Korean Unit Exposed to Attacks From Somali Pirates

SNIPPET: "South Korea's naval unit operating off the coast of Somalia has been placed on high alert over Somali pirates' possible attacks using U.S. surface-to-air guided missiles against its helicopter, according to intelligence and Navy sources Monday.

The National Intelligence Service and the Defense Security Command recently provided the classified information to the Cheonghae Unit that Somali pirates seemed to have acquired ``Stinger'' missiles from al-Qaeda, said the sources."

SNIPPET: "The unit reported the potential threat missiles to the Navy command here and requested data on the weapon, the source said.

A military spokesman in Seoul said there was no confirmed intelligence that Somali pirates had secured Stinger missiles, citing sources from the Combined Forces Maritime Component Command based in Bahrain and Korean military attaches to embassies in the Middle East.

``We're aware that Somali insurgents have Stinger missiles, but the pirates don't at the moment as far as we know,'' the spokesman said."

Also along the same stinger missiles line:

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1597206/posts

Pakistan supplied American missiles to Taliban
India Defence ^
Posted on March 15, 2006 8:13:03 PM PST by Dyaus Pitar

Kabul: US and Nato forces are following up reports that the Taliban has received vital component parts for American shoulder-fired Stinger missiles from Pakistani officials enabling them to be used against helicopters in Afghanistan.

It is claimed that the missiles - originally supplied to the Afghan Mujaheddin by the US during the war against the Russians - have been fitted with new battery packs allegedly provided by the Pakistani intelligence service, ISI, in the last four months.

Western sources say they are not sure whether the supplies, needed to make the American-made missiles operational, were provided by rogue elements within the Pakistani secret service or approved at a high level.

However, the effect of rearming the Stingers could be to make Nato aircraft vulnerable at a time when Britain is carrying out the deployment of a force of almost 6,000 in southern Afghanistan.

It is believed that the battery packs had been fitted to between 18 and 20 heat-seeking Stingers which can hit targets at around 12,000 feet.

(Excerpt) Read more at india-defence.com ...

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