U.S. seizes gold bars in Iraq

Reuters | 5/27/03 | Daren Butler

[kattracks]

Tuesday May 27, 12:20 AM

U.S. seizes gold bars in Iraq

By Daren Butler

KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. troops seized a truck laden with suspected gold bars worth up to $100 million (60.9 million pounds) at a checkpoint in northern Iraq, the second such find in four days.

Major Kevin Petit said on Monday that soldiers found 999 bars under a tarpaulin in an old Mercedes on Sunday during a search near the oil city of Kirkuk and questioned the truck's three occupants.

The driver had said he had been paid $300 to carry what he said were copper bars from Baghdad to north Iraq.

"These are not minted bars. The gold was melted down quickly," Petit said as he clambered on the truck to show the impure and roughly moulded 10 kg (20 lb) bars at Kirkuk airbase.

Signs saying "Do not enter, under investigation by the U.S. government" have been attached to the barbed-wire enclosure which surrounds the turquoise truck, parked among U.S. military facilities within the base.

U.S. troops said they suspected the men had been unaware of what they were carrying. No weapons were found and the three were being questioned.

"Based on the sensitivity of the load it will probably be transferred to Baghdad," Petit said.

On Thursday, U.S. forces found some 2,000 bars believed to be gold worth as much as $500 million during a random search of a truck near the Syrian border. That driver also said he was being paid $300 for the work.

U.S. troops found an estimated $600 million in U.S. notes stashed in boxes near Baghdad palace complexes last month.

This month, U.S. officials said Saddam's son Qusay took around a billion dollars in currency from the central bank in Baghdad just before the war, but that most had been recovered.

[AngrySpud]

I wonder how many gold-hauling trucks (or donkeys) got through.

[stylin19a]

I'm wondering why they didn't let the truck & driver continue to it's destination ? with troops not far behind of course.

[oceanview]

who is giving the orders to load and move all this gold? there has to be some kind of significant command and control left amongst the Ba'ath people or former Iraqi military to make this happen. How are they communicating to each other to make this happen? And where is this stuff being stored, it has to be in some out of the way places, you would think that US forces have search obvious places like banks and government buildings. These stories are not building my confidence that we have a firm grip on the country.

[Fractal Trader]

999 bars?

Was the thousandth bar taken as a commision?

[EGPWS]

Good find!!

Too bad the U.N. isn't involved, we sure could use their help to expedite finding shipments like these.

[EGPWS]

Forgot the /sarcasm!:)

[Michael81Dus]

Maybe a GI wanted to send a nice souvenir back home ("My brother was in Iraq, and all I got was this s#i**y gold bar!") ;-)

[Squantos]

LMAO....999 bars times 20 pounds in an old mercedes........unimog vs gull wing I'll suppose ?:o)

[blam]

Fox News just announced that about $200 mullion in currency has been found in a flooded bank vault.

[SouthernFreebird]

Now that wouldn't happen in America...where you gonna find a driver who'll settle for the 300.00 bucks as you deliver 500 million in gold.

[John Jorsett]

Man, the Three Kings must have gotten lost.

[John Jorsett]

Fox News just announced that about $200 mullion in currency has been found in a flooded bank vault.

If this keeps up, we're going to bring this war in on a profit.

[Grampa Dave]

France, Germany. and Russia must be really upset. If it hadn't been for our regime change, all of this gold money probably would have found its way to France, Germany and Russia.

Now it will stay in Iraq.

Notice how the left wing press has not said anything about the real looting of Iraq by the Regime they supported.

[bert]

These belong to Kuwait.......stolen in 1991.

[browardchad]

Fox News just announced that about $200 mullion in currency has been found in a flooded bank vault.

The new Iraqi US Admin, Paul Bremer, announced that at a presser in Baghdad this AM -- the conference was cut off midway by FNC by the way. It seems the Lacy Peterson case is more important than Iraq nowadays.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

actually the un would probably find the money in no time flat. WMD'S owned by dicators no big hurry but Gold I bet they pull out all the stops.

[DainBramage]

$300 dollars to smuggle 150 million in gold....kinda like being a plumbers helper.

[EGPWS]

actually the un would probably find the money in no time flat.

Why would they waste their time going after the "chicken feed" when they already have "pheasant under glass" served up by the "Goldmine Diner and Supper club"...Owned and operated by the USofA?

[Miss Marple]

I would greatly appreciate it if Fox News would concentrate their Lacy Peterson coverage into two one-hour time blocks...say one in the afternoon and Greta's show in the evening.

Then I could safely switch to another channel or get housework done anad rest assured I am not missing anything.