The Arsenal of the Iraq Insurgency - It's made in China.

The Weekly Standard ^

[Sub-Driver]

The Arsenal of the Iraq Insurgency It's made in China. by John J. Tkacik Jr. 08/13/2007, Volume 012, Issue 45

This year, many truckloads of small arms and explosives direct from Chinese government-owned factories to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been transshipped to Iraq and Afghanistan, where they are used against American soldiers and Marines and NATO forces. Since April, according to a knowledgeable Bush administration official, "vast amounts" of Chinese-made large caliber sniper rifles, "millions of rounds" of ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and "IED [improvised explosive device] components" have been convoyed from Iran into Iraq and to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates insists there is "no evidence as yet" that Tehran government officials are involved in shipping weapons to Iraq for use against U.S. forces, a judgment that seems to hinge on the view that the Revolutionary Guards are not part of the "government." But the administration source cautioned, "these are Revolutionary Guards trucks, and although we can't see the mullahs at the wheel, you can bet this is [Tehran] government-sanctioned."

In addition, in early June the Washington Times reported from Kabul that the Pentagon had evidence of new shipments of Chinese shoulder-fired HN-5 antiaircraft missiles reaching Taliban units in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. This shouldn't be surprising. The Pentagon has known since last August that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had supplied Chinese-made C-802 antiship missiles with advanced antijamming countermeasures to Hezbollah in Lebanon. One slammed into the Israeli destroyer Hanit killing four sailors on July 14, 2006, during the Lebanon war.

The amount of raw intelligence on these Chinese arms shipments to Iran is growing, according to the official, who has seen it. Some items show Iran has made "urgent" requests for "vast amounts" of Chinese-made sniper rifles, apparently exact copies of the Austrian-made

[oldbill]

Please don’t post these - it is jeopardizing our trade with China. /cynicism

[Obie Wan]

Could this thread be true? China and Iran involved in the Iraq insurgency. Hard to believe !!!

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

Would this be good news? If these arms are made to the typical (mainland) Chinese standards for quality this is a plus. ;-/ Maybe we can get them to ship food and toys to Iran too...

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

Here’s a blast from the (1995) past, from The Heritage Foundation:

July 17, 1995
Continuing China’s MFN Status: Still in U.S. Interests
by Lippencott, Brett C.
Backgrounder Update #256
http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/bu256.cfm

and another (2 snips) from the Cato Institute, circa 1996:

It’s time for members of Congress to stop bashing China and to recognize that the best way to promote human rights in China is to promote free trade. Secretary of State Warren Christopher’s visit to Beijing next week should be used to offer China a positive program for human rights—one that treats free trade as an important human right; grants China permanent most-favored-nation trading status; repeals Jackson-Vanik, while maintaining a humane refugee and asylum policy; and continues to open markets.

President Clinton’s decision, in May 1994, to separate trade policy from human rights policy in considering China’s MFN trading status was logical and moral. That policy should be extended to give China unconditional MFN trading status, which should be renamed “normal trade relations.” Extending permanent MFN status to China will reduce uncertainty in trade relations and benefit Taiwan and Hong Kong.
http://www.cato.org/dailys/11-15-96.html

[sweetiepiezer]

There will be a recall on them soon.

[MNJohnnie]

Since April, according to a knowledgeable Bush administration official

There is a reason Rush Limbaugh calls them the Drive By Media. This is a good example.

Considering how many of these "unnamed sources" cited by the Politically Corrupt media that turn out to be completely fictitious these days, I think Conservatives would be wise to take any of these "news" reports with very large grains of sand no matter how eager they are to believe them.

Problem with these claims in the Politically Corrupted media where they make claims of citing a "knowledgeable Bush Administration official" is you have NO idea if the official exists or if they are telling the truth. We have no ideas if the reporter is factually and accurately reporting what the source said, if the source actually has any facts or is merely grinding their own personal axe on an issue or spinning the reporter with false enumeration to suit their own political agenda.

You would think given the hundreds of these stories that get feed to them that turn out to be complete lies, that the Conservatives would quit being suckers every time one of these red herrings is waved at them.

[hophead]

Two thoughts come to mind here.
SO What! We armed MANY groups over the years. It is the natural thing to do. Help your allies.
Is anyone REALLY surprised at the alliances?

[spokeshave]

"Some items show Iran has made "urgent" requests for "vast amounts" of Chinese-made sniper rifles, apparently exact copies of the Austrian-made 50 cal BMG long range rifles "

That will teach the Austrians not to sell 500 siniper rifles to the Iranians for "sumuggler interdiction"

[Bringbackthedraft]

Stock pile the captured weapons and send them back to Iranian resistance. If they can come in over the border one way they should be able to go the other way. Better yet, give them to the Kurds, they’ll know what to do with them!

[Gorzaloon]

..If the Chinese could only be persuaded to sell them Halal MRE’s, it would be a better world.

[oyez]

Communists abhor profit, unless its from selling stuff detrimental to the free world.

[o_zarkman44]

China taking it’s lead poisoning initiative to a new height. Now it is bullets for jihadis.

RED COMMIE CHINA CANNOT EVER BE TRUSTED!!!

But but but........they have some money and we can trade with themmmmmmmmm and they have Wal Mart and pepsi...so they are our friends!

yeah. right. another sell out by our good friends in congress.

[Leisler]

Someday the Chinese will sell weapons to their own anti-ruler insurgents.

[Thunder90]

The rest of the Stuff says “Made in Russia”. 1/2 of smuggled weapons in Iraq are Chinese, the rest are Russian, most bought in the last few years. Putin and Jintao both want to see the US thrown out of Iraq.