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Polish troops find new French missiles in Iraq
Rueters via Yahoo! ^ | Friday October 3 | Pawel Kozlowski

Posted on 10/03/2003 12:50:35 PM PDT by So Cal Rocket

WARSAW, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Polish troops in Iraq have found four French-built advanced anti-aircraft missiles which were built this year, a Polish Defence Ministry spokesman told Reuters on Friday.

France strongly denied having sold any such missiles to Iraq for nearly two decades, and said it was impossible that its newest missiles should turn up in Iraq.

"Polish troops discovered an ammunition depot on September 29 near the region of Hilla and there were four French-made Roland-type missiles," Defence Ministry spokesman Eugeniusz Mleczak said.

"It is not the first time Polish troops found ammunition in Iraq but to our surprise these missiles were produced in 2003."

The Roland anti-aircraft system is a short-range air defence missile in service with at least 10 countries, including France and Germany.

They are fired from a mobile launcher vehicle and defence experts say the missiles are highly effective against aircraft attacking at low and medium altitude.

Under a strict trade embargo imposed by the United Nations, Iraq was barred from importing arms after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Among others, Russia, Britain and France all sold arms to Iraq in the 1970s and 1980s. In Iraq's arsenal were Soviet-built Scud missiles, British Chieftain tanks and French Mirage fighters.

But Iraq managed to circumvent the arms trade ban in the 1990s through shadowy deals with various arms traders and kept its military equipment functioning.

"NO MILITARY EXPORTS"

"Since July 1990, France has not authorised a single shipment of military equipment to Iraq," a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told Reuters. Similar accusations were made in the U.S. media in April, she said.

In 1980-81, 13 Roland-1 missile systems were shipped to Iraq and from 1983 to 1986, 100 Roland-2 missile systems. The Roland-3 has never been exported to Iraq, she said.

"It is not credible to say that the Roland missiles found a few days ago were produced in 2003 and delivered just before the Anglo-American intervention," the spokeswoman said.

"Let's be absolutely clear about this: no military exports to Iraq were licensed after July 1990."

It was unlikely that the missiles could be used 17-18 years after their delivery, she added.

Mleczak said Polish troops were notified about the missiles by a local Iraqi, who received a reward for the information.

"The ammunition depot was neutralised," said Mleczak. Polish television pictures showed missiles placed in a shallow trench and a huge explosion when the Poles blew up munitions at the site.

Since early September, Poland, a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, has led a multinational force in one of four so-called stabilisation zones, in central Iraq.

In the run-up to the outbreak of the 2003 Iraq war, American and British combat pilots struck Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries repeatedly as they patrolled no-fly zones in the north and south of the country.

(Additional reporting by Jon Boyle in Paris)


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: embargo; france; frenchmissiles; frenchweaponsiraq; frogs; illegalweapons; iraq; missiles; oops; poland; roland1; roland2; roland3
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Comment #141 Removed by Moderator

To: BluH2o
No, but a third party entity serves as a middleman ... France, of course knows this, but can state for the record ... they didn't authorize any, not one, military shipment to Iraq since 1990.

Exactly. But, since the whole system was found, we can trace the serial #'s back to see who they were sold to...any bets on an Islamazi country being the cut-out?

Or, were the Frogs smart, and "removed" the serial #"s?

In summary on France..."Meet the new Bosh...same as the OLD Bosh!"

142 posted on 10/03/2003 7:09:32 PM PDT by Itzlzha (The avalanche has already started...it is too late for the pebbles to vote!)
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To: Matthew Paul
LOL.

Hi Mat.
143 posted on 10/03/2003 7:13:52 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: So Cal Rocket
So what does HANS BLIX have to say about this? Kofi Annan? Teddy Kennedy? Hillary!?
144 posted on 10/03/2003 7:18:33 PM PDT by arasina (TAGLINE TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
145 posted on 10/03/2003 7:22:10 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Spok
Just mark 'em RETURN TO SENDER.
146 posted on 10/03/2003 7:22:18 PM PDT by arasina (TAGLINE TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER)
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To: Republican Red
And it's really bad when your stating that the silly joke made you chuckle made me chuckle.
147 posted on 10/03/2003 7:27:37 PM PDT by arasina (TAGLINE TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER)
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To: Mo1
France strongly denied having sold any such missiles to Iraq for nearly two decades, and said it was impossible that its newest missiles should turn up in Iraq.

Well apparently it's not impossible .. they are there

What this means is the French just called the Poles liars.
This could get interesting.
148 posted on 10/03/2003 7:30:38 PM PDT by tet68 (multiculturalism is an ideological academic fantasy maintained in obvious bad faith. M. Thompson)
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To: weegee
"The boycott of all things French will continue."

There is nothing the French can do, not now, not ever, to get off of my shiite list.

149 posted on 10/03/2003 7:36:09 PM PDT by Bonaparte
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To: Spok
"...launched toward Paris."

Great idea, let's airmail them back to Frogger.

150 posted on 10/03/2003 7:37:11 PM PDT by Bonaparte
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To: arasina
And I was going to post this.... :)

Well, here's the Newsmax link:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2003/10/3/172312.shtml'

As for what the UN and the Left are going to say?? They've all ready said it!

"Rush is a racist drug addict! Bush leaked the "*Patriot*" AMB Wilson's wife's name! Arnold Loves Hitler! There are no WMDs! And... We did it for the children!"

What, do you think these stories all breaking this week are a coincidence???
151 posted on 10/03/2003 7:37:18 PM PDT by M1Tanker (I'm blunt, direct, no-nonsense, and passionate about freedom....and my wife thinks I'm cute.)
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To: mhking
Additional reporting by Jon Boyle in Paris The french are reporting on themselves and denying it too !

LMBOROTF

152 posted on 10/03/2003 7:49:39 PM PDT by ATOMIC_PUNK ("If guns kill people, where are mine hiding the bodies.")
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To: Matthew Paul
LOL! Good caricature of "le Worm."
153 posted on 10/03/2003 8:23:31 PM PDT by SAMWolf (Stop looking at my tagline...QUIT IT!...MOM, TELL HIM TO QUIT IT!)
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To: Matthew Paul
We are so smart MP ;)
154 posted on 10/03/2003 9:02:34 PM PDT by JustPiper (We deserve no less than closed border's after 911!!!)
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To: So Cal Rocket
bump
155 posted on 10/03/2003 9:19:38 PM PDT by GOPJ
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To: sarasota
Can anyone even feign surprise at this?

But then I am a highly trained BS artist with YEARS of experience behind me.
156 posted on 10/03/2003 9:20:14 PM PDT by Valin (I have my own little world, but it's okay - they know me here.)
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To: OXENinFLA
France strongly denied having sold any such missiles to Iraq for nearly two decades, and said it was impossible that its newest missiles should turn up in Iraq.

It may just be me being cynical but...sold doesn't mean traded, given, swapped, borrowed...etc.

157 posted on 10/03/2003 9:23:19 PM PDT by Valin (I have my own little world, but it's okay - they know me here.)
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To: BurbankKarl
I wonder if the Polish army might sneak it into the suburbs of Paris before firing. Polish memories of 1939 are alive and well.
158 posted on 10/03/2003 10:23:15 PM PDT by Heatseeker
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; JohnHuang2; MEG33; Pippin; Coleus; null and void
Le Ping
159 posted on 10/04/2003 5:19:01 AM PDT by Calpernia (Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does.)
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To: So Cal Rocket
bump
160 posted on 10/04/2003 5:23:36 AM PDT by PGalt
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