Twenty Thousand Anti-Aircraft Missles Missing From Lybia... nice

[MA-Caver]

A survey of weapon depots in Libya shows that up to 20,000 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles are now missing, partly because President Barack Obama has refused to send troops to guard the weapons depots, according to a left-of-center advocate.

“We were quite disappointed after talking to administration officials … that nothing more was done, even about the [storage] facilities in Tripoli, which are unsecured now,” said Peter Bouckaert, director of emergencies at left-of-centre group Human Rights Watch.
‘“The major impediment [to action] is that the administration doesn’t want ‘boots on the ground,’” he said.
“If these weapons get into the wrong hands, any civilian aircraft operating in the region will be threatened,” said Bouckaert, who has just returned from a visit to Libya.
The missing missiles are Russian-made SA-7s and SA-16s: Shoulder-launched missiles that can home into the hot exhaust trails from civilian and military jets. The SA-16 is only five feet long and weighs just 24 pounds.

http://news.yahoo.com/free-20-000-anti-aircraft-missiles-stolen-libya-190419158.html

Small, relatively easy to conceal, easy to transport, anti-aircraft missiles gone missing. They want to blame it on Obama, yet just who is really to blame? How about instead of assigning blame, work on finding a solution. That all civilian aircraft be given anti-missile countermeasures to reduce the threat of being shot down. Also finding each and every single one of them before they get so spread out that it becomes almost impossible.

 

[granfire]

Small, relatively easy to conceal, easy to transport, anti-aircraft missiles gone missing. They want to blame it on Obama, yet just who is really to blame? How about instead of assigning blame, work on finding a solution. That all civilian aircraft be given anti-missile countermeasures to reduce the threat of being shot down. Also finding each and every single one of them before they get so spread out that it becomes almost impossible.

There is no telling how many fell into the wrong hands already. Since - as noted - they are small, easy to carry....

But considering the traffic on a major airport, I would guess it would be difficult to target a specific plain. A random one? Sure.

(but I had that idea 20 years ago, I was told it wouldn't work...)

 

[Xue Sheng]

I was appauled when I heard this yesterday. I mentioned this here but got no response to it, thanks for making it a topic Caver