Large cache of French, German, and Russian weapons found in Iraq

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Large cache of French, German, and Russian weapons found in Iraq

Posted: 12/21/2005 11:51:31 AM EDT

Apparently older stuff, but they say some of it looked pretty new.

ZUWAD KHALAF, Iraq — As the piles of missiles and rockets dug from the desert floor grew, smiles on soldiers’ faces turned to scowls of serious concern.

Working on a tip from an informant, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division on Tuesday dug up more than a thousand aging rockets and missiles wrapped in plastic, some of which had been buried as recently as two weeks ago, Army officials said.

“This is the mother lode, right here,” Sgt. Jeremy Galusha, 25, of Dallas, Ore., said, leaning on a shovel after uncovering more than 20 Soviet missiles.

As the sun set Tuesday, soldiers continued to uncover more, following zigzagging tire tracks across the desert floor and using metal detectors to locate weapons including mines, mortars and machine gun rounds.

But the growing piles of missiles and rockets were of primary concern for the soldiers in Iraq, where bombs made with loose ordinance by insurgents are the preferred method to target coalition forces.

“In our eyes, every one of these rockets represents one less IED,” said 2nd Lt. Patrick Vardaro, 23, of Norwood, Mass., a platoon leader in the division’s 187th Infantry Regiment.

Vardaro would not comment on whether there were signs the caches had been used recently to make bombs, but the service records accompanying the missiles dated to 1984, suggesting they were buried by the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein.

Still, the plastic around some of the rockets — of Soviet, German and French origins — appeared to be fresh and had not deteriorated as it had on some of the older munitions.

I wouldn't be that shocked if they were newer. Post-embargo and such. Since French, Russian, and German politicians were on Saddam's payroll.

Also, of interest (from a Pro-US French blog). Although it's apparently somewhat off since germany did sell Saddam weapons.

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:00:31 PM EDT

[#1]

The French have weapons?

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:07:30 PM EDT

[#2]

They just dont use 'em.

When in doubt surrender

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:11:51 PM EDT

[#3]

WTF kind of chart is that? Yes lets color the countries that sold them the most weapons and say that that color represents that they are good, then color the US another color and call them bad!!!!!

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:13:43 PM EDT

[#4]

See this is what i try to tell people about the WMD's. How can we be so sure that there are none buried somewhere in that country?

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:23:06 PM EDT

[#5]

I think that the color code was Irony. It was a Pro-US blog.

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:27:30 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
WTF kind of chart is that? Yes lets color the countries that sold them the most weapons and say that that color represents that they are good, then color the US another color and call them bad!!!!!

Posted: 12/21/2005 12:36:15 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I think that the color code was Irony. It was a Pro-US blog.

+100

Making fun of the "peacniks" who profited the most from Saddam's military spending, which came to an end with his regime's end.

Posted: 12/21/2005 1:00:32 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted: “In our eyes, every one of these rockets represents one less IED,” said 2nd Lt. Patrick Vardaro, 23, of Norwood, Mass., a platoon leader in the division’s 187th Infantry Regiment.

They should get those weapons in "ready-to-fire" condition and pointed at the Iranian and Syrian border.

Posted: 12/21/2005 4:45:47 PM EDT

[#9]

Is "Germany FRG" to mean french repulic of germany?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Large cache of French, German, and Russian weapons found in Iraq

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