Stingers Stung Us
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday December 6, 1988
DAMASCUS, Monday: A senior Afghan official said today that Mujahideen rebels in Afghanistan sold US Stinger missiles to the Kabul Government for$A5,750 each.
Mr Najmulddin Kawyani, who is also secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, and a member of its Politburo, said that Washington had given 2,000 of the advanced Stinger ground-to-air missiles to the Afghan rebels in addition to financial support.
Many of the portable shoulder-fired missiles were then on-sold to Iran and the Gulf state of Qatar, he told a news conference at the end of a visit to Syria.
"We also bought a number of these missiles (for $A5,750 each missile)," he said.
"The rebels who sold their country for a cheap price could easily sell the missiles," Mr Kawyani added.
Relations between Washington and Qatar have been strained since the Gulf state displayed a dozen Stinger missiles in a military parade and refused to say how it acquired them. Washington banned arms sales to Qatar until the missiles were returned.
The United States sells the missiles only to Bahrain among Arab states, for fear that they might fall into the wrong hands.
© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald