.
>
> It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
> that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
> to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.

Mayhap it was a 122mm artillery rocket, they seem to be in every
bunker opened in Iraq and were much used by the bad Viets in Vietnam.
Papers seem to think the things were RPGs.
http://www.landscaper.net/images/122mmrockt.jpg

[Don Harstad]

"Robb McLeod" > wrote in message
...
> It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
> that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
> to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.
>
> --
Actually, you don't have to assume that at all. They also resemble 122mm
rockets... but I don't think they were used to state the exquisite irony
that they might have been made from old lend/lease P-39 airframes....

Don H.

[Robb McLeod]

On 26 Oct 2003 17:38:49 -0800, (Jack
Linthicum) wrote:

>Robb McLeod > wrote in message >...
>> There's a picture of the type of rocket used in the attack on the
>> al-Rashid hotel where Wolfowitz was staying:
>>
>> http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/homepage/hp10-26-03a.jpg
<snip>
>>
>> It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
>> that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
>> to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.
>
>Mayhap it was a 122mm artillery rocket, they seem to be in every
>bunker opened in Iraq and were much used by the bad Viets in Vietnam.
>Papers seem to think the things were RPGs.
>http://www.landscaper.net/images/122mmrockt.jpg

The fin design is different however, and that's a pretty hefty rocket
to be holding in one hand as the soldier is doing in the Washington
Post picture.
--
Robb McLeod )
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk I have a work station...

[Jack Linthicum]

Robb McLeod > wrote in message >...
> On 26 Oct 2003 17:38:49 -0800, (Jack
> Linthicum) wrote:
>
> >Robb McLeod > wrote in message >...
> >> There's a picture of the type of rocket used in the attack on the
> >> al-Rashid hotel where Wolfowitz was staying:
> >>
> >> http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/homepage/hp10-26-03a.jpg
> <snip>
> >>
> >> It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
> >> that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
> >> to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.
> >
> >Mayhap it was a 122mm artillery rocket, they seem to be in every
> >bunker opened in Iraq and were much used by the bad Viets in Vietnam.
> >Papers seem to think the things were RPGs.
> >http://www.landscaper.net/images/122mmrockt.jpg
>
> The fin design is different however, and that's a pretty hefty rocket
> to be holding in one hand as the soldier is doing in the Washington
> Post picture.

I must be totally blind, I can't see fins in that picture. The 122
fins fold into the end and the middle piece (the 122mm is made of two
sections plus the warhead) doesn't have fins at all. I have picked up
one of the loaded launch sections (with two hands, I am not nor ever
was a fool in these matters) easily. I would expect an 'empty' to
weight about 3-4 pounds at most.

On the other hand the paper says they were 68mm and 85mm rockets. I
get 68mm in the google (anti-personnel, perfect against a building)
but no 85 mm rockets. The 68mm's seem to be used from helicopters. The
RPG-7 warhead is listed as being 85mm in diameter, perhaps one answer.

[Howard Berkowitz]

In article >,
(Jack Linthicum) wrote:

> Robb McLeod > wrote in message
> >...
> > There's a picture of the type of rocket used in the attack on the
> > al-Rashid hotel where Wolfowitz was staying:
> >
> > http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/homepage/hp10-26-03a.jpg
> >
> > Just from the picture you can tell that the length to diameter ratio
> > of the rocket is 11:1. It's known that the "aluminum tubes" of
> > centrifuge infamy had the dimensions 81 x 900 mm, which matches the
> > size of the pictured rocket quite well.
> >
> > It's generally accepted now that those tubes where actually intended
> > for helicopter fired rocket casings.
> >
> > http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iraq/al_tubes.html
> >
> > It's not a huge jump from the data to conclude that the rockets used
> > in yesterday's attack where in fact the knock offs of the Italian
> > Medusa-81 that Iraq was producing.
> >
> > It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
> > that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
> > to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.
>
> Mayhap it was a 122mm artillery rocket, they seem to be in every
> bunker opened in Iraq and were much used by the bad Viets in Vietnam.
> Papers seem to think the things were RPGs.
> http://www.landscaper.net/images/122mmrockt.jpg

Aircraft rockets seem about right. I'd have expected more damage from 8
or so 122's, and the range was rather long for an RPG.

[phil hunt]

On 26 Oct 2003 17:38:49 -0800, Jack Linthicum > wrote:
>>
>> It's a dark piece of irony, but you have to assume that it was known
>> that Wolfowitz was in the hotel and the rocket was specifically chosen
>> to reopen old wounds and cause Wolfowitz some political discomfiture.
>
>Mayhap it was a 122mm artillery rocket, they seem to be in every
>bunker opened in Iraq and were much used by the bad Viets in Vietnam.

If you look at
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3214901.stm>
there's a picture of a rocket launcher inside a truck. There are 40
tubes, arranged as 4*10, the same as used in the Russian BM-21 122
mm MRL.


--
"It's easier to find people online who openly support the KKK than
people who openly support the RIAA" -- comment on Wikipedia
(Email: >, but first subtract 275 and reverse
the last two letters).

[Seraphim]

(Jack Linthicum) wrote in
m:

> Robb McLeod > wrote in message
> >...
>> There's a picture of the type of rocket used in the attack on the
>> al-Rashid hotel where Wolfowitz was staying:
>>
>> http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/homepage/hp10-26-03a.jpg
>>
>> Just from the picture you can tell that the length to diameter
>> ratio of the rocket is 11:1.
>>
>> It's known that the "aluminum tubes"
>> of centrifuge infamy had the dimensions 81 x 900 mm, which matches
>> the size of the pictured rocket quite well.
>>
>> It's generally accepted now that those tubes where actually
>> intended for helicopter fired rocket casings.
>>
>> http://www.isis-online.org/publications/iraq/al_tubes.html
>
> Mayhap it was a 122mm artillery rocket, they seem to be in every
> bunker opened in Iraq and were much used by the bad Viets in
> Vietnam. Papers seem to think the things were RPGs.
> http://www.landscaper.net/images/122mmrockt.jpg

According to CNN they were 68mm and 85mm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/10/26/sprj.irq.hotel/index.html

Go down to the 3rd paragraph under the bold "Dempsey: Missile launcher
primitive but clever"