Iran Ships Austrian .50-cal Sniper Rifles To Insurgents

Telegraph reports that a load of 800 Steyr .50 BMG sniper rifles that were legally exported to Iran from Austria showed up in Iraq 45 days later, when one of them was used to kill an American officer. They punch through Humvees and body armor. And our men have found 100 of the suckers since then.

Smoking gun, so to speak. Unlike the Iranian-manufactured IED's, these things have serial numbers. Let's see 'em.

Oh, why is legal to sell these to Iran?

The National Iranian Police Organisation bought the rifles allegedly to use them against drug smugglers in an £8 million order placed with Steyr in 2005.

The company was given permission to export them by the Austrian government, which is not a Nato member.