quote:SCOTTISH troops from the Black Watch battle group yesterday discovered a huge cache of weapons which could show that Saddam Hussein's regime is in breach of UN sanctions.
Two Al Harith anti-ship cruise missiles supplied last year by Russia and explosive components from a Hampshire firm were discovered at a bunker complex sited at the As Zubayr civilian heliport south of Basra, in southern Iraq.
The soldiers found 24 reinforced underground bunkers and 48 arms storage sheds containing hundreds of thousands of rocket propelled grenades, landmines, machine gun am-munition, fuses, and detonators, as well as the missiles.
Most of the site has been cordoned off until experts arrive to clear booby traps and use detectors to see if anything more sinister is hidden in the depot.
One Al Harith, a long-range sea-skimming missile which could threaten allied warships in the Gulf, was on a stand awaiting the fitting of its rocket motor. Someone had drawn a shark's face on its warhead. Another was still in its crate in another bunker.
quote:"From the number of limpet mines and some of the other armaments found so far, it seems to have been a naval storage depot," said Lieutenant Watson. "It makes you wonder what chance a couple of hundred UN inspectors had of finding anything damning in a country this big. On the surface, this was, after all, supposed to be a civilian heliport."
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Two Al Harith anti-ship cruise missiles supplied last year by Russia..."
Just out of curiosity, how did they know that second bit? Was the receipt still in the box, or something?
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
Any WMDs found?
Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN:
"Two Al Harith anti-ship cruise missiles supplied last year by Russia..."
Just out of curiosity, how did they know that second bit? Was the receipt still in the box, or something?
Probably deductive reasoning based on this:
quote:Both weapons had Russian Cyrillic characters stencilled on their sides and were dated 2002. A strict UN arms embargo on Iraq has been enforced since 1991.
Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
quote:Originally posted by Saltah'na: Any WMDs found?
Not at this particular spot. However, for the impatient among us, I should point out that we've been fighting for less than a week. The primary objective right now is to secure areas. The searches will come later, when it's safer and there's time to be methodical about it.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
When he uses them we will have proof positive. A horrid way to find out for sure, but the freak has used them before, what makes people think he'd get rid of them?
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
shoot
[ March 25, 2003, 11:53 PM: Message edited by: Saltah'na ]
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
edit
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Both weapons had Russian Cyrillic characters stencilled on their sides and were dated 2002."
Even assuming for the moment that that proves the things originated in Russia, and were there in 2002, how does this prove that they were supplied "by Russia"? "By Russia" indicates that the Russian government was responsible. If we find missiles over there that were bought on the black market from someone in the US, will we say they were supplied "by the United States"?
Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
Actually, I beleive the more detailed reports have named at least two particular Russian companies which were providing components and equipment and training to the Iraqis.
The Russians are insisting that they've already investigated and found nothing going on... but that was before these most recent revelations.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Depnding on the age of the equipment it could very well have been.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but Russia isn't the only country that uses the cyrillic alphabet... Although it could be the only ones with missles to sell, I'm not sure.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Well, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed they'd had a translator tell them that the language was, in fact, Russian.
Posted by Epoch (Member # 136) on :
For those of you who keep wondering if any WMD's have been found, the answer is no. While that is the biggest item we are looking for it is not the only thing. Iraq has been limited to missiles with ranges of 93 miles and less. The scuds (which they have already fired) already excede that limit. The cruise missiles most likely have a larger range then they are allowed.
As for them being Russian, there is proof that the Russians (Or a group there in) supplied the Iraqis with anti-tank weapons as well as trying to supply them with night vision goggles. Now I don't believe that they have done this for any reason other then money issues (Weapons sell for good money).