Iranian Bought .50 rifles in hands of Iraqi insurgents

[[R-MOD]Bob_Marley]

Over 100 Steyr HS50 .50 sniper rifles that were sold to Iran last year have been found in the hands of Iraqi insurgents by US forces.

More than 100 of the.50 calibre weapons, capable of penetrating body armour, have been discovered by American troops during raids.

The guns were part of a shipment of 800 rifles that the Austrian company, Steyr-Mannlicher, exported legally to Iran last year.

The sale was condemned in Washington and London because officials were worried that the weapons would be used by insurgents against British and American troops.

Within 45 days of the first HS50 Steyr Mannlicher rifles arriving in Iran, an American officer in an armoured vehicle was shot dead by an Iraqi insurgent using the weapon.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...3/wiran313.xml

The Iranians have denied that they supplied the rifles and the Austrians have washed their hands of all resposibility

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...3/wiran513.xml

[{9thInf}Dr!fter *E*]

Interesting links, it’s the way of the world though. The Soviet Union & Communist China supplied the Vietcong and Vietminh in their fight against the U.S. and French in Vietnam. The United States supplied the Afghan forces with money, Russian weapons, and later stinger missiles to keep fighting the Reds. The US gave Iraq weapons to fight Iran after Irans Islamic Revolution. The list goes on...
It’s no surprise that Iran funds any groups that actively fight Israel or the west. “An enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine.” It is a surprise that nations like Austria allow weapons sales to nations like Iran though. You would think that the Austrian government wouldn’t want to aid a government like Iran. Especially because Iran possesses medium ranged missiles and is developing a nuclear program. I guess when it comes down to it every government cares more about the bottom line than any threat that could be around the corner.

[dunkellic]

i´m not bying it yet - you know, we had dias of iraqi wmd-trucks too...

[[R-MOD]Wasteland]

Haha. What I loved about that Colin Powell speach to the UNSC was the whole "as you can see here, there's a construction yard. Next to it these bulldozers are working in a field... now what could they possibly be covering up here? Well let me show you an artist's rendition of what it might be..."

[[R-CON]MrD]

Look, I know criminals back here who've had their hands on SA80 series rifles. They've gone out in the country getting drunk, stoned and shooting them off for a laugh. Until they catch a senior official with credible evidence that their is a chain of higher orders for the weapons to reach insurgents hands we cannot really speculate on this.

I can easily assume right now that some armourer or official has been lining his pockets privately and illegally selling military weaponry to insurgents for use.

There can be no punishment without law and the law says that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Gossip and accusations without proof are social punishment

[{9thInf}Dr!fter *E*]

I agree, you can’t say “The government of Iran” is giving the Insurgents weapons. As of last night I didn’t hear anyone saying that. The network news agencies were prying at it but the official comments are “weapons are coming over from Iran and members of the revolutionary guard are in Iraq.” No one, to my knowledge has claimed the whole government of Iran is behind this. They very well could be behind it but it’s also just as possible that they are not. Like you posted, it could be a small sect of people lining their pockets.
The whole thing about supplying someone with weapons like this is its extremely easy to deny and very hard to prove. That’s why it’s so common. Either way the weapons are getting in and there are Iranian special forces in Iraq.

[Wipeout]

Soviets did it to us.. We did it to the Soviets.. We did it to Iran, Iran is doing it to us..

You ask what I'm talking about.. Vietnam, Afghanistan.. Iraq(Iraq-Iran War), Iraqi Liberation..

Wonderful cycle ain't it? uh no..

[[R-MOD]Saobh]

Originally Posted by JP*wasteland.soldier

Haha. What I loved about that Colin Powell speach to the UNSC was the whole "as you can see here, there's a construction yard. Next to it these bulldozers are working in a field... now what could they possibly be covering up here? Well let me show you an artist's rendition of what it might be..."

And this time for Iran they'll be saying "... Well let me show you a PR rendition of what it might be"

Yup this mod is really hitting high

[NikovK]

Guys, there is a very easy way to check where these guns came from.

Iran orders 800 rifles.

Steyr manufactures 800 copies and sells them to Iran.

Almost all rifles have serial numbers stamped on them by the manufacturer.

So, if Iran was sold serial numbers #1400 - #2200, and we find #1730, we know the weapon was sold to Iran, and is now possessed by insurgents. If we find HUNDREDS from the serial number batch shipped to Iran, we have pretty solid proof Iran is responsible for this.

Already over a hundred have turned up in raids, 1/8th of all weapons sold to Iran. If these match up by serial number, its highly unlikely government corruption or other non-state-sponsored means would send such a large percent of the weapons to the same buyers.

So all they really need to do is trace the numbers on the receiver back to the batch the Iranians were sold, and this is condemning evidence; unless, of course, you're a conspiracy nut. Then its all planted by the CIA and other people are only defending the lie because of the microchips in their tooth fillings.

[[R-DEV]Jaymz]

Iran is a great country, just happens to be run by a bunch of absolute morons hellbent on using Lebanon/Iraq/Palestine as proxies to engage US and Israeli forces in a calculated attempt to stir the pot of political bullshit that dominates the leftist media.

Yes, you can quote me on that.