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| Iraq |
| Ships boarded in search for smuggled weapons |
| 2003-02-20 |
| The US navy is boarding an average of six vessels a day as it steps up patrols in international waters searching for Iraqi weapons rumoured to have been hidden on ships or smuggled overseas. Most of the operations have been in and around the Persian Gulf, where western naval detachments are enforcing international sanctions against Saddam Hussein's regime, ensuring there is no traffic in forbidden goods. If you're looking for Iraqi contraband, it makes sense to board ships in the Persian Gulf, as opposed to the South China Sea. Sheesh. Unmovic, the UN agency searching for hidden chemical and biological weapons, yesterday said there had been a steady stream of reports suggesting that Iraqi weapons had been smuggled abroad in recent months to countries such as Sudan and Syria. Peter Hinchliffe, marine adviser at the International Chamber of Shipping, said steps were under way to design an internationally accepted tracking system to maintain a closer watch on vessels. There was no evidence that ships carrying Iraqi missiles were concealed at sea, although he added: "The Indian ocean is a very big place - it's not difficult to hide things there." US naval patrols in the Gulf have yielded only minor discoveries of drugs and a handful of unauthorised guns. David Osler, industrial editor of the maritime journal Lloyd's List, said: "It's becoming a bit of an embarrassment to them - they haven't really found anything." Maybe because it's all coming overland from Syria? Chemical weapons take up little space and would not need to be stored on a large cargo vessel, he said. Missiles could not be stored safely on a commercial ship without large-scale adaptation. Though you could always throw them under some bags of cement. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 Okay. YARRRRRRR! Better? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-02-21 08:02:24 |
| #4 Actually, the south china sea might be a good place. North Korea aint using FedEx to ship missiles in... |
| Posted by: flash91 2003-02-20 23:15:42 |
| #3 Yarrrr - LOL, Any time a site descends to debating Simpsons' material - I'm in my element! Frank ©¿© |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-02-20 22:06:30 |
| #2 YARRRRR, matey! |
| Posted by: Crescend 2003-02-20 19:03:28 |
| #1 ARRRRRGGGGGGG! We bein' pirates again! ARRRRRGGGGGGG! |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-02-20 12:06:36 |