Austrian Rifles via Iran?: Another Crock
An extremely well-informed observer sent me this comment on the story that Iran is sending high-powered Austrian rifles to Iraqi Shiites. Like the whole USG story about Iran supplying deadly weapons to dangerous Shiite militias, this one turns out to be riddled with falsehoods.
' Please allow me to comment on the Austrian Sniper rifles.
There was a deal between Steyr-Mannlicher and the Iranians in the last year of Khatami's presidency, which followed as usual legal procedures, thus the Iranians handed out an end-user certificate. Originally the Iranians wanted 800 but in the end only 300 were delivered.
The rifle has no automatic capability but can pierce metal plate at a distance of 1000meters. The Iranian border guards allegedly use it to shoot at long distance into the motor blocks of the SUVs and pickups of the Drug gangs operating alongside the Afghan border.
There were American and I think also British protests when the deal was concluded. It is important that this was before Ahmadinezhad did his odious speech on Israel and the Holocoust, otherwise I cannot imagine that the Austrians would have concluded the deal.
The original article about Austrian rifles in Iraq appeared in the Daily Telegraph and is full of inconsistencies. For instance they say that the US found 100 of these rifles in Iraq and 170 American and Coalition troops have been killed by that weapon.
As far as I know 170 is the total of US and Coalition troops killed by Shiite militias; total combat casualties are about 3000! The vast majority has been killed by IEDs and other explosives. The article bases its accusations on a US display of weaponry designed to prove that Iran has been supplying Shia insurgents in Iraq, but there is no single line about the Austrian rifles.
But both articles put the Iranian nuclear issue centre stage! Meanwhile the US are unable to provide the Austrians with the guns' serial numbers. Steyr-Mannlicher also hinted at the fact that these guns can easily be rebuilt as the licencing has expired and one can buy them in countries like Canada. '
posted by Juan Cole @ 2/18/2007 12:05:00 AM
|
Facebook
7 Comments:
Wait...I need some clarification. 170 is the number of troops killed by Shiite forces? That's also the number of troops allegedly killed by Iranian EFPs. Am I retarded, or is that a coincidence?
Where are these numbers coming from? Are they reliable? I'm no expert, so help a brother out.
professor cole,
thank you for sharing the debunking of the austrian rifle connection. It is amazing how the "international" media have failed to question the details of this story. I had a comment on this a few days ago, linked below:
http://www.juancole.com/2007/02/5-us-troops-killed-in-sunni-arab-areas.html#c357899693369101526
regards
andreas
As we all know, before the US attacked the Saddam regime in Iraq, it repeteadly talked about "evidence" of WMDs and links with terrorists groups which were not very convincing for anybody. Still the occupation was realized. At the moment, as Bush has lost his popular base, he will not stop attacking Iran. So, to realize this goal, Bush will try to invent reasons to legitimize the attack.
Mehmet, Istanbul Turkey
You can even buy the Steyr Mannlicher HS50 Rifle in the US for $3999.99 without scope and you would proably not require an export licence to take them out of the country.
Maybe this is another example of chickens coming home to roost:
UN conference on small arms
In July 2001, Bush rendered null and void a UN conference to curb the international trade in small arms. The UN wanted a legally binding agreement to reduce the small arms available worldwide. It did not get it.
I am not suggesting that High Mountain Hunting Supply of Wenatchee, WA would knowingly sell these weapons for use in Iraq.
Can I suggest that all of your readers go get the DVD of the movie Nicholas Cage starred in a couple of years ago ..."The God of War."
To me, one feature of the modern world is that anyone with cash can obtain just about any weapon they want to obtain. The shadowy world of arms dealers will be happy to oblige.
the rifle serial numbers were not checked and this story is not passing the smell test for some outlets
see link.
I expect that if there were an honest count of "insurgent" weapons captured by US forces, weapons made in the US would come high on the list. Followed by German, Russian, Iraeli, Czech, Bristish, French, Irani, and Chinese in some order or the other. Where were the bulk of Saddam's army weapons made--that would be first for sure. Bush is trying to convince us that we need to fight Iran for him.
Post a Comment
<< Home