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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Zimbabwe seizes US planes |
| 2004-03-08 |
| ZIMBABWEAN security authorities have impounded a US-registered aircraft that landed at the country’s main international airport with military equipment and 64 men aboard suspected to be mercenaries, Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi announced Monday. More to follow |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #19 Superhose, I have a small bit of experience in traveling in Africa, i can assure you that without payoffs distributed beforehand you dont even get to the nearest toilet on that continent. A lot of travellers call it: "Wa-Wa" meaning: "WestAfrica wins again", I always itemised it on my expense account as:"supporting the very local economie" Fascinating continent though. |
| Posted by: Evert Visser 2004-3-8 5:06:25 PM |
| #18 How many would it take now Rhodesiafever? 2000? Or maybe the proper question is how much would it cost..... |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-8 4:55:35 PM |
| #17 *future |
| Posted by: Rhodesiafever 2004-3-8 4:18:01 PM |
| #16 Now the world can see what we were fighting against and the fiture has come about. I, for one, would gladly kick his severed head from here to Bulawayo. |
| Posted by: Rhodesiafever 2004-3-8 4:17:10 PM |
| #15 Hey can't we just say its ours and we want it back - even if it isn't but its a brilliant way to kick off with mugumbe and drag him out of power and into prison, wonder if he's got himself one of them spider holes yet? :) |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-3-8 3:57:18 PM |
| #14 Two comments: First, steve's story about the Seychelles sounds like the book I read, I probably mixed up my countries when I said Maldives. Second, it would serve Bob right if this were a bunch of Rhodesians looking to retake their nation. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2004-3-8 3:49:52 PM |
| #13 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration records show N4610 to be a 727 plane registered to Dodson Aviation Inc. based in Ottawa, Kansas. That's what my search turned up too. Ex-USAF C-22B, manufactured in 1985. Sold to Dodson in 2002. Dodson Aviation says it sold the plane in question about a week ago to an African company called Logo Ltd. Dodson Aviation is a old, well respected company, Logo Ltd on the other hand, has no history I can find. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-3-8 2:52:28 PM |
| #12 Clearly this is racial profiling. I dont understand the need for Zimbabwe to point out their race unless its to inflame the situation. Possible alternatives: 1) Advance team for CBS Survivor -Zimababwe. 2) "Queer eye for the socialist dictator", on location. |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2004-3-8 2:41:14 PM |
| #11 Update: State-run TV broadcast footage of a white plane with the tail number N4610. Inside the aircraft, the station showed two satellite telephones, radios, blue backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, paddles, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of mace. No weapons were shown, but the station said officials were still going through the cargo section. Passengers and crew, all of them "heavily built males" and most of them white, were also taken to the base, where a detention barracks is located, state television reported. Journalists were not shown the plane and the government's claims could not be independently verified. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-3-8 2:09:43 PM |
| #10 Ruprecht, maybe that wasn't the whole force. Steve, do you think they could have snuck beneath the radar if they had named themselves the Baby Ducks. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-3-8 1:57:19 PM |
| #9 "Mad Mike Hoare and the Wild Geese" Now there is a blast from the past. He tried this same thing in the Seychelles: Hoare and his 43 mercenaries were disguised as tourists: rugbyplayers and members of a beer-drinking group called the "Ancient Order of Frothblowers." They arrived in a Royal Swazi jet on Mahé, carrying their own weapons. Nine mercs (members of Hoare's advance guard) were already on the island on the evening of Wednesday, 25 November 1981. The coup attempt was unexpectedly triggered off when an alert customs official spotted an AK-47 assault rifle in the luggage of one of the mercs. The invaders fought a brief gun-battle at the airport and 45 live mercenaries escaped aboard an Air India jet (Air India Boeing aircraft Flight 224) which happened to be on the tarmac and which they hijacked. One merc had died during the skirmish. Five soldiers, a female accomplice and also Martin Dolinchek (alias Anton Lubic) were left behind. The Seychelles Govt arrested the seven (6 men and 1 woman) who remained on the Seychelles and tried the men (June-July 1982). The charges against the woman were dropped. Four of the six were sentenced to death (Brooks, Carey, England and Puren), Dolinchek was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and Sims to 10. After negotiations, all were eventually returned to SA in mid-1983.Hoare and his mercenaries (45 in total??) were tried on their return to South Africa, but not for having attempted to organize a coup in a foreign country. The accused were charged before court with specific offenses under the Civil Aviation Offenses Act of 1972. The judge concluded that the SA Govt. was not involved in the Seychelles affair. Hoare got 10 years, Peter Duffy (??), Mike Webb, Tullio Moneta and Pieter Doorewaard (probably the most senior of the Recce Commando reservists) were sentenced to 5 years, Ken Dalgliesh to 1 year, and Charles Goatley to 2 1/2 years. The other mercs (39?) were freed. Hoare said that the Cabinet and top ranking officers of the NIS and the SADF knew about and condoned the abortive Seychelles coup. Hummm, seems to me I've got a Wild Geese Association membership card around here somewhere. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-3-8 1:23:55 PM |
| #8 nah, its not a bunch of mercenaries, its just the roadies for the the heavy metal band 'Mad Mike Hoare and the Wild Geese". Funny how dictators everywhere around the world have suddenly gotten all jumpy like. |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2004-3-8 12:39:41 PM |
| #7 If I were a merc I wouldn't fly my whole group in on a single plane like that. The guys that tried to take of the Maldives in the 80s flew in on a commercial flight dressed like tourists. That's what I would have done, having weapons, etc come overland seperately. My guess is some NGO didn't pay the required bribes and they are now being threatened with high crimes to really turn the screws. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2004-3-8 12:28:52 PM |
| #6 SH, the 130 can go just about ANYWHERE - but it's hard to get hold of one without arousing a fair amount of suspicion. Its possible that someone is being held hostage and somebody was trying to go in after them - the dark continent is a mysterious place... Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-3-8 11:55:19 AM |
| #5 Mike, it sounds simular to the C-130, which could put its cargo in one of a number of places in Africa. Are there Western hostages being held in the area? I don't understand why you would route that type of paylad through psycho-land unless payoffs were distributed beforehand. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-3-8 11:47:46 AM |
| #4 SH- The 727 is a remarkably flexible ship that can actually function at light to medium weights off of unpaved strips. With a good pilot and the ship in good condition, it is capable of surprising short-field performance. Not to mention that escape door in the tail...*S* Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-3-8 11:41:16 AM |
| #3 I wonder what the mercenaries were there for? That is, if they are mercenaries. I wouldn't be suprised if the people on board were volunteers and the cargo was food for the populace. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-3-8 11:40:10 AM |
| #2 Anyone know where they bound and/or what type of airstrip a 727 requires? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-3-8 11:36:55 AM |
| #1 Additional: "A United States of America-registered Boeing 727-100 cargo plane was detained last night at about 1930 hours (5:30 p.m. GMT) at Harare International Airport after its owners had made a false declaration of its cargo and crew," Mohadi said in a statement. "The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities," he said, adding that an investigation had also revealed "military material" in the cargo. Mohadi said fuller investigations were under way to establish the identity of the men and the nature of their mission. There was no word on where the airplane arrived from, or whether Zimbabwe was its destination. Mohadi said a fuller statement would be released "in due course." 727 cargo plane, huh? Lot of those around Africa, they never found the one stolen in Angola. Sucks to be one of those 64 arrested, I'm sure there's a lot of screaming going on. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-3-8 10:14:05 AM |