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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Austria approves export of 30,000 handguns to Iran |
| 2007-02-16 |
| Austrian authorities have approved the export of 30,000 handguns to Iran, local media reported Friday, days after a report that sophisticated Austrian rifles were finding their way into the hands of Iraqi insurgents. Austrian media reported the pistols had been sold to Iran's interior ministry, which is in charge of the police force. Austrian economic ministry officials told state radio that their ministry had approved the sale of the "Glock" pistols last month, saying Iranian authorities had provided documentary evidence that they would not be passed on to others. Another request for the weapons from the Iranian army was denied after it refused to give such assurances, said the officials, adding such sales to police were allowed under legislation governing the export of weapons. The sales were first reported by the Austria Press Agency Friday, citing a story in preliminary copies of Saturday's edition of the daily "Oesterreich." After-hours phone calls to the ministry were not answered. On Tuesday, Britain's "Daily Telegraph reported that American troops have recovered more than 100 "Steyr .50 HS" rifles in Iraq, part of an Austrian consignment of 800 such weapons delivered to Iran over American protests that they could be given to insurgents, The Austrian government approved the sale of the rifles, made by precision weapons maker Steyr Mannlicher GmbH, after it concluded in 2004 that they would be used to fight narcotics smugglers. "We checked the proposal very thoroughly," Austrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Astrid Harz said, noting that the situation in Iraq and the region in 2003-2004 was very different then it is today. "What happened to the weapons then is the responsibility of the Iranians." In comments to The Associated Press at the time, former Steyr owner Wolfgang Fuehrlinger said U.S. Embassy officials had expressed concerns that the rifles could be used against American troops in Iraq, adding that he had rebuffed a request to stop such sales. The 12.7 x 99 mm rifles are about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long, weigh more than 12 kilograms (20 pounds) and count as an anti-armor weapon among experts because of the high punch of its projectile, Fuehrlinger said. Franz Holzschuh, Steyr's CEO, said Tuesday the company had not officially been contacted by anyone to verify the serial numbers on the rifles. He said there was a possibility the weapons were reproductions and that there were "thousands" of these in circulation. "Fact is, we never delivered to Iraq," he said. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Steyr in December 2005, forbidding it from obtaining U.S. export licenses to do business in America. The Austrian government condemned the decision at the time, saying it made no sense to punish the company after the fact. Holzschuh said there were still U.S. sanctions against his company. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #14 This is what the Austrian press reports: Iraq, not Iran: http://www.wienweb.at/content.aspx?id=126520&cat=8&channel=2 |
| Posted by: Creregum Gleanter1164 2007-02-16 23:51 |
| #13 The IHT is wrong. The guns were sold to the IRAQI police |
| Posted by: Creregum Gleanter1164 2007-02-16 23:48 |
| #12 So then if official? Austria has entered the enemy camp. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-02-16 22:53 |
| #11 Video of Iranian Revolutionary Guards firing the Steyr .50 cal sniper rifles. Border police they are not. See 1:20 into video. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-02-16 22:52 |
| #10 Before we all feel too high and mighty, the US has been selling arms to our enemies' enemies for years. Just saying. Sucks, but that's the way the world works. |
| Posted by: Geoffro 2007-02-16 22:37 |
| #9 The U.S. imposed sanctions on Steyr in December 2005, forbidding it from obtaining U.S. export licenses to do business in America. The Austrian government condemned the decision at the time, saying it made no sense to punish the company after the fact. Huh.. pretty brazen eh, the Austrian authorities can't be so retarded they believe that load of merde. Most likely the Austrians were posing for their fellow Y'ur-0p--pee-ons, you know, the usual rabid cheeze eating Fuck America crowd. |
| Posted by: RD 2007-02-16 22:27 |
| #8 Like that agreement is worth the paper it is written on. Didn't we learn anything from the "Peace in our time" paper from 1938? Didn't think so. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-02-16 22:20 |
| #7 I was pissed about the .50 cal thing, but come on, I think the Iranians will be able to get handguns even if the Austrians won't sell them to them. At any rate, I doubt it is that hard to get a handgun in Iraq at this point, anyways, without a state sponsor. I hope they don't ban glock imports, I love the glock sub-compact .45, and I wanted to get one in olive |
| Posted by: garbagecowboy 2007-02-16 21:50 |
| #6 2006 US Imports from Austria: $8.3 billion 2006 US Exports from Austria: $3.0 billion 2006 US deficit with Austria: $5.3 billion Raise barriers and zero the trade deficit. That should be good for at least 100,000 unemployed Austrians and correspondingly more employment in the US. There is nothing we need from them. Those considering a Glock, please take a look at Smith & Wesson M&P line. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-02-16 21:49 |
| #5 I guess Glocks need to be banned for imports to the US. Colt, Berreta, etc., will be happy |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-02-16 21:44 |
| #4 What I can't figure out is why Iranians are buying handguns that they are perfectly capable of making in-country (not Glocks specifically, but just about any country in the world can make handguns). I get the impression that some Iranian official's been paid off. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2007-02-16 21:43 |
| #3 Austrian economic ministry officials told state radio that their ministry had approved the sale of the "Glock" pistols last month, saying Iranian authorities had provided documentary evidence that they would not be passed on to others. Yeah, right. They won't pass on the weapons, only the bullets out of the business end. The Austrian Authorities™, typical bureaucrats that play games in semantics and procedure to their satisfaction, so they can wash their hands of any responsibility---in their own minds, but not in ours. We will remember your deeds. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-02-16 21:35 |
| #2 Austrian economic ministry officials told state radio that their ministry had approved the sale of the "Glock" pistols last month, saying Iranian authorities had provided documentary evidence that they would not be passed on to others. ROTFLMFAOOL!!! What fools these westerners be... |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2007-02-16 21:35 |
| #1 Operation "Stovepipe" is a go. |
| Posted by: Shavimble Jase5240 2007-02-16 21:26 |