LONDON (Reuters) - A cache of guns, bugging devices and equipment that may have been used for torture has been discovered at Iraq’s abandoned embassy in Britain, the country’s newly appointed ambassador said on Wednesday.
Scotland Yard confirmed “a number of firearms” had been recovered from the embassy in an upmarket area of southwest London but declined to say when.
Dr Salah Al Shaikhly told BBC radio the arms haul, which dates to Saddam Hussein’s period in power, included four machine guns, several Uzis and 10 handguns with silencers and had been found in one of the 20-odd safes at the embassy.
“It was amazing, you really despair when you know this kind of arsenal was kept at the Iraqi embassy,” Al Shaikhly said.
“There were also other things which looked like electric cattle prods,” he added.
“There were also other things which looked like electric cattle prods”
hmmmm - worried about mad cow disease??
I heard this on the radio this morning. Now, I don’t know about the gun laws in the UK, but I thought they were a lot stricter than the US. How would these items be brought in - unknown - and stored?
It’s not surprising that an embassy would store firearms, particularly in London, which has had a lot of problems with terrorism, and particularly when you consider what happened in the Iranian embassy. The weapons were undoubtedly transported in the diplomatic bag. I’m pretty sure that US, French, British, Chinese, etc. embassies around the world would have similar arsenals.
But cattle prods??
A number of years back, the Italian ambassador to Ireland, a married man, was discovered having an affair. In the scandal that followed he shot himself in his Donnybrook flat with a pistol that he had brought with him from Italy in the diplomatic bag (Ireland has very strict firearms laws). Fortunately, he only managed to shoot a hole in his cheek and survived to be recalled in disgrace.
Cattle prods are for a different purpose they are not designed to be concealed, and often have a two foot extension. Lower voltage does not cause mussel loss of control (you would not a ton of beef out of control) just irritation. Stun guns are designed to disrupt mussel activity. Relatively cheap you can purchase cattle prods at most farm supply stores.
The newest generation of stun guns will probably be an extension of Tazer technology. I believe that they are working on a model that uses lasers to make a conductive path in the air for electricity to travel. Currently they are large and only have a 30 meter range but they will be used by the US for crowd control.
Diplomatic immunity covers absolutely everything…from parking violations to murder and rape. In the case of violent crime, the host country can REQUEST that the perpetrator be handed over, but the embassy does not have to comply.
The grounds of an embassy or consulate legally constitute foreign soil, and the laws of the country whose embassy it is apply. Likewise, anything that comes through in a diplomatic bag is not considered to have left its home country, and thus is not subject to the laws of the hosting country unless it leaves the possession of an embassy employee.
Al Quaeda terror cell found 40 miles East in Lodi today. Four arrested. Son trained in Pakistan. Father sold ICE CREAM while supporting and planning attacks on soft targets. Kid worked in a hospital. Greeeaaat.
I really don’t wanna be stuck in Lodi today. Sorry for thread hijack.
