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Iran constructing assembly lines for Libyan missiles

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, February 27, 2002

Libya has accelerated development of a medium-range ballistic missile with Iran's assistance.

Western intelligence sources said Tripoli has increased investment in purchasing components, subsystems and training required for the assembly of a missile with a range of between 900 and 1,200 kilometers. The missile is meant to be based on North Korea's intermediate-range No-Dong missile.

Iran's role in the Libyan missile program includes the construction of assembly lines and a facility to produce liquid-fuel propellants as well as the training of Libyan personnel. The training is taking place in Iran, Middle East Newsline reported. Teheran is also expected to supply engines for a new Scud-class variant.

The intelligence sources, in information confirmed by U.S. officials, said Libya is focusing on production of a Scud-class missile that would fall short of the range of a No-Dong but with a longer range than Syria's Scud D.

Libya is believed to possess both Scud B and Scud C missiles. The Scud C missiles apparently arrived from North Korea in 1999 but have not been deployed.

On Monday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat daily reported that Iran and Libya have been negotiating a deal for the production of Iranian missiles in Libya. The newspaper identified the missile as Iran's Fatah solid-fuel missile, a project that is being held up because of recent political tensions between Teheran and Tripoli.

A-Sharq Al Awsat said the deal calls for the Iranian establishment of a missile production line and the sale of advanced missiles to Libya. The project is meant to enable Libya to produce missiles with a range of 1,500 kilometers, which can reach Israel and much of Europe.

The No-Dong has a range of about 1,300 kilometers and the Scud D about 700 kilometers.

The effort includes the construction of an infrastructure for the missile program. Manufacturing facilities and assembly lines are being constructed mostly with the help of Iran and North Korea. Other suppliers, the sources said, include China, India, Russia and Yugoslavia.

The sources said Libya's effort began soon after the United Nations suspended sanctions against Tripoli in 1999. The following year, Western authorities began detecting North Korean shipments of missile components to Libya. At least three shipments were seized by such countries as Britain, India and Switzerland.

The sources said Libya might have also obtained a shipment of No-Dong missiles in late 2000. They said a sighting of what appeared to be a No-Dong took place in November of that year, but was never confirmed.

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