Algerians seize deadly MANPADS from Libya

Algerian security forces are reported to have seized a large cache of weapons smuggled across the border from Libya. Of considerable concern to international anti-terrorism specialists was the news that the haul included shoulder-launched ground-to-air missiles. Because of the relative ease of use and deadliness of these weapons, known as Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS,) the possibility of any of the 20,000 that the Qaddafi regime amassed, falling into terrorist hands is causing widespread alarm. The major fear is that they could be used by terrorists to down a civilian aircraft landing or taking off. Last October, the 15 members of the UN Security Council unanimously approved a Russian call that the NTC take all necessary steps to secure the country’s stockpiles of weaponry and prevent the proliferation of MANPADS. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for prompt action in line with the resolution to mitigate “serious risks to regional stability.” Moscow said it wanted “ a strong barrier” against the proliferation of war materials from Libya and highlighted the risk of terrorist access to those arms. Washington set up its own special task force to monitor the weapons, an unknown quantity of which was destroyed in NATO 440 air attacks on Qaddafi’s arsenals. Last night there had been no official Algerian reaction to news of the seizure of the smuggled weapons, which had been reported exclusively by Reuters. According to the news agency, which had been briefed by an unidentified Algerian security source, the cache was found in the desert about 60 km south of Amenas, near the Libyan border. The discovery followed information given by an arrested smuggler. The Algerian source told Reuters:"This weapons seizure shows that the chaos in Libya is dangerous for the whole region". The NTC has protested it is working to secure all weapon stockpiles and has said it believes that Algeria has exaggerated the threat because it opposed the Libyan revolution. Last November, an adviser to the US government’s MANPAD task force asserted that there was then minimal evidence that the weapons were being moved out of Libya to other North African countries. He added that although convoys of retreating Qaddafi loyalists had entered Niger heavily armed, no MANPADs had been found with them.