Libya's missiles could destroy civilian planes
Among the consequences of the armed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi has been the disappearance of shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles from Libya's arsenal - i.e. the kind that could potentially down civilian airliners if they fell into the wrong hands. Popular Mechanics tells us the threat may not be as dire as initially reported:
CNN originally reported that shoulder-mounted SA-24s have gone missing in Libya. But arms control experts now tell PM that thereâ??s no evidence of gripstocks for the missiles in Libya. That means that any SA-24s looted from Gaddafiâ??s stockpiles could be vehicle-fired, but not shoulder-fired. This makes them less of a terrorist threat.That said, the proliferation of these missiles on the black market is still a large concern, especially in other parts of the world where gripstocks might be available that would allow the weapons to be used as Man Portable Air Defense (MANPAD) missiles. Even in Libya, sources tell PM, there is evidence of shoulder-firing capability for the less-sophisticated SA-7s.
