A little linguistic license, perhaps?
The Finnish authorities have impounded an Isle of Man-flagged ship bound for China with undeclared missiles and explosives, officials say.
Police are questioning the crew of the MS Thor Liberty after what were described as 69 Patriot anti-missile missiles were found aboard.
Interior Minister Paivi Rasanen said the missiles were marked “fireworks”.
The MS Thor Liberty had docked in the Finnish port of Kotka after leaving Germany last week.
Dock workers became suspicious after finding explosives poorly stored on open pallets, and the missiles were then found in containers marked “fireworks”.
The managing director of the ship’s owner, Thorco Shipping, expressed surprise. Thomas Mikkelsen told AFP news agency from Denmark that he was unaware of the matter.
Presumably these missiles are traceable by lot and serial number.
Not exactly bottle rockets!
The Captain,a Mr. Renault sadi’ I am shocked, simply shocked!”
There is something very fishy here.
We should know where every patriot is. 69 is more than enough if the Chinese were back engineering them…
Shipping to the Norks? maybe?..
“If there is to be frying, fry ‘em all, says I!”
(Apologies to R.L.S.)
AFP and Reuters releases from early 2012: “After years of intense research, China reveals effective new anti-missile technology.”
To say that they even got loose in the first place (not just one, bad as that would be, but mfin’ 69!!??)is inexcusable–but how can we be sure these are the only ones!!?? Whose keepin’ track/in charge of security? Frick and Frack?
Is Panetta Frick or Frack?
And they were originally bought by…….?
Now, now… Let’s not criticize efforts to improve the Balance of Trade with China. It might be part of Obama’s new jobs program. Or is it maybe just a new twist on Fast and Furious?
The following is just speculation:
1. Germany has quite strict arms control laws, in particular they prohibit military arms sales (by companies) or arms support (by the German government) to “crisis areas”, governments that are in kind of civil war, or under UN embargo. Needless to say, Germany’s government has occasionally violated this law (Ollie North style), e.g. by providing submarine construction plans to Apartheid South Africa.
It is never really clear if it is now law-conform or a breach of law when Germany provides weapons to US allies that are not NATO members. E. g. Germany provided Israel with Patriot rockets during the first Gulf war to shoot down Iraqi Scud missiles (which of course where in turn built with civilian engineering components sold in breach of German law by private companies to Iraq)
2. The committee to make the appropriate decision is the so called “Bundessicherheitsrat” – federal security council – which consists of the chancellor and the most important federal ministers. Decisions are usually secret. Last one that got known by the public (because it leaked through) was the delivery of additional Leopard 2 tanks to Saudi Arabia. As this happened during the “Arab Spring”, when Saudi Arabia assisted Bahrain in in gunning down protestors, this draw quite some public ire.
3. Germany is not only user, but as well manufacturer of license built Patriot rockets. Currently they equip three missile defense squadrons. AS FAR AS I KNOW only one will be left after the next “defense reform”. That is Germany has right now an abundant stockpile of Patriots.
4. South Korea is an ally of the United States, befriended with Germany and in urgent need of anti-missile missiles that can shoot down “legacy” ballistic missiles.
5. Yet unconfirmed, but not a big detour anyway, the ship was to sail to Shanghai via South Korea.
6. “A leopard does not change its spots”
My conclusion? These Patriots are for sure German ones. But noboby needs to check the inventories. They were intended as clandestine arms deal or assistance to South Korea. Just some spook screwed up.
Or, put it that way: that guy was from the German government and he just wanted to help you.
Sorry, (almost) all nonsense what I said. Spiegel Online has more details (in German):
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,805425,00.html
Arms deal was officially – if not public – sealed already in 2007 by Germany and South Korea. Says German ministry of defense. Just somehow the delivery got screwed up.
And we will never know whether the final destination was South Korea or Shanghai.
How convenient.
And for further thought, consider if the Germans had one destination in mind but Capt Sadi had the other (and some extra cash in his bank account).
“Presumably these missiles are traceable by lot and serial number.”
You bet yer patoot they are, pops. One of our “trusted allies” has been a very naughty government.
VERY naughty, indeed.
I’d say that Herr Bradley Manning was either in charge of the loading dock or the labeling–assuming these were German built Patriot missiles.
And if they were part of a clandestine deal to get Patriot missiles to South Korea, ol Bradley screwed up the shipping label.
Fast and Furious part deux…
I wanna know who has the launchers.
Since the Patriots are US technology, the US government would have to approve the German sale. My guess is they were going to either Iran or China. 69 missiles is a lot of $$$$ involved.
Dang! These nation-states! All I ever aspired to, was to have a few shoulder-fired SAMs and RPGs in the closet. Just in case, you know.
Just how, I ask y’all, is a private citizen gonna get up the wherewithal to set up a Patriot-launching facility?
Long fuse and a rented U-Haul? Just don’t stand behind it when you flick that bick. Oh, and buy the comprehensive insurance on the U-Haul. It’s gonna need a paint job after you launch.
It ‘d be great if inventories of valuables were performed as stringently as what you witness during a change of shift cigarette inventory in a gas station. The regulators sure do not want to get short changed on that few dollars a pack tax. Maybe an indicator how seriously the private sector takes it responsibilities as compared to public sector.
?