Taliban add Chicom weapons to arsenal

Washington Times:

Sophisticated new weapons, including Chinese anti-aircraft missiles as well as items made in Iran, are reaching Taliban forces in Afghanistan, according to government officials and other sources.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a visit to Kabul yesterday that there was no evidence as yet that Tehran government officials are involved in shipping weapons to the country for use against U.S. and NATO forces.
He did not comment on the appearance in the country of Chinese anti-aircraft weapons, evidence of which was provided to The Washington Times yesterday.
A set of photographs was provided depicting Taliban insurgents showing off new supplies of Chinese-made HN-5 shoulder-fired missiles.
The weapons, similar in design to Russian Strela-2 missiles and in use with China's People's Liberation Army since the early 1990s, are limited in range, speed and altitude, but effective against helicopters and low-flying airplanes.
It is not clear who provided the missiles, since they have been in use for years as far away as Bolivia. Small numbers of them have been in Afghanistan at least since 2002 when U.S. forces discovered a hidden cache.
A Taliban "weapons expert" who provided photos of the latest missiles said the Taliban fighters were "elated" to have more of them, which they consider an important answer to U.S. air power.
He did not say how the weapons got to Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, where a U.S. helicopter went down last week, killing seven soldiers.
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The Chinese have poor export control over their weapons. It si quite surprising for a totalitarian state, but as the recent tooth paste poisoning episode shows corruption is still a big problem for the Chicoms. The US and Afghanistan both appear to be giving Tehran an undeserved benefit of the doubt on the Iranian weapons provided the Taliban. A regime than can round up Americans visiting their relatives and charge them with spying should be able to keep up with their weapons inventory and find out who is distributing it to our enemies in Afghanistan.