Hmmmmm....

French Weapons in Iraq

By Pawel Kozlowski

WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish troops in Iraq (news - web sites) have found four French-built advanced anti-aircraft missiles which were built this year, a Polish Defense Ministry spokesman told Reuters Friday.



France strongly denied having sold any such missiles to Iraq for nearly two decades, and said it was impossible that its newest missiles should turn up in Iraq.


"Polish troops discovered an ammunition depot on Sept. 29 near the region of Hilla and there were four French-made Roland-type missiles," Defense Ministry spokesman Eugeniusz Mleczak said.


"It is not the first time Polish troops found ammunition in Iraq but to our surprise these missiles were produced in 2003."


The Roland anti-aircraft system is a short-range air defense missile in service with at least 10 countries, including France and Germany.


They are fired from a mobile launcher vehicle and defense experts say the missiles are highly effective against aircraft attacking at low and medium altitude.


Under a strict trade embargo imposed by the United Nations (news - web sites), Iraq was barred from importing arms after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.