mr mahs Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Exclusive: U.S. Finds Radioactive Missiles in Iraq Charles R. SmithTuesday, March 9, 2004 U.S. Army troops operating at a former Iraqi air base recently made a startling discovery: Russian-made missiles marked with radioactive warning signs. Army bomb disposal troops confirmed using Geiger counters that the missiles are indeed radioactive.The discovery is not, however, considered the long-sought "smoking gun" of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The missiles appear to be part of a cache of weapons supplied to Iraq before the 1991 Gulf War.The Russian-made R-60, NATO code name AA-8 Aphid, air-to-air missiles are part of a huge stockpile of former Iraqi Air Force munitions uncovered in over a dozen concrete bunkers.Photos Courtesy U.S. ArmyThe Russian-made missiles are more than 6 feet long. Each carries 1.6 kilograms or about 3.5 pounds of radioactive uranium wrapped around a high explosive warhead. The uranium is not pure enough nor in large enough quantity to be a nuclear warhead but it is dangerous enough, as you can see from the label:Photos Courtesy U.S. ArmyU.S. bomb experts noted the R-60 warheads are similar in design and content to a so-called "dirty bomb" that could contaminate a small area with radioactive materials.Difficult DisposalThe discovery of the uranium-laced R-60 missiles illustrates the difficulty that coalition troops have in trying to dispose of the billons of dollars of Iraqi weapons left behind after the second war.The R-60 missiles cannot simply be destroyed because the uranium-laced warheads could pose a health hazard to coalition troops and Iraqi civilians. Army bomb-disposal experts have gathered up all the R-60 missiles found at the site and quarantined them at a single, heavily guarded location.The R-60 has a very small 6-kilogram (13.2-pound) explosive warhead. The R-60 missiles supplied to Iraq by Russia contained uranium in their warheads to assist the small explosive charge in destroying targeted aircraft.Russian weapons designers added the uranium belt to the missile in order to knock-out western aircraft using the dense metal as a way to punch through heavily armored sections of U.S. made jets.U.S. troops also found a small number of advanced R-60M warheads at the site. The R-60M missiles are equipped with an advanced laser destruct system that detonates the warhead when it passes close to a target aircraft.More Russian MissilesIn addition, U.S. troops uncovered several large air-to-surface Kh-28 missiles, NATO code-named AS-9 Kyle. Photos Courtesy U.S. ArmyThe Kh-28 is a Russian-made, anti-radar, air-to-surface missile with a top speed of more than 2,000 miles an hour.The missile is approximately 19.5 feet long, 17 inches in diameter, has a wingspan of 5.5 feet and weighs more than 1,500 pounds. It carries a conventional 340-pound high-explosive warhead and has a range of 54 miles.U.S weapons experts are also handling the Kh-28 missiles carefully, but not because of its electronic radar-seeking warhead.The Kh-28 is powered by a liquid-propellant propulsion system that consists of a fuel tank and an oxidizer tank. The oxidizer is a dangerous chemical known as "red fuming nitric acid" or IRFNA. Each missile carries approximately 20 gallons of IRFNA.The oxidizer is considered to be highly dangerous and a possible carcinogen. U.S. Air Force disposal squads dismantled a Kh-28 found after the 1991 Gulf War using full Hazmat suits and special anti-chemical gear.Again, U.S. forces are taking great care in the disposal of the missiles for fear of exposing coalition troops and local civilians to hazardous chemicals such as the oxidizer found in the Kh-28 missiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonyquest Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igloo Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 How could this be?...Are you telling me that the Iraqi government forgot about these?That even though the UN was demanding compliance or serious consequences, that the Iraqi govt was not inspired to comply by the threat from the UN?I find it remarkable that Hans Blix could not find these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djxeno Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 WOWWWWWWWWWw ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siceone Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Wait you mean Saddam really wasn't complying with the resolutions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiroguy1 Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Originally posted by bigpoppanils link? http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/3/9/154650.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 Originally posted by jamiroguy1 http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/3/9/154650.shtml wow...that looks credible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normalnoises Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 Now we can see why mr lost hid the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghhhhhost Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 i get allllllll my news from newsmax!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr mahs Posted March 11 Author Report Share Posted March 11 Originally posted by bigpoppanils wow...that looks credible... Just because it isn't on BBC doesn't make it non-credible...He currently provides security software for medical information services and hospitals, encryption software for secure e-mail, direct communications, electronic commerce and Internet Web Site services. During the past ten years, Smith has also become a noted investigative journalist and his reports have been covered by NewsMax.com, Insight magazine, USAF, "The Connection" Information Protection journal, E-SOURCES Online, U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings Magazine and dozens of other outlets. He is a journalist recognized by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Dept. of Defense (DOD), Dept. of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Commerce Department (DOC). Smith frequently appears on national television for the Fox network on matters of national security and international affairs and is a popular guest on radio shows all over America almost daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr mahs Posted March 11 Author Report Share Posted March 11 Originally posted by normalnoises Now we can see why mr lost hid the link. Don't you a have a rally to attend, with the other social misfits to burn an american flag or something Library boy??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiroguy1 Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 I have to give credit to Smith. He's a very persuavive "journalist"...if that's what we're calling him now. However, he does leave a whole slew of facts out of his sensational reports.For example, no where in the article does it say that these weapons weren't already claimed by Iraq. Interesting how he left that fact out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppanils Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 Originally posted by mr mahs Just because it isn't on BBC or the associated press, CNN, Fox News, Reuters, Wall Steet Journal.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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