quote:

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Israel has asked the government of Ukraine to demand that Iran return 12 long-range cruise missiles purchased during the tenure of the previous Ukrainian government via arms dealers whom the current government claims were acting illegally.

The issue was raised during Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko's visit to Israel last week.

[SNIP]

The Kh-55 was developed in the 1980s by Russian experts, but the Soviet Union decided to have it in manufactured in Ukraine. Later, however, a U.S.-Soviet arms control agreement dictated the destruction of all medium-range missiles on both sides, which should have included the Kh-55. Thus the missiles' very existence constitutes a major treaty violation, and when the Americans learned several months ago about the sale to Iran, they consequently began an investigation. It later emerged that eight of the missiles were also sold to China.

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[ 01 August 2005: Message edited by: Cueball ]