magnumslinger
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I don't sling a thing if I ain't got my sling!
Posts: 188
United Arab Emirates
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I wouldn't be too quick to assume one way or the other about the ability or effectiveness of the kids with the Palestinian slings. On the one hand, the mere throwing of a stone can "take your head off (even without a sling), and justifies the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers. I learned this at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, and had many a stone hoisted in my diresction, from angles/distances. and with incaccurate enough results that I did not see fit to use deadly force in return, BUT if someone were clearly in range, physically capable and cocked back to "take my head off" at a close enough distance, PARTICULARLY if they were using a sling, I wouldn't have hesitated to shoot to protect my life, and would treat the incident as if it were an attack with a firearm, or knife at close range.
So I don't discount the possibility that they may be effective in the hands of some of the kids, however, just because they have used the slings for a certain period of time STILL doesn't guarantee that they will be able to hit with them when the soldiers are firing back at them/LIKELY to fire back at them. Even well-trained soldiers/marksmen in combat have an ABYSMALLY low hit rate in combat with the most accurate/convenience of space-age rifles! Hundreds of shots fired per enemy wounded/killed! Just look up the stats from the last several wars, if you doubt this.
Another doubt arises, since, it was DAVID (A HEBREW shepard under a BENJAMINITE-dominated culture who used the sling AGAINST the Palestinian Goliath, who was armed with a javelin and sword, that gives rise to the assump[tion that the sling was a weapon of choice in the region, BUT I thhink I read that the Palestinians and most OTHER groups of the region have traditionally prefered the bow spear, sword and Greek Hoplite-type weapons over the sling until VERY RECENTLY! The sling is not a traditional Palestinian favourite weapon, so far as I know.) Also remember that in Arab cultures, among others in the Region, the general level of even rifle "marksmanship" isn't that good, since showing machismo by firing into the air/posing for a camera with a sling, or making noise with a weapon/brandishing a sword is considered FAR more important than hitting your target. The soviets, who trained these people, believed in the massed fire principle, hence the Kalashnikov design of their rifles, made to "spray and pray" first, with some abilkity at aimed fire as a secondary bonus. This worked for combined arms tactics where the infantry only had to spoil the aims of rocket-launcher-armed troops to protect their tanks which in turn protected them as the blew past the front lines into the enemy's less protected rear area (A tactic possibly evolved from years of fighting with Mongols and their cousins, such as the Huns/Madyars, Hussars, Fins, Turks and Cossacks.
Also, with even basic riot gear, the effectiveness of a sling is greatly diminished. It's true that the odd shot might find its mark between the chinks in the armour, but how many of us could ever hope to be that lucky/accurate against armoured troops firing back at us? I think the slings are there more as a show of defiance/ last resort, after rifles or pistols if even available, would more CERTAINLY be more likely to provoke aimed, deadly response from highly trained Israeli troops, with less sympathy from the world public, than if they are shot while "merely" hurling stones. Most peoiple don't realise how dangerous a sling CAN be IF it DOES hit an unarmoured spot.
As a psychological/ambush/harassing/last-ditch close range weapon of defense against soldiers not in full riot gear, the sling could certainly be effective if used properly, but I don't think we'll be reading about too many Israeli sling casualties any time soon. The Palestinians are using pieces of torn-up asphault and concrete, as the Israelis are presumably trying to deprive them of other more dangerous materials to throw at their soldiers.
Just my guesses on the issue.
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