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Many thanks Glen, I was wondering how one would go about checking Fisk's codes, and you've done it already. Recall that Fisk has done pretty much the same in Lebanon and Kosovo, collecting identifiable fragments of munitions from the site where a refugee column of Albanian Kosovars was bombed by US planes. I'm sure you're doing this, but it seems very important to send this analysis to The Independent, or to Robert Fisk himself -- (though I guess he's only contactable via the Independent now that the Baghdad telephone exchanges have been blasted) -- this info should be in the national (and international) press promptly. AG on 31/3/03 2:28 pm, Glen Rangwala at gr10009@cam.ac.uk wrote: > Dear List > > It seems that the US and UK government are still claiming that the 28 March > bombing of Shu'ala marketplace, which is being reported as having killed 62 > peope, could have been the result of malfunctioning Iraqi air defence > equipment. > > (see, eg, Donald Rumsfeld's interview yesterday at: > http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/lates > t&f=03033008.elt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml > ). > > Shards from the fuselage of the missile were recovered by a local resident, > and have been found contain a code number, MFR 96214 09. > > This was reported by Robert Fisk, "In Baghdad, blood and bandages for the > innocent", 30 March 2003, at: > http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=392161 : > > "the missile was guided by computers and that vital shard of fuselage was > computer-coded. It can be easily verified and checked by the Americans - if > they choose to do so. It reads: 30003-704ASB 7492. The letter "B" is > scratched and could be an "H". This is believed to be the serial number. It > is followed by a further code which arms manufacturers usually refer to as > the weapon's "Lot" number. It reads: MFR 96214 09." > > An analysis has been sent to me that points out to me that "MFR" is code in > defence contracts for "manufacturer". > > 96214 is a manufacturer identification number, a so-called "Cage Code". > > Cage codes can be checked on the site: > http://www.gidm.dlis.dla.mil/bincs/begin_search.asp > > 96214 is the cage code for Raytheon Company, a Texas-based military > supplier that manufactures parts for Tomahawk missiles. > > See for example their press release of 27 March 2003, "Raytheon Tactical > Tomahawk Penetrator Variant Successfully Completes Inaugural Test Flight": > http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=149999&TICK=RTN&STORY= > /www/story/03-27-2003/0001915413&EDATE=Mar+27,+2003 > > There seem to be 4 possibilities: > > - that the shard did not come from the missile that hit Shu'ala marketplace. > > - that Robert Fisk is having us on. > > - that the Iraqis successfully smuggled a missile in from Texas which they > then fired at the Baghdad market. > > - that the missile that hit Shu'ala market place was made in Texas and > fired by US forces. > > I hope this helps clarify the relevant likelihoods. > > Best > Glen. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. > To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss > To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk > All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk > _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk