SA won't protect 'hired gun' citizens - elite British Special Air Services

[dArKeR]

By Staff Reporters, Reuters Sapa and AFP

If the men arrested in Zimbabwe turn out to be dogs of war, South Africa will abandon them to Robert Mugabe's justice.

This was confirmed on Tuesday by Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.

Any South Africans involved in mercenary activities were breaking the law, he said.

'Questions were raised as to why the two South Africans would want to buy weapons from Zimbabwe'
"We do not yet know what they were doing. We have to wait for the outcome of Zimbabwe's investigation," he said. "Depending on the outcome of the investigations, they will then have to stand trial where they are alleged to have committed the offences."

His statements came a day after an ageing United States-registered Boeing 727-100 cargo plane with at least 64 suspected mercenaries was impounded at Harare Airport. A search of the aircraft yielded "military equipment" but no weapons.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=vn20040310034416275C296074&set_id=1

What if George aWol Bush is their leader?

[Joanne98]

1. I hope they get the death penalty

after getting tortured for months, of course. I hate mercenaries. They are absolute evil in human form. Which means they are probably working for Bushco. haha

[dArKeR]

2. Mercenaries came to collect guns - elite British Special Air Services

An aircraft seized by the Zimbabwe government on Sunday was carrying men believed to be linked to a South African mercenary company and to the elite British Special Air Services regiment, the Zimbabwe government said on Tuesday night.

It indicated the group had come to collect weapons bought in Zimbabwe.

Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said on state television that on board the flight were 20 South Africans, 32 Angolans, 18 Namibians, two from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a Zimbabwean with a South African passport.

The spokesperson for the group appeared to be Simon Witherspoon, "a known South African mercenary who has operated in various countries in Africa, including Côte d'Ivoire," he said.

Witherspoon had served in the South African defence forces until 1989 and then joined Executive Outcomes, he said. He did not elaborate on their alleged connection to the British special forces regiment.

When the aircraft landed at Harare International airport, its captain had said the plane contained no cargo and only seven passengers, he said.

"Contrary to the information... 64 male adults were found on the plane," he said.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=32441&t=1