Cyanide-Shooting Guns Found in Baghdad

AP | 4/13/03

[kattracks]

Cyanide-Shooting Guns Found in Baghdad

.c The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Soldiers searching homes in a Baath Party enclave on Sunday turned up weapons straight out of James Bond movies - among them suitcases that concealed submachine guns and air pistols that fired cyanide pellets.

The men of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, found 21 briefcases specially designed to hold Heckler and Koch MP-5K 9 mm submachine guns. The guns could be fired by pulling a trigger on the handle of the case. There were also several silencers for 9 mm pistols and a gold-plated MP-5 fitted with a silencer in a presentation case.

Next to the brief cases were two smaller cases holding air pistols. There were four magazines holding pellets for the pistols; they were labeled stinger, noise, tear gas and cyanide.

Outside the house in central Baghdad was a Soviet-era Volga sedan in which the troops found two 4,400-pound safes - empty.

04/13/03 17:36 EDT

[CyberAnt]

Apparently they equated power with owning weapons. Interesting ...??

[Atlas Sneezed]

"a gold-plated MP-5 fitted with a silencer in a presentation case. I'd be willing to bet this one doesn't get destroyed.
A collectors dream, maybe we should see that the Sec.Def gets that one. A token of our esteem."

Actually, you could buy that new for less than $2000, and have some hack plate it for a hair more. A good gun, but it is just a mass-produced, sheet-metal gun that keeps rolling off the line to this day. Unless it was transferrable to US civilians, it is the type that police departments can hardly give away when some new guns catch their eyes.

The gold plating probably detracts from its value, which is signifcant only if the collector market valued it having come from this source (which has nothing to do with the gun itself.)

[JAWs]

Actually, it's 'phallic.'

[SuziQ]

A collectors dream, maybe we should see that the Sec.Def gets that one. A token of our esteem

Or in the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

[Billthedrill]

I guess you can bring a briefcase to a gunfight...

[tutstar]

A U.S. Army soldier points to the cyanide poison cartridges of a covert operations airgun that soldiers from A Company 3rd Battalion 7th Infantry Regiment found in an Iraqi arms cashe in Baghdad, Iraq Sunday, April 13, 2003. The gun came with four catridges, one labeled smoke, another noise, one cyanide and one teargas.(AP Photo/John Moore)

[John Valentine]

That car will be riding down on its springs and so far up in the front that the steering would be seriously impaired.

Also, the two rear tires would likely be flat.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

and a gold-plated MP-5

I can't keep up with all this technology. I just learned how to download MP-3s.

[Hank Rearden]

I can't keep up with all this technology. I just learned how to download MP-3s.

Ok, ok - I give! Here's your LOL.

[Redbob]

"...and a gold-plated MP-5 fitted with a silencer in a presentation case."

Clearly a 'WCD'.

"Weapon of Class Destruction"!

[M_TEN_FORTYFIVE]

Unfortunately your namesake's papa signed an bill (granted the pertinent amendment was a last gasp type of thing) that bans the sale and registration of such toys that are NOT currently on the BATFa's books.

This has pushed the price of an M16 from about $700 in the early 80's to over $8,000 today.

Colt still sells the M16 to "Governmental Agencies" for less than a grand.

Heartfelt Sigh!

[freedomlover]

I hope that trigger on the briefcase handle pops out after the safety comes off.