Polish troops find new French missiles in Iraq

Rueters via Yahoo! ^ | Friday October 3 | Pawel Kozlowski

[So Cal Rocket]

WARSAW, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Polish troops in Iraq have found four French-built advanced anti-aircraft missiles which were built this year, a Polish Defence Ministry spokesman told Reuters on Friday.

France strongly denied having sold any such missiles to Iraq for nearly two decades, and said it was impossible that its newest missiles should turn up in Iraq.

"Polish troops discovered an ammunition depot on September 29 near the region of Hilla and there were four French-made Roland-type missiles," Defence Ministry spokesman Eugeniusz Mleczak said.

"It is not the first time Polish troops found ammunition in Iraq but to our surprise these missiles were produced in 2003."

The Roland anti-aircraft system is a short-range air defence missile in service with at least 10 countries, including France and Germany.

They are fired from a mobile launcher vehicle and defence experts say the missiles are highly effective against aircraft attacking at low and medium altitude.

Under a strict trade embargo imposed by the United Nations, Iraq was barred from importing arms after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Among others, Russia, Britain and France all sold arms to Iraq in the 1970s and 1980s. In Iraq's arsenal were Soviet-built Scud missiles, British Chieftain tanks and French Mirage fighters.

But Iraq managed to circumvent the arms trade ban in the 1990s through shadowy deals with various arms traders and kept its military equipment functioning.

"NO MILITARY EXPORTS"

"Since July 1990, France has not authorised a single shipment of military equipment to Iraq," a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told Reuters. Similar accusations were made in the U.S. media in April, she said.

In 1980-81, 13 Roland-1 missile systems were shipped to Iraq and from 1983 to 1986, 100 Roland-2 missile systems. The Roland-3 has never been exported to Iraq, she said.

"It is not credible to say that the Roland missiles found a few days ago were produced in 2003 and delivered just before the Anglo-American intervention," the spokeswoman said.

"Let's be absolutely clear about this: no military exports to Iraq were licensed after July 1990."

It was unlikely that the missiles could be used 17-18 years after their delivery, she added.

Mleczak said Polish troops were notified about the missiles by a local Iraqi, who received a reward for the information.

"The ammunition depot was neutralised," said Mleczak. Polish television pictures showed missiles placed in a shallow trench and a huge explosion when the Poles blew up munitions at the site.

Since early September, Poland, a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, has led a multinational force in one of four so-called stabilisation zones, in central Iraq.

In the run-up to the outbreak of the 2003 Iraq war, American and British combat pilots struck Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries repeatedly as they patrolled no-fly zones in the north and south of the country.

(Additional reporting by Jon Boyle in Paris)

[xJones]

Ping to the Polish.)

"Since July 1990, France has not authorised a single shipment of military equipment to Iraq," a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told Reuters. Similar accusations were made in the U.S. media in April, she said.

MERDE!!! :)

[kevkrom]

"Let's be absolutely clear about this: no military exports to Iraq were licensed after July 1990."

Key word: licensed

Note they don't deny doing it, they just deny doing it "officially"...

[So Cal Rocket]

France strongly denied having sold any such missiles to Iraq for nearly two decades, and said it was impossible that its newest missiles should turn up in Iraq

INCONCEIVABLE!

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means

[anymouse]

ping

[TheConservator]

Cheese eating surrender monkey bump!!

[putupon]

Chirac und Saddam, 1976

[Stirner]

I don't know, but I would expect that missiles would have serial numbers or other markings that would allow them to be individually identified. Shouldn't be too hard for the French (or U.S.) to determine who they were supposed to have been sold to.

[pawdoggie]

The key phrase is "...France has not authorized..." if you use Clintonian parsing and French logic, that could cover a multitude of possibilities.

[rattrap]

SACRE BLEU!!!!!

[Shermy]

Villepin: 'Everybody knows that France never had a soft attitude towards the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein,'

[Dog]

It is not the first time Polish troops found ammunition in Iraq but to our surprise these missiles were produced in 2003."

France you have some'splainin' to do!!!

[OldFriend]

The French missiles were the product of time travel.

[ArrogantBustard]

My name is Inigo Montoya.

You blew up my Pentagon.

Prepare to die.

[thoughtomator]

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were shipped after the war started.

[Steely Glint]

Saddam was a French client. You need any more proof?

[SF Republican]

"The ammunition depot was neutralised," said Mleczak. Polish television pictures showed missiles placed in a shallow trench and a huge explosion when the Poles blew up munitions at the site. why did they do that?

[John H K]

For hundreds of years the Poles and French have been close allies...the huge Polish Legion in Napoleon's Army, his best troops and especially cavalry other than the Guard, is the best example.

French were useless to the Poles in World War II, and I suspect the last few years the Poles have finally realized the French are useless allies for all purposes.

[Carry_Okie]

Villepin: 'Everybody knows that France never had a soft attitude towards the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein,'

After all, they only take hard cash.

[finnman69]

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Nice rocketttssss.

BOOM!

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[Consort]