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CNN Live Today
Missile Involved in Yesterday's Plot of Russian Origin
Aired August 13, 2003 - 10:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now the Russian connection in the missile sting. For more of the origins of the missile and the investigation we turn to CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty with the very latest. Hello to you, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Heidi. Well you know the first thing, the Russians are very happy about the fact there was a lot of cooperation, obviously, in working with the United States. In fact, a spokesman for the FSB, which is the successor agency to the old KGB, said that this say new stage in the relationship and in the cooperation between the two countries. In fact, he said that there hasn't been this type of deal, this type of cooperation since the end of the Cold War.
Now, specifically on this weapon this -- what the Russians call "Igla," and that means needle and the SA-18, the way it's described in the West -- it was invented back or developed back in the 1970s. And then by the 1980s, the Russians had it in their arsenal.
From there, it went to countries of the former Soviet Union. And it still remains in those arsenals. In fact experts tell us that it is there in many countries, but not always protected the way it should be. And of course, it's in the Russian arsenal as well, and that is apparently where one of the dangers lies as well.
You know, frequently, Heidi, we hear reports hear in Russia about fires at depots of the Russian military, and would you wonder, Well, what about a fire? It turns out that many times those fires are set deliberately to hide the fact that things have been stolen from those depots of weapons. And this is one way that things like the Igla, the SA-18 get into the black market.
Of course, there are other people, unscrupulous people perhaps in the military who are willing to sell that even though ultimately it may end up hurting their own country or other countries. So there are many ways that it could get on to the market.
There are legal sales, by the way, by the Russian government. But just a few minutes ago, we spoke to one of the companies that manufactures at least part of this missile. And they said it's very strictly controlled. So their feeling would be that's not where it potentially could be coming from. It's most likely people, again, unscrupulous people in the military who might want to sell it -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Jill, also interesting to mention, I think, I've been reading stuff here that says one of the missiles weighs about 30 to 40 pounds, can actually fit into a golf bag, so it gives you an idea of how really small they are.
Also wondering how easy is it to actually get a hold of one of them, as you say, on the black market?
DOUGHERTY: Well, it's been done before. You would have to say, just look at what's happening in Chechnya, you know, the breakaway of the republic in the south of Russia. They've had several instances where either the SA-18 or other similar types of solder-fired weapons were used bring down helicopters. In fact one last year, it killed about 100 soldiers and members of their family.
So it's not that uncommon -- which is not to say it's sold everywhere, of course. But if have you the right connections and have you the right money, and that usually is about $100,000 per weapon, then if you wanted to, you probably could get your hands on it.
COLLINS: And that is obviously the most alarming part of it all.
All right, Jill Dougherty, CNN Moscow bureau chief, thanks so much today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 13, 2003 - 10:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now the Russian connection in the missile sting. For more of the origins of the missile and the investigation we turn to CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty with the very latest. Hello to you, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Heidi. Well you know the first thing, the Russians are very happy about the fact there was a lot of cooperation, obviously, in working with the United States. In fact, a spokesman for the FSB, which is the successor agency to the old KGB, said that this say new stage in the relationship and in the cooperation between the two countries. In fact, he said that there hasn't been this type of deal, this type of cooperation since the end of the Cold War.
Now, specifically on this weapon this -- what the Russians call "Igla," and that means needle and the SA-18, the way it's described in the West -- it was invented back or developed back in the 1970s. And then by the 1980s, the Russians had it in their arsenal.
From there, it went to countries of the former Soviet Union. And it still remains in those arsenals. In fact experts tell us that it is there in many countries, but not always protected the way it should be. And of course, it's in the Russian arsenal as well, and that is apparently where one of the dangers lies as well.
You know, frequently, Heidi, we hear reports hear in Russia about fires at depots of the Russian military, and would you wonder, Well, what about a fire? It turns out that many times those fires are set deliberately to hide the fact that things have been stolen from those depots of weapons. And this is one way that things like the Igla, the SA-18 get into the black market.
Of course, there are other people, unscrupulous people perhaps in the military who are willing to sell that even though ultimately it may end up hurting their own country or other countries. So there are many ways that it could get on to the market.
There are legal sales, by the way, by the Russian government. But just a few minutes ago, we spoke to one of the companies that manufactures at least part of this missile. And they said it's very strictly controlled. So their feeling would be that's not where it potentially could be coming from. It's most likely people, again, unscrupulous people in the military who might want to sell it -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Jill, also interesting to mention, I think, I've been reading stuff here that says one of the missiles weighs about 30 to 40 pounds, can actually fit into a golf bag, so it gives you an idea of how really small they are.
Also wondering how easy is it to actually get a hold of one of them, as you say, on the black market?
DOUGHERTY: Well, it's been done before. You would have to say, just look at what's happening in Chechnya, you know, the breakaway of the republic in the south of Russia. They've had several instances where either the SA-18 or other similar types of solder-fired weapons were used bring down helicopters. In fact one last year, it killed about 100 soldiers and members of their family.
So it's not that uncommon -- which is not to say it's sold everywhere, of course. But if have you the right connections and have you the right money, and that usually is about $100,000 per weapon, then if you wanted to, you probably could get your hands on it.
COLLINS: And that is obviously the most alarming part of it all.
All right, Jill Dougherty, CNN Moscow bureau chief, thanks so much today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
