Polish troops find new French missiles in Iraq

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

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Republican Red]

I heard this story on a local new break during Rush. I've been waiting for the confirmation.

The left had one hell of a week.

However, it's starting to turn around.

Jobs on the rise. Dow and Nasdaq up.

Rush sounded great today. Would have liked to hear more about the drug story but smart money says for him to keep quiet until he knows what is going on. If it is a set-up sometimes the denials are worse than the original charge.

Tuesday, California will be ours.

[tophat9000]

Go Poland!

[Sabertooth]

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

Planted by the Zionists, no doubt.

[Norse]

can i see the link for that? I believe u...i just want to look for it. Thanks

[Republican Red]

an update was added to the original with the French reaction:

http://biz.yahoo.com/rm/031003/iraq_poland_missiles_2.html

Reuters
UPDATE - Polish troops find new French missiles in Iraq
Friday October 3, 3:26 pm ET
By Pawel Kozlowski


(Adds details, French reaction)
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)

[mass55th]

"There's a really bad joke hidden in that headline."

Do you know where a Polish General keeps his armies?

Up his sleevies!!!

[armymarinemom]

Hoo Da thunk it! Yeah the Frogs are peace loving. Damn Hypocrites! They really should have to answer to the world as the why they would support such a monstrous regime.

[Bringbackthedraft]

Lets see what happens after the smoke clears. These missles could be from an international arm dealer. If France is really behind it, we can all cheer for the soldiers of the 4th Reich when they march into France.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for this illuminating, ping, Dog!

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

For more on France's int'l security mischief:

Let France Do It. (Not!)

 Thanks, Tonkin!

If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[newcats]

Shouldn't be too hard for the French (or U.S.) to determine who they were supposed to have been sold to.

How very convient that they were destroyed before any of this could be determined.
Sorry, but that part makes this story smell a bit fishy.

[xJones]

#39, LOL!

[eyespysomething]

I've been searching for this story, as I heard a blurb in the van earlier. Thank goodness someone found it!

Damn stinkin' french.

[Redwood71]

One of the reasons that leads me to believe the French may not have known about these missiles, is the amount. A small cache of missiles like this is too small of potatoes for the French to be caught at. I think these are leftovers from a larger cache that they did know about and won't fess up to. But the point still remains, what happened to the rest of them?

[Centurion2000]

If they were sold this year then the serial numbers and the buyer should be on file. Sounds like the frogs have some serious 'splainin' to do.

After all, anti aircraft missiles should at least be as well tracked as American handguns are (form 4473).

[MEGoody]

Gee, I thought that Saddam hadn't violated the UN sanctions. Isn't that what the lefties (and some on here) are screaming?

[mass55th]

The French may have shipped the missiles to Syria, etc., knowing full well that they WOULD end up in Iraq. What better way to get around the sanctions.

[PatrioticAmerican]

boil the frogs

[MEG33]

Oh my goodness gracious sakes alive!The French circumvented the sanctions??!