Five Tons of C4 Explosives Stolen in Iraq

[Barrett808]

As the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) continues causing landmine explosions in eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey, even though it declared a “cease-fire” as of Oct. 1, a mysterious theft of explosives occurred in neighboring Iraq.

A pro-PKK website on Thursday claimed that five tons of C-4 explosives were stolen from the warehouses of Iraqi Defense Ministry. It was not certain by whom or when the plastic explosives in the warehouse were stolen.

An investigation was reportedly launched into the theft. There is a possibility that the explosives in question are to be used in Turkey by the terrorist organizations in Iraq and northern Iraq-based PKK. Turkish security forces observed that use of C4 explosives was on the rise in PKK-claimed attacks.

Turkish police sources had stated before that the PKK brought about one ton of C4 explosives into Turkey. The outlawed organization is laying the explosive in the regions in question and and trying to harm the Turkish security forces in the region.

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20061203&hn=38854

[Old and In the Way]

1. Sounds like Turkey will be getting their own 9/11 event soon.

Shortly thereafter, they'll be all over Northern Iraq getting their revenge.

[bluerum]

2. Some one just walked into the warehouses of the Iraqi Defense

Ministry, packed five tons of something into a Trailblazer, and drove off down the street?

This is beyond absurd.

How can any self-respecting "Defense Ministry" have such undefended facilities?

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Hey, someone's got to

fuel the insurgency.

:sarcasm:

[Frustratedlady]

7. Well, what about the munitions left unguarded by the U.S.?

That story was downplayed, but there was speculation that thos igloos (or whatever you call them) supplied the insurgents with free explosives from the Saddam Era, or am I mistaken? They were sealed at one time, but it looked like a good strong crowbar would have done the job.

[madokie]

9. to the tune of some 380 plus tons

[leftofthedial]

3. It'll turn up

I'm certain

[Aviation Pro]

4. I'm sure it will too....

...as it converts itself from PE to KE.

[nebula]

6. They will probably discover the missing C4 in the form of exploding IEDs

(Improvised explosive devices)


Edit: Ministry of Defense has probably been infiltrated.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was an inside job.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Paltry Compared With the 340 Tons 'Liberated' From al Qaqaa

by Iraqis after we chose to not guard it or destroy it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_explosives_in_Iraq

[Jim Warren]

10. Gee, that can't be good for stability

in the region.

Like this story that got almost no news coverage just before the mid-terms:

The Pentagon cannot account for 14,030 weapons — almost 4% of the semiautomatic pistols, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and other weapons it began supplying to Iraq since the end of 2003.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-10-29-missing-weapons_x.htm

and where I wonder did those weapons end up?

"The answers came Sunday from the inspector general’s office, which found major discrepancies in American military records on where thousands of 9-millimeter pistols and hundreds of assault rifles and other weapons have ended up. The American military did not even take the elementary step of recording the serial numbers of nearly half a million weapons provided to Iraqis, the inspector general found, making it impossible to track or identify any that might be in the wrong hands.

"Exactly where untracked weapons could end up — and whether some have been used against American soldiers — were not examined in the report, although black-market arms dealers thrive on the streets of Baghdad, and official Iraq Army and police uniforms can easily be purchased as well, presumably because government shipments are intercepted or otherwise corrupted."

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/10/where_did_the_i.html