Germany Says It Sent Patriot Missiles Stopped In Finland

WSJ ^ | Dec 22, 2011 | Arild Moen

[GeronL]

In other words, this was just an ally sending missiles to another ally.

Why is this any big deal after we find that out?

[wolfman23601]

Hmmm... the original story had them going to China, not South Korea...

[aimhigh]

Capitolism keeping Communism alive and safe. Again.

[Dogbert41]

“the original story had them going to China, not South Korea”

Exactly.

I’m thinking it’s all part of the EU bailout plan from China. I’m sure Obama and his team are all over it.

[X-spurt]

Actually the original story did say South Korea. Someone changed it to China in a FR post.

[Jeff Head]

Look at a map. If shipped from Germany probably at the port there near Hamburg (Bremerhaven?), they would never be any where near Helsinki. Being further East of Helsinki makes it look like they were headed for Russia! Looks like someone was double dealing to me.

That vessel in route to South Korea should never have been where it ended up.

[wolfman23601]

You sure?

BBC News - Finland ‘finds Patriot missiles’ on China-bound ship

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16292244

[wolfman23601]

That doesn’t mean anything. It could have looped the Baltic, then headed out to sea after several ports of call. It also could have been billed to tranship in Helsinki. I would like to see the bill of lading.

[ruiner]

This might shock some people but ships don’t travel in straight lines between two ports. They travel circuits (sometimes called loops) with calls in multiple ports.

There are many such loops that travel between northern Europe and east Asia.

[NormsRevenge]

verrrr-ry interestink!! (/artie johnson)

[Jeff Head]

Thanks...and good enough. If he was in essence making a loop to ports to fill up his hold and in essence, “get a full load”, I understand that and it is a fair and understandable explanation.

My guess is that the authorities are looking at the bill of lading and all of that to determine the facts of the matter. Just looked suspicious to me.

[Revel]

Gee- Why not ship them federal express. At least that way we know that they will be drop tested, and broken when they arrive.

The only way these things should be shipped anywhere is by military transport. What a crazy world.

[elpadre]

the original story stated they were labeled as fireworks.

wuzup??

[wolfman23601]

What is interesting is I looked up the ship owner and it is a charter company. The article doesn’t mention who chartered the vessel. The main reason I wanted to look that up was to see what the port rotation is on its service, but I don’t have the information to figure that out.

[toast]

So, if they were doing a loop on the European side, they could have planned to do a loop on the Asian side. So the ship may have been bound to South Korea and China. With the missile cargo intended to be dropped off in South Korea.

I’m all for SK getting these missiles. They need them more than Germany. I also can see why they might try to ship them secretly.

[McGruff]

LOL. Somebody needs a GPS for Christmas.

[Neoliberalnot]

Why would it be labeled fireworks and why did the article say it was China bound? So did Germany buy Patriots from Raytheon and mark them up for sale to the S Koreans?
________________________________________
Great questions, big hint here, fireworks are exported from China. More to come stay tuned.

[wolfman23601]

I doubt Raytheon would be allowed to sell them directly to a foreign government. More likely the US military ordered them from Raytheon and sold them to the Germans.

[Ax]

Ships that are at sea and headed to a specific port carrying cargo can be diverted to another port temporarily, “subject to inducement.” If they have room aboard and there is no particular hurry to deliver cargo to, say, Buenos Aires, coming from Miami, the captain recieves a telegram diverting him to, say, Recife, Brazil, he’ll do it. No sense in traveling with empty cargo space. And then they’re back on their way to BA.