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March 27, 2003
Russians Violating Ban Of Arms Sales To Iraq?
From WaPo: One soldier with the 3rd Infantry Division, a loader on a tank, was killed on Monday. Also two tanks and one Bradley fighting vehicle with the division's 3rd Regiment, 7th Cavalry Squadron were destroyed by anti-armored missiles. Officers here believe the missile may be a new Russian variant, known as a Cornet, purchased despite United Nations sanctions on arms sales to Iraq. Posted By Alan at March 27, 2003 11:17 AM | TrackBackComments
Alan, Check your e-mail. There may be a Syria connection. Syria bought a thousand of them in 1998. Would be relatively easy to smuggle in to Iraq. Not necessarily a Russian violation of the arms embargo. Posted by: Chuck at March 27, 2003 11:31 AMThat's what I'm saying - Russians could be dupes. Or splitting profits. Who knows? Posted by: Steve at March 27, 2003 11:33 AMThis is an age-old practice, and one which has proliferated in Russia, since the fall of the communist government. "Sure we can sell you those, but we'll need to trans-ship and invoice them through....uh....Saudi Arabia, or wherever you'd prefer." It's not just missles, either. Nuke technology, bio-warfare technology, etc. Technically they can say "we didnt sell to them. Here, look at the papers." Happens every day. Posted by: Tommy at March 27, 2003 11:41 AMHow stupid would the Russian seller have to be to assume that modern AT weapons sold to the Ba'ath Party dictatorship in Syria would not end up in the adjoining Ba'ath Party dictatorship in Iraq? Even the Arab press couldn't sell that. Posted by: Warthog at March 27, 2003 11:42 AMAnd yet they sold them, to Syria, in 1998. Things that make you go "Hmmmmm.": A: "Officers here believe the missile may be a new Russian variant, known as a Cornet, purchased despite United Nations sanctions on arms sales to Iraq." http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/26/international/worldspecial/26CND-INFA.html B: "Syrian President Bashar Assad was quoted in the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir Thursday as hinting that Syria expects to be the next target of coalition forces. C: "Moscow selling arms to Syria - A Russian newspaper reported that a Russian armaments factory had begun supplying 1,000 Cornet anti-tank missile systems, the London Times reported on June 12 (1998 - Steve). The Soviet Union had supplied Syria with large quantities of weapons on credit up through 1989. President Gorbachev froze sales until Syria paid back an $11 billion debt. This is the first weapons sale to Syria since 1991." http://www.clw.org/atop/atn/atn0698.html Post a comment
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