US claims discovery of banned missiles in Iraq

AS-SALIYAH, Qatar (AFP) Apr 02, 2003
US troops have found two proscribed Al-Samoud 2 missiles during operations near the central Iraqi town of Hilla, the US Central Command said Tuesday.

Elements of the First Marine Expeditionary Force discovered the missiles on Monday, Centcom said in a statement.

The missiles violate UN resolution 687 with a flight range exceeding 150 kilometres (93 miles).

Centcom said at least one Al-Samoud 2 missile had been fired at neighbouring Kuwait since the beginning of the war in Iraq on March 20.

UN arms inspectors charged with disarming Iraq successfully oversaw the destruction of most of the 100-120 Al-Samoud 2 missiles Baghdad said it had produced. The inspectors were forced to pull out of Iraq on March 18 in the face of the imminent war.

On March 17, Baghdad had scrapped 72 of the missiles in what was considered the most tangible sign of its cooperation with UN disarmament resolutions.

SPACE.WIRE