375 vehicles and 20 tons of lead disappear from Iraq government ware houses

By Mustafa al-Hashemi

Azzaman, December 12, 2007

The robbery is reported to be the largest and most organized in the years since the U.S. invasion of the country.

The robbers were said to by carrying forged papers which enabled them to drive away with the vehicles, the sources refusing to be named said.

The lead has disappeared from government warehouses in central Iraq.

The lead robbers are also said to have used faked papers to empty the ware house of its contents. Lead can be used in the preparations of explosive materials and bombs.

The cars were in customs warehouses in Basra.

Political factions are hurling accusations at each other as reports of the robbery are leaking to the press.

The government in Baghdad is still silent as security officials express grave concern since cars and lead are the main ingredients of bombings in Iraq.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news2007-12-12kurd.htm