Qassam Ready to Be Fired from the West Bank: the Good News and the Bad News

As reported today by the Jerusalem Post, the Palestinian Authority discovered a Qassam rocket ready to fired from the West Bank at Israel:

"The Palestinian Authority handed a Kassam rocket made in a West Bank village to Israeli authorities last week, Army Radio reported Monday.

PA security forces apparently found the rocket ready to launch.

The discovery was made after intelligence was gathered by the PA, according to the report."

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=169346

The good news: The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are cooperating in an effort to reduce terror attacks directed against the Israeli civilian populace.

The bad news: This is the threat being faced by Israel for which there is no simple solution. A single Qassam is limited in terms of the physical damage which it can do; however, a shoulder-held missile (Stinger or SA-7) can bring down a 747 landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose landing pattern would almost necessarily bring it within proximity of the border and take it within range of such a missile (some five kilometers).