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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran border guards killed by alk runners
2005-07-28
Two Iranian border guards were killed and three wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade attack launched by alcohol bootleggers on the Iran-Iraq border, local media reported.
Do alk runners usually carry RPGs?
"Two soldiers were killed and three others wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade attack at the border post of Chaku," on the border with Iraqi Kurdistan in the west of the country, the conservative Kayhan daily reported. According to Kayhan, the attack followed a tightening of security at the border aimed at thwarting bootleggers coming from Iraq. The paper said that more than 1.15 mln bottles of liquor had been seized in West Azerbaijan province, which abuts both Iraq and Turkey, in the four months from March, more than in all of last year. The manufacture and consumption of alcohol has been prohibited in Iran since the Islamic revolution of 1979 and remains punishable by fines and lashes.On July 5, Iran's conservative-controlled parliament adopted a bill doubling sentences for alcohol manufacturers and smugglers. According to the bill, alcohol manufacturers or sellers are subject to between three and 12 months in prison along with 74 lashes and a fine equivalent to twice the value of the alcohol seized. The law remains unchanged for consumers: two to six months in prison plus lashes.
Update: Alk runners don't carry RPGs, but PKK usually do:
Three Iranian soldiers were killed in an ambush near the Turkish border that the Interior Ministry blamed on Turkish Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "Three soldiers were martyred," Ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani said of Tuesday evening's ambush near the northwestern town of Oshnoviyeh, according to AFP. "It was terrorists from the PKK who carried out the ambush." The spokesman gave no further details of the attack and did not elaborate on why the PKK was held responsible rather than the Iran-oriented Kurdish rebel groups, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and Komaleh.
Posted by:Seafarious

#17  On any flight out of The Magic Kingdom, the Stewardess call lights are almost ALL lit up the instant the Pilot announces we are out of Saudi airspace. Now think about that. How many flights have you been on where it would even occur to anyone on the flight that being out of some country's airspace would be worthy of an announcement? Perhaps the old Soviet days were the closest thing.

They begin serving alcohol that instant on outbound flights from TMK. Who's ordering and clamoring for instant service - mainly the Saudis. The expats know to wait and let the stupidity and hollering die down, first, so they're not lumped into the moron group by the stews. Within an hour, the Saudis are the drunkest, loudest, most obnoxious motherfuckers you will ever encounter on a commercial flight. On long night flights you can kiss the notion of getting a little sleep goodbye.

Oh, and immediately after liftoff, all the wymyn head for the john to change into Western clothes - even if the flight is to UAE or Qatar.

Islam. The Religion of Hyposcrisy, in addition to all of their other endearing qualities.
Posted by: .com   2005-07-28 22:54  

#16  Drinking is one thing. Smuggling and selling it is another.
Posted by: Pappy   2005-07-28 15:30  

#15  I thought these mulletheads didn't drink alcohol--it was against their religion.
Posted by: John Q. Citizen   2005-07-28 14:37  

#14  "Thunder Road"
Posted by: Thraitch Thravick7019   2005-07-28 13:14  

#13  Geez... Just do what the bootlegger in Lithuania did to avoid the new EU booze tax. Have a still in Belarus, and run a 2 mile pipe under the border between two sheds... {Snicker} A lot less noisy
Posted by: BigEd   2005-07-28 13:12  

#12  LOL DepotGuy!
Posted by: Shipman   2005-07-28 10:39  

#11  Drink in Moderation...but fire at will.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2005-07-28 10:38  

#10  How much you want to bet that the top Mullahs have got world class wine cellars?
Posted by: Classical_Liberal   2005-07-28 09:52  

#9  Ali Capone was responsible.
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2005-07-28 09:16  

#8  publicity stunt to boost ME ticket sales to Dukes of Hazzard

:-)
Posted by: Frank G   2005-07-28 08:46  

#7  I will soon come to beloved America where I will show my prowess in short track camel racin.
Posted by: abu Junior Johnson   2005-07-28 07:42  

#6  Repeat after me"proof read is my friend,proof read is my friend".
Posted by: raptor   2005-07-28 07:40  

#5  From what I read over at"regimechangeiran"things are getting pretty nasty up North.
>http://www.regimechangeiran.com/
I don't know if I embedded the link right,don't wanteat-up Fred's b-widthy posting articles.
Posted by: raptor   2005-07-28 07:37  

#4  Cheers!
Posted by: Captain America   2005-07-28 05:29  

#3  From what I recall the tech of producing an RPG round is pretty elementary. Our troops in Iraq are coming up against some indigenous as well as modified RPG rounds. I am no fan of PKK scum but a dead Irainan armed forces member is one less to deal with later. Hope they kill the heck out of each other. If it was booleggers good on them. Any pay back for the MMs support of world wide terror no matter how small is welcome.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom   2005-07-28 04:31  

#2  Afghanistan had a rep as an arms market as well. If they can smuggle booze in from Iraq, RPGs from the other direction wouldn't be a problem.
Posted by: Pappy   2005-07-28 02:39  

#1  Do alk runners usually carry RPGs?

Well, I imagine a lot of the RPG's winding up in Iraq are being donated or sold at well below international market prices, to the point that even the lowly Alk runners can buy them.

OTOH, I've heard that with the standard models of RPG's on the market in Iraq it's rather difficult to hit stuff without a lot of practice. If they're actually hitting stuff, they're practicing. And have space to practice somewhere how to hit stuff with the things, and money to spend on rounds expended practicing.
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-07-28 02:23  

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