The Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa - Conflict Armament ...

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF IRANIAN AMMUNITION TRANSFERSImage 6Extract from a US military report detailing weapons seizures in Baghdad, 6 November 2008Notes: Markings on the bags indicate each contains 200 rounds of 7.62 x 54R mm ammunition. They include two lots: lot number96 manufactured in 2006 and lot number 13 manufactured in 2007. Image kindly supplied by Matt Schroeder, manager of theArms Sales Monitoring Project of the Federation of American Scientists. Image obtained through a Freedom of Information Actrequest ‘for documents and photographs of weapons seized from arms caches in or near Baghdad from September 2008 untilSeptember 2009’; Matt Schroeder submitted the request to the US Central Command on 23 September 2009.of calibre, each bag contains ten grey cardboardboxes (unmarked), each of which contains 20cartridges.In the cases documented to date neither the outerwooden boxes nor their contents have specified anyinformation that might identify the manufacturer.For these reasons, Conflict Armament Researchhad to employ cross-case analysis—comparingammunition and packaging documented in knownIranian shipments with ammunition and packagingdiscovered elsewhere—to identify the ammunitionas Iranian in origin.To summarise these investigations in brief, ConflictArmament Research observed ammunitionpacked in green battle bags in Kenya (2008) andCôte d’Ivoire (2010). It also documented completepackaging (outer wooden boxes and their contents)in Côte d’Ivoire in 2009 and 2012. In none ofthese cases did it find any evidence to indicatemanufacture by Iran.However, a review of known Iranian shipments orof confirmed Iranian ammunition identifies thesame packaging. First, in October 2010 Nigerianauthorities seized a consignment of weapons andammunition in Apapa port, Lagos. Analysis ofthe bill of lading (see Annex 4) and investigationsby Conflict Armament Research revealed thatthe shipment originated in Iran and containedIranian-manufactured weapons. News mediaphotographs of the seizure included pictures ofgreen ammunition bags identical to those observedin Kenya and Cote d’Ivoire. 7Second, Conflict Armament Research obtaineddocuments compiled by US forces operating in Iraqdocumenting seizures of green ammunition bags,which US forces described as ‘Iranian 7.62’. Thebags are identical to those observed in Kenya, Côted’Ivoire and Nigeria (see Image 6).Third, in January 2002 the Israeli military seizeda merchant ship, the Karine A, that was carrying acargo of Iranian weapons. 8 Among a range of otherordnance found on board, Israeli forces seized largequantities of Iranian ammunition in green bags ofthe type documented in Côte d’Ivoire, Iraq, Kenyaand Nigeria. 9Finally, investigations by Conflict ArmamentResearch identified ammunition packed in thesame green bags on the US civilian market. 10The results of these investigations have allowedConflict Armament Research to identify Iranianmanufacturedcartridges and various items ofpackaging across Africa.Conflict Armament ResearchThe Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa: Evidence from a Nine-country Investigation 15