Stinger missiles in Afghanistan a threat: US

[maddezmom]

KABUL (AFP) - US-made Stinger missiles will pose a threat to military and commercial aircraft across the region if they fall into the hands of Taliban rebels in Afghanistan, the US-led coalition said.

Washington supplied a large number of shoulder-fired Stingers to Afghans fighting the Soviet occupation in the 1980s and dozens are still thought to be missing.

~snip~

The CIA has offered 150,000 to 200,000 dollars for each remaining missile in Afghanistan, an Afghan intelligence official has said.

Recent media reports recently said that US and NATO authorities were concerned that some had been bought by the Taliban, who are waging a bloody insurgency more than four years after their regime was ousted.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060320/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanuspakistanattackstaliban_060320095109

I thought Afghanistan was won and freedom was on the march?

[Oversea Visitor]

1. You kid me not

They were given to the Taliban :rofl:
Why need buy something that was given to you :rofl:

[Untermonkey]

2. Any Stinger from the 1980s is long past it's expiration date.

The batteries in those things don't last forever and the seals on the tubes are likely completely shot. Of greater concern should be the SA-7s, -14, -16, and -18s being funneled into the country. If the Stingers were still usefull the Taliban would have used them four years ago, when they still had the upper hand.

[maddezmom]

3. I know nothing about "stingers" etc, but I'd bet the US was

supplying Afghanistan with weapons well after the 80's.

[Untermonkey]

4. It's entirely possible.

[maddezmom]

5. interesting link

Frankenstein the CIA created
http://www.guardian.co.uk/yemen/Story/0,2763,209260,00.html

[Untermonkey]

6. Sounds like a case of reaping what they sowed.

[JPZenger]

11. Agreed

I would imagine that a sophisticated weapon could not sit in a desert climate for 25 years without professional maintenance and still be expected to work.

[liberal N proud]

7. Deja vu - We give them the weapons then we piss the off then they

use the weapons on us.
Same shit, different address.

[wakeme2008]

8. Bullshit as Untermonkey pointed out

Stinger have a short battery life and they require special batteries to use.....

Bullshit
Bullshit
Bullshit
Bullshit
Bullshit

[bemildred]

9. There was a story a few weeks back about this.

Something to the effect that the Taliban was getting parts for shoulder-fired missiles and it was going to be a problem this spring. Source was from India, I think, and was hyperventilating over it a good deal. But I do wonder whether it might be related. $200K is one heck of a markup. And given the US reliance on air-support and air-transport, and the Russian experience, it is something I would worry about a good deal, were I a military planner.

[cliss]

10. Well.....that's what happens when you give the kids

dangerous toys to play with.....DAD.

Didn't you know? Kids tend to fight. They might use it on each other and get hurt.

Or

They could use it on you.