Posted on 03/02/2013 2:57:01 PM PST by Seizethecarp
An Iranian dhow seized off the Yemeni coast was carrying sophisticated Chinese antiaircraft missiles, a development that could signal an escalation of Iran’s support to its Middle Eastern proxies, alarming other countries in the region and renewing a diplomatic challenge to the United States.
The shipment, which officials portray as an attempt to introduce sophisticated new antiaircraft systems into the Arabian Peninsula, has raised concerns in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen, as the weapons would have posed escalated risks to civilian and military aircraft alike.
Among the items aboard the dhow, according to a review of factory markings on weapons and their packing crates, were 10 Chinese heat-seeking antiaircraft missiles, most of them manufactured in 2005.
The missiles were labeled QW-1M and bore stencils suggesting that they had been assembled at a factory represented by the state-owned China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation, sanctioned by the United States for transfers of missile technology to Pakistan and Iran.
That cargo also included 316,000 cartridges for Kalashnikov rifles, nearly 63,000 cartridges for PK machine guns or the Dragunov series of sniper rifles, more than 12,000 cartridges for 12.7-millimeter DShK machine guns and 95 RPG-7 launchers.
The vessel also carried 10 SA-7 shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles with two gripstocks for firing them, nearly 17,000 sticks of Iranian-made C-4 plastic explosives, 48 Russian PN-14K night vision goggles, and 10 LH80A laser range finders made, according to their placards, by the state-run Iran Electronics Industries, also under American sanction.
The original provenance of the SA-7s was not clear, though the crates they were in had stenciling in Bulgarian.
Unlike many older shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles seen in insurgent hands around the world, the QW-1M is believed by analysts to have a seeker head more resistant to countermeasures intended to deceive it.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Saudi Royals and others near Iranian proxies are getting more nervous about flying, I would think...
The Chinese are not our friend. Free traders please take note.
The Chinese want to spread the US thin by keeping as many of our aircraft carrier groups tied up near the Persian Gulf as possible so as to keep them away from the Western Pacific.
alarming other countries in the region and renewing a diplomatic challenge to the United States.
Unless John F’in Kerry is willing to surrender to Iran(and that isn’t beyond belief)Iran could not care less about anything we say or do.
We have sanctioned them without it amounting to squat, we have cajoled them, we have kissed their asses ever since Reagan left office. What diplomatic interaction between us and them will do any good,
Certainly we aren’t going to intervene in anything Iran does militarily, They know that, and we know they know that.
Sooner or later Israel will have to act and shamefully all of those Saudi’s, Oman and Yemen who are crapping their pants in fear now will all say that Israel was at fault, instead of doing the right thing and thanking Israel
PS Obama will be right there with them condemning Israel.
Jimmy Carter, the gift that keeps on giving.
I suspect Obama will do even more.
The left are quick to condemn the gun dealer who sells a .38 revolver used in a crime, yet China’s role in arming crazies is just a passing side note in the press.
The Chinese want to take back all their territory seized by foreigners. That includes land in Siberia, taken by the Russians.
It is easier to invade over land rather than thousands of miles away over the Pacific Ocean.
That doesn’t mean the Chinese wouldn’t launch nuclear missiles in our direction as a subterfuge before invading Siberia. More than likely, they will do just that. This is especially critical as we’re disarming our nuclear capabilities, thanks to BHO2 and the anti-nuclear Hagel. This leaves us quite vulnerable.
Chinese play chess. We play checkers. Our politicians and the people they represent think in months. The Chinese take a long view of things. We are at a decided disadvantage should things continue as they are.
The Chinese aren’t a threat to the US. All thru their history all they’ve cared about is protecting their borders. And with good reason based on the actions of their neighbors.despite their new wealth they’ve spent extremely little on upgrades, more weapons. The major threat to the US by a long shot is now internal: the Federal government.
I don’t think they’ll nuke the joint. I think they’ll take down or take over all, ALL of our electronics.
We need to buy cheap chinese handguns! that should be OK with Obama.
I agree with your statement about the Federal government. But an even bigger threat is the international financiers and internations corporations, as these are owned by the same group of very wealthy people who control BHO2.
“The Chinese are not our friend. Free traders please take note.”
Almost no one understands the nature of Chinese government. The red generals have all the power. They control the army and the means of production. The red generals own the government defense factories in their districts. The Chinese “government” can sign arms non-proliferation agreements all day long. The Chinese “government” cannot control what the red generals sell. The red generals keep the money themselves and live like emperors. If one general did not sell sophisticated weapons to terrorists, then another rival general certainly would.
Bingo!
You hit the nail on the head.
Ok, so you are saying that Central Committee of the Communist pary in China cannot control its generals. I have never heard this before. Perhaps, the State Department should send representatives to each of the generals’ headquarters in stead of the Foreign ministry in Beijing.
China is different than Japan.
They were one of two super powers circa 1500 a.d., the other being the Ottoman Empire. Both were in decline during the 19th century and finally collapsed around the time of WWI.
Japan tried to be like European nations, in that they moved to claim colonies in Asia. Most westerners don’t like to hear that, believing themselves beneficial towards third world territory and peoples living there. Nevertheless, they conquered areas of the world for their own financial gain, just as the Japanese later emulated.
The Chinese play Chinese checkers, the Russians play chess. Americans play poker, checkers, chess, and monopoly.
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