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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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To: So Cal Rocket
More news we won't see on ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN/MSNBC/NYTimes.
81
posted on
10/03/2003 1:56:01 PM PDT
by
My2Cents
(Well...there you go again.)
To: OXENinFLA
Clearly, something overlooked by Hans Blix and the Inspectors.
82
posted on
10/03/2003 1:56:58 PM PDT
by
My2Cents
(Well...there you go again.)
To: So Cal Rocket
France is our enemy. Even Tom Friedman says so.
83
posted on
10/03/2003 1:58:05 PM PDT
by
ellery
To: So Cal Rocket
Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe the French sold these Year-2003 missles to Iraq BEFORE the arms embargo took effect in 1990.
84
posted on
10/03/2003 1:58:06 PM PDT
by
kevao
(Fuques France!)
To: Republican Red
I like your optimism!
BUMPSKI from the Polish Ferret!
85
posted on
10/03/2003 2:00:00 PM PDT
by
Ferret Fawcet
("A wise man's heart inclines him toward the Right, but a fool's heart...to the Left" ~Ecc. 10:2)
To: So Cal Rocket
WEASELS!
86
posted on
10/03/2003 2:00:04 PM PDT
by
I'm ALL Right!
(He is no fool who would give what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose. - Jim Elliot)
To: kevao
Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe the French sold these Year-2003 missles to Iraq BEFORE the arms embargo took effect in 1990. If that's the case, then Wesley Clark must be involved.
87
posted on
10/03/2003 2:00:06 PM PDT
by
So Cal Rocket
(End Judicial Activism Now!!)
To: Centurion2000
Read the article...the evidence was destroyed before it could be inspected.
Is everyone so blinded by hatred that they can't see that this it is a bit odd for them to make this announcment AFTER they destroyed the missles?
88
posted on
10/03/2003 2:00:22 PM PDT
by
newcats
To: So Cal Rocket
|
French President Jacques Chirac kisses the hand of US First Lady Laura Bush at the Elysee Palace in Paris(AFP/File/Daniel Janin) AFP/File - Oct 03 3:31 PM |
...Laura should have decked him when she had the chance.
89
posted on
10/03/2003 2:00:45 PM PDT
by
Oldeconomybuyer
(The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Can't the frogs do anything right. :-/
90
posted on
10/03/2003 2:01:00 PM PDT
by
blackie
To: So Cal Rocket
LOL! Great movie, perfect for your post.
91
posted on
10/03/2003 2:01:03 PM PDT
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: So Cal Rocket; Matthew Paul; SAMWolf
Matthew, job well done, thank you Poland!!
Ping to you SAM.
92
posted on
10/03/2003 2:01:50 PM PDT
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: newcats
Is everyone so blinded by hatredIf by that you mean blinded by hatred for the French then, yes, I confess.
93
posted on
10/03/2003 2:01:51 PM PDT
by
kevao
(Fuques France!)
To: Dog
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
94
posted on
10/03/2003 2:02:46 PM PDT
by
Mo1
(http://www.favewavs.com/wavs/cartoons/spdemocrats.wav)
To: John H K
You know what they say about France -- they're always there when they need you.
95
posted on
10/03/2003 2:02:50 PM PDT
by
ellery
To: ArrogantBustard
"Let's be absolutely clear about this: no military exports to Iraq were licensed after July 1990."
So the worthless little $#!+$ sold 'em without a license...
Must have been at a gun show! Darned gun show loophole.
96
posted on
10/03/2003 2:03:39 PM PDT
by
Ingtar
(Understanding is a three-edged sword : your side, my side, and the truth in between ." -- Kosh)
To: Matthew Paul
ping -- some great work from your countrymen and women! Thank you!
97
posted on
10/03/2003 2:05:28 PM PDT
by
ellery
To: sarasota
Can anyone even feign surprise at this?Yeah, sure, let me take a crack at it.
...
...
Okay, no, I guess I can't even fake shock at French perfidy anymore.
98
posted on
10/03/2003 2:07:02 PM PDT
by
wizardoz
(All the sweet, green icing rolling down...)
To: So Cal Rocket
When my buddy got back from the sandbox, he had a gasmask filter, new, still sealed inside its bag, as a souvenir. One could read the French language instructions on the filter itself through the clear plastic of the bag.
He also has a picture of the ruin of a french-built aircraft bunker, walls made of 8 foot thick reinforced concrete; he is standing in front of a large, US-made hole in the "wall" where the precision munition entered before it exploded, destroying all within.
Nobody should have any doubt as to the French support of the hussein regime - maybe hussein is hiding out in france like idi amin (sp?) did....
99
posted on
10/03/2003 2:08:27 PM PDT
by
mil-vet
To: newcats
Read the article...the evidence was destroyed before it could be inspected. Is everyone so blinded by hatred that they can't see that this it is a bit odd for them to make this announcment AFTER they destroyed the missles? And how do know they were inspected? According to the article a Polish television has at least pictures showed of the missiles
100
posted on
10/03/2003 2:09:17 PM PDT
by
Mo1
(http://www.favewavs.com/wavs/cartoons/spdemocrats.wav)
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