Eurocopter has denied a report in the March 7 Washington Times that it sent spare parts to Iraq for its Gazelle military helicopters. A Eurocopter spokesman told AIN that since August 1990, the Marseilles, France-based helicopter manufacturer has “strictly observed the terms of United Nations resolution 661,” embargoing the export of military goods to Iraq. The spokesman said that French spare-parts exports must be authorized under the country’s strict AEMG procedure and strongly insisted that since the passage of resolution 661 “no spare parts have been delivered to Iraq.”
In the newspaper article, entitled “Iraq strengthens air force with French parts,” author Bill Gertz cites a U.S. intelligence official who claims that a “French company has been selling spare parts, including goods for Iraq’s French-made Mirage F.1 jets and Gazelle attack helicopters, to Iraq for its fighter jets and military helicopters during the past several months.” According to the report, the unidentified company sold the parts to Dubai, UAE-based Al Tamoor Trading, which then shipped them into Iraq by truck from a neighboring country. In his story, the writer said the alleged company could not be reached for comment.
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