Steyr Mannlicher selling (.50bmg?) rifles to Iran

[gunsmith]

the article says high powered rifles but for europe, a .22 is high power...they make a reference to the common anti .50 hysteria about helicopters and armor though.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20060626174729payn.nb/newsblaze/OPINIONS/Opinions.html

Op-Ed Contributor
Crossfire War - Austrian Firm Sells High Caliber Armor Penetrating Rifle to Iran

By Willard Payne
Crossfire War - TEHRAN WATCH - Middle East Theatre - Iraq: Tehran - Vienna - Baghdad/Washington - London; Iran Purchases 800 High Caliber Rifles from Austrian Firm - Capable of Penetrating Humvee Armor
Night Watch: TEHRAN - The news letter Intelligence Report has just reported that the Austrian firm of Steyr Mannlicher has sold to Iran 800 High Caliber rifles capable of penetrating the armor of a Humvee from a mile away and it can also shoot down a helicopter. When the firm was asked why was it willing to sell to Iran they replied, "Half of Europe is supplying weapons to Iran." This is why sanctions on Iran have no chance of working.

The rifles are an ideal weapons for snipers. Tehran said the rifles are for use against drug smugglers. This is why I have often stated that corruption is Tehran's greatest weapon.

 

[Outlaws]

There goes my want for anything made by that scum sucking company.

So who else is considered "half of Europe"?

 

[Autolycus]

Capitalism at its best. Now everyone is going to complain?

 

[gunsmith]

ooh, more!

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topi...o=91577&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Top Austrian anti-terror cop accused over Iran contacts
Published: Tuesday, 13 June, 2006, 11:38 AM Doha Time
VIENNA: Austria’s top anti-terrorism policeman facilitated arms exports to Iran and possibly betrayed Iranian asylum-seekers to their Vienna embassy, charged an opposition MP yesterday.
Head of the Federal Anti-Terrorism Office for Protection of the Constitution (BVT), Gert-Rene Polli, was “a security risk”, charged Greens MP Peter Pilz, who specialises in security and defence. He demanded Polli’s removal from office.
Pilz charged at a press conference that Polli had played a key role in the sale of 800 Austrian Steyr-Mannlicher rifles to Iran, officially destined for use in the Iranian campaign against drugs.
“But there was fear the rifles could instead have fallen into the hands of Iraqi terrorists,” said Pilz. The BVT had been asked to investigate possible terrorist misuse of the weapons, but had never taken action.
Instead, Polli had “okayed” the deal at the Interior Ministry’s request “without any examination”.
In May 2005 and again in January 2006, Polli had travelled to Tehran and met with representatives of the Security Ministry, which “according to court verdicts is the centre of Iranian state terrorism”, said Pilz.
Immediately after his second journey, the BVT chief had asked the head of the Austrian Federal Asylum Office to hand over data of all Iranian asylum-seekers in the period from August 2005 to February 2006.
Polli had in fact received the data, although afterwards the General Director for Public Security had banned any further such data transfers.
“The suspicion exists that the data of the asylum-seekers went to the Iranian embassy, said Pilz.
This could not be proven, but Polli was unable to explain why he had wanted it. He suspected Polli had received gifts from the Iranian ambassador in Austria such as “a silk carpet”, charged Pilz.
Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Rauch accused Pilz of rumour-mongering, but confirmed that the ministry’s Bureau of Internal Investigations (BIA) was making inquiries against Polli.
Rauch appeared also to confirm part of the accusations. “It’s a worldwide standard that there are exchanges of information between international security authorities.”
“And it’s also customary that the Austrian security authorities have a look at who is coming to our country,” he said. – DPA

 

[max popenker]

Forgive my ignorance, but wasn't it the USA who financed, trained and armed the Al-Quaeda?

As far as i know there's no UN embargoes on trade with Iran, including arms trade. So there's no legal reason NOT to sell the rifles for legitimate purposes to Iranian government...

 

[Kurush]

Selling guns to middle eastern countries is like selling sno-cones to Eskimos. Bolt action rifles are not exactly a major technology transfer

 

[Fosbery]

Just so. The US sold/gave weapons to Saddam in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan and plenty of other nasty people.

 

[El Tejon]

max, indirectly (via the ISI in Pakistan) yes, but it was pre-AQ.

 

[Boom-stick]

If the Iranians can have them I WANT ONE TOO

 

[Fosbery]

Nah, I want the new Nemesis .50

 

[sturmruger]

Sorry I see this as a non factor. This story broke last summer some time.

 

[Third_Rail]

Since, to me, being armed is a right (for everyone, not just in this country), this doesn't really bug me at all.

 

[Preacherman]

This is VERY old news. These sales began three or four years ago, and the subject has been discussed here on THR on several previous occasions.

 

[Justin]

Like Preacherman said, this is waaaaay old.