Missile factory blows up in Syria

world tribune ^ | 04/03/2002

[samson1]

Missile factory blows up in Syria

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Wednesday, April 3, 2002 LONDON — An explosion has been reported at a leading Syrian weapons factory, killing 35 people.

The explosion was reported early last week in the northern Syrian city of Homs. Western diplomatic sources said a factory in a huge Syrian weapons complex exploded, killing many of the technicians in the building and causing widespread damage.

The sources said they did not know the cause of the blast. The Homs complex produces Scud C and D missiles as well as nonconventional weapons, according to Middle East Newsline.

Homs, with a population of about 500,000 people, is located 160 kilometers north of Damascus. The city has an oil refinery and is a major railroad junction.

The sources said the explosion took place either on March 24 or March 25. They said they did not know exactly what facility was destroyed.

"It could have been an explosion of a missile or something that took place during the production or testing of explosives," a Western intelligence source said. "We don't know and we might not know for a while."

U.S. intelligence sources said Syria maintains a missile test site 15 kilometers south of Homs. They said Syria has tested such missiles as the Scud C and Scud D as well as chemical warheads.

Syria also constructed missile factories in nearby Hama, about 110 kilometers north of Damascus. One factory is meant to produce solid-fuel missiles and the other is for liquid-fuel missiles. The solid-fuel missile is being developed with the help of Iran.

The Homs explosion is said to be the latest in a series of accidents that have taken place during Syria's missile and nonconventional weapons programs. In 1991, the Syrian Health Ministry closed down five pharmaceuticals plants, including one in Homs, during what Western intelligence agencies determined were tests of chemical weapons.

[aomagrat]

Bart, you do know what happens when you mix an acid and a base?

Yes ma'am.

Boom!... Splat...

[cmsgop]

The sources said they did not know the cause of the blast.

SEAL TEAM!

[Kenny Bunk]

Scud?

Nothin special. Well equipped boat yard could build one from plans, no problem. Maybe even make it more accurate than the Muslim version ... which wouldn't be hard.

[breakem]

Any aspirin bottles distroyed?

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

Heh Heh Heh

[ken5050]

These are the mobile launched ones right, on the back of the tractor-trailer.....and they have to be fueled, cause they're liquid fuel, right, and the guidance has to be programmed..and where are they gonna hide em in Syria..

[Pagey]

Western diplomatic sources said a factory in a huge Syrian weapons complex exploded, killing many of the technicians... "It could have been an explosion of a missile or something that took place during the production or testing of explosives,"
Didn't Syria recently say they're Pro-Arafat or something along these lines?Too bad about their technicians,huh...---And since they test Chemical weapons too,I say "This is a Positive Act".Just one question,if this happened 10 days ago,Why haven't we used our "Ikonos Satellite" to take Pics of the area yet?

[Tom Jefferson]

Just one question,if this happened 10 days ago,Why haven't we used our "Ikonos Satellite" to take Pics of the area yet?

We don't know that we haven't. I have a feeling that our government doesn't tell us everything, but I could be wrong on that.

[Libloather]

Boomp...

[Kenny Bunk]

Although vast areas of Syria, viewed from the air, resemble Kitty Litter with suspicious green clumps, it's a big place. It even has Mountains, Canyons, Arroyos, Valleys, and incredible as it may seem, some large forested areas. (Think East of San Bernadino) So hiding these clunkermissiles and their 1948 REO Flatbed Launchers for an attack on the Holy Land wouldn't be at all difficult, especially for the first two or three launches. Understand they take about an hour-and-half to set up and fuel ... then it's Shoot'n'Scoot.

We have educated enough of these fellows so that while they may not have an honest-to-god nuclear boom-boom, they sure might make a bomb dirty enough to cause a city a problem, if they could hit it, which they might.

We oughta find where they store and station these things and dispatch them before they cause a problem.

[Pagey]

bttt

[Pagey]

bttt