posted on Jan, 11 2005 @ 06:20 PM
With the growing risks posed by terrorists using portable air-defence missiles today the United States and Russia are very close to completeing an
agreement that is meant to limit the trafficking of such weapons. In what is being called a "common interest between the United States and
Russia"...
USATODAY.com Full Article Link
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia are close to completing an agreement designed to limit trafficking in portable air-defense missiles,
which some security experts fear terrorists could use against commercial airliners, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Tuesday.
At a joint news conference with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Ivanov provided few details but said the proposed accord reflected a common
interest between the United States and Russia in constraining the unauthorized movement of these weapons around the world.
"You know full well that terrorists of all hues and stripes" have sought to obtain them, he said.
Ivanov, speaking through an interpreter, said "an agreement on the exchange of information" on portable air-defense weapons would be signed by the
two countries "pretty soon."
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
Though I think the spirit of cooperation between the world's super powers is a good thing I can't help but notice the sense of urgency in moving
this plan forward.
It seems the threats posed by such weapons to both the U.S.A. and Russia required quick action.
These cheap weapons are small rocket-propelled warheads with heat seeking sensors and can be used to take down a wide range of commercial and
millitary aircraft.
They were proven effective in Afghanistan when CIA backed rebels used U.S. made stinger missiles to take out Russian military helecopters and may have
ended that war sending the Russian military home with a bitter loss.
If these "missiles" were in the hands of terrorists it is not hard to imagine them being able to bring down many commercial aircraft in a series of
attacks.
[edit on 11-1-2005 by UM_Gazz]