December 29, 2007:
Iraq is buying $230 million worth of weapons
from Serbia. Iraq won't say exactly what was being sold. Serbia doesn't produce
any major weapons systems, but does still manufacture rifles, pistols, machine-guns,
anti-tank weapons, ammunition and military explosives. Serbian arms dealers
also have a reputation (shared with many of their European competitors) of
shady dealing. And given the recent track record of the Iraqi Defense Ministry,
some of that money is going into Swiss bank accounts, rather than to stock
Iraqi armories.