Posted on 06/08/2005 10:50:04 AM PDT by jmc1969
LONDON (Reuters) - A cache of guns, bugging devices and equipment that may have been used for torture has been discovered at Iraq's abandoned embassy in Britain, the country's newly appointed ambassador said on Wednesday.
Scotland Yard confirmed "a number of firearms" had been recovered from the embassy in an upmarket area of southwest London but declined to say when.
Dr Salah Al Shaikhly told BBC radio the arms haul, which dates to Saddam Hussein's period in power, included four machine guns, several Uzis and 10 handguns with silencers and had been found in one of the 20-odd safes at the embassy.
"It was amazing, you really despair when you know this kind of arsenal was kept at the Iraqi embassy," Al Shaikhly said.
"There were also other things which looked like electric cattle prods," he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.netscape.cnn.com ...
I'm surprised they're allowed to have sharpened pencils and bic pens...they are pointy ya know..
cattle prods could be used as a non-lethal method of subduing an attacker or rioter.
What's surprising here is that the Brits find this surprising.
Some of then are fond of brushes.
re the small arms and bugs, does anyone think OUR embassies in foreign countries don't have all this and much more?
the torture implements are more interesting, I wonder how common interrogation materials like this really are in embassies?
" Arrest him."
None of these items would be covered by british law. Inside the embassy, they are pretty much exempt, as I understand the concept of diplomatic immunity.
If someone wants to arrest him (if he is at large) the only folks with jurisdiction are the iraqis.
It is a shame there isn't (to my knowledge) a more conservative tv media in britain. A minimum of perspective on topics like this would bring the media 'story' down in a second. Guns in an embassy is SUCH a non-story it should be laughed away. Re the torture implements, who wants to be more embassies in the UK than not have some of their own?
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