Here’s some disconcerting news from Libya that confirms something we’ve all been worrying about for a while now — hundreds of shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles have been looted from Gadhafi’s old military stockpiles.
These aren’t just obsolete 1970-vintage Soviet missiles that barely work anymore. According to CNN, dozens of SA-24 “Grinch” shoulder-fired SAMs have been looted from one base alone. The SA-24 is the latest variant of the Soviet-designed Igla SAM that’s been in production since the early 1980s. (the picture above shows a pro-Gadhafi fighter manning a multiple-launch SA-24 battery.)
There have already been cases of terrorists firing SA-7 Strelas but those missiles aren’t much of a threat against modern infrared countermeasures. Furthermore, many Strelas are quickly nearing the end of their service lives. However, the Grinch, which entered Russian military service in 2004, is designed to defeat modern infrared countermeasures and can shoot down planes flying up to 11,000 feet.
There are roughly 20,000 shoulder-fired SAMs in Libya, according to this CNN piece. Most of them are unaccounted for since they are among the first things to be looted from former regime facilities in Libya. This situation could be a bonanza for terrorists and arms dealers.
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3 comments:
I have read we, U.S.A., has armed the terrorists in Libya thinking they were rebels. So we armed our enemy.
I'm just wondering if this is somehow related to that. Maybe putting this out there leading up to official admission of the mistake.
So much crap going on lately you need a score card to keep up.
I don't recall what weapons we supposedly gave to our enemy. Or if they were even mentioned.
They are probably in Muslim Mosques in our Country!
In promising to arm the “Syrian” rebels – the majority of whom are not even Syrian – Romney has pledged to send taxpayer money to Al-Qaeda militants who have been responsible for carrying out terrorist attacks which have killed hundreds of people.
The Obama administration has already sent over $200 million dollars in “humanitarian” and non-lethal aid to the rebels, while the CIA has helped the likes of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar funnel heavy arms to rebel groups in the region.
As the London Guardian reported in July, rebels in Syria are admittedly being led by Al-Qaeda terrorists, who meet with them “every day” and train them how to make bombs.
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