http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20242554-1702,00.html
Warning on portable missile threat >From correspondents in Geneva August 24, 2006 08:51pm AUSTRALIA and European countries called today for an international clampdown on the illicit trade in shoulder launched anti-aircraft missiles, warning that civilian airliners are at risk. "Their illicit proliferation to terrorists and non-state actors is a significant threat to global civil aviation and international peacekeeping efforts," Australian ambassador Caroline Millar told the international Conference on Disarmament. Ms Millar underlined that recent arrests in Switzerland showed that the proliferation of the missiles, known as "Man Portable Air Defence Systems" (MANPADS), "is not an idle threat". In June, Swiss justice authorities revealed that they had thwarted a plot by a group of North Africans to attack an Israeli El Al airliner. Seven people were arrested. Media reports said the group were planning to use a shoulder-launched missile near a Swiss airport. France called on the Conference to take up the issue as a matter of urgency. "The issue of the use of MANPADS against civilian airliners is, without any doubt whatsoever, a serious source of concern at the moment," said French disarmament ambassador Francois Rivasseau. In 2003, 33 nations agreed on a series of measures to control exports and storage of portable anti-aircraft missiles. The initiative was backed by the G8 summit. Since then Australia has sought to promote controls in Asia. But diplomats said there was still a need for additional measures to counter the threat. "As long as there is leakage from existing stockpiles and diversion from the legitimate trade in these arms, terrorists will continue to acquire and use them," said British disarmament representative Fiona Paterson. Australia has argued that there is a need to ensure that the missiles are only transferred to states. The 66 nation, permanent Conference in Disarmament, which is hosted by the United Nations, is the world's main forum for arms control treaties. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
