WORLD : Iraq Claims Rocketry Advances
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NICOSIA, Cyprus — Iraq said today it launched a rocket capable of carrying satellites into space, a development that would have profound implications for the military balance in the Middle East.
Hussein Kamel, minister of industry and military industrialization, said on state-run Baghdad radio that the three-stage rocket was launched at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday from the Al Anbar space research center.
He also claimed that Iraq has developed two surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 1,240 miles. If true, this would double the reach of Iraq’s missile arsenal.
There was no independent confirmation of the launch.
Iraq is the only Arab country to have claimed it has the capability of launching satellites into space. If true, this could enable it to develop a military satellite to spy on Israel and Iraq’s rivals in the region.
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