Demosophia

French Complicity?

Glen Reynolds points out a Reuters story about Polish troops having found four French anti-aircraft missiles in Iraq, that had been produced in 2003! The French Foreign Ministry insists that no Roland-3 missiles have been exported to Iraq, and calls the find by Polish troops "not credible." The destruction of the missiles as they lay in a trench, was broadcast on Polish TV.

I suppose the missiles could have been exported without the knowledge of the French government, but at the very least it suggests a rather cavalier attitude about such exports, and makes conjectures about Iraq's intentions to restart their weapons program with help from French suppliers much more plausible. It's hard to contain snakes with chicken wire.

Update: There have been several articles pointing out that what were taken to be Roland-3s may, in fact, be Roland-1s. But there appears to be no way to get at the truth. since the missiles themselves have been destroyed. I'll suspend judgment.

Posted by Demosophist at October 4, 2003 12:06 PM | TrackBack