CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER: US SHIPMENTS FROM IRAQ

[KristiD]

The US Embassy in Bagdhad is shipping more than 1 million kiligrams (1000 tons) of "something" to other US Embassies all over the world - including back to the US.  Even more curious is that massive amounts of "something" are also being shipped (by trucks and planes that were hired by the US Embassy) from Basra in southern Iraq to Erbil (which is in Kurdistan) in northern Iraq.  Apparnetly some invoices indicate it's household goods and everyday equipment.  This article seeps to speculate that it's surveillance/spying equipment.  None of these items make any sense to me though.  Iraq has been bombed to *#$@ and back, how would they have any extra household goods and equipment to export.  And why would there be so much spy equipment in Iraq?  They certainly can't be making it there - the country doesn't manufacture anything but oil.  Perhaps Iraq is in fact a foreign hub from which the US operates... but it sure seems an unlikely choice to me.  And if the "something" being shipping is first being shipped into to Bagdhad so that it can then be shipped to other ountries, why not just ship it directly to other countries?  Shipments through the US Embassy are automatically approved by Customs, why make an intermediary stop?  I wish there were records of how much stuff is actually shipped into the US Embassy in Bagdhad ...  

 

Do you suppose it could be gold?  After all, no one knows how much cold Iraq really has - but many speculate that it's an unimaginably high amount.  But why would the US be shipping gold to other US Embassies all over the world (though apparently a large chunk of it, 300,000 kilograms, goes to the US)?  What could the US be up to?  What do others think? 

From Baghdad to Finland and All Across the World: What’s the US Up To?

We are publishing here two articles on this subject from Helsinki Times, dated December 29, 2018 and January 1, 2019 respectively.

GUARDED WAREHOUSES NEAR AIRPORT AND MYSTERIOUS CARGO FROM BAGHDAD

by Will Sillitoe

Why does the US Embassy in Helsinki need a big warehouse near Malmi Airport and what are the contents of thousands of kilograms of cargo sent to Helsinki from Baghdad?

A dilapidated warehouse in Malmi is being used by the US Embassy for unknown operations after a Wikileaks release revealed its location.

The anonymous looking building on Takoraudantie is notable only for the new 427 meter perimeter fence that according to the Wikileaks’ database was ordered by the US Embassy in April 2018.

Situated across the street from the main entrance of Malmi Airport, the warehouse with its 3 meter high security fence appears an unlikely location for official embassy business. Neighbouring companies include a car yard and a tyre warehouse.

 

Helsinki Times visited the perimeters this weekend. Security personnel, young Finns in uniforms with American flags on their arms, appeared nervous and suspicious when asked to comment on the warehouse and refused to even confirm the order of the new fence structure which now surrounds the compound. At one point a security guard appeared in a second floor window to carefully monitor this reporter’s movements along Takoraudantie.

US embassy warehouse near Malmi airport. This image from Google street view is from 2011. The newly built permitter fence can not be seen in this image.

Mysterious parcels from Baghdad

The Wikileaks’ database has also revealed mysterious packages being sent to the US Embassy in Finland from their embassy in Baghdad.

The database displaying US embassy procurements around the world shows that tons of cargo are being distributed to Helsinki and other US embassies via regular airfreight cargo deliveries from Baghdad.

Twelve consignments, each logged at 5000 kilograms are recorded as sent to Helsinki and 23 other West European US embassies – an average of 2500 kilograms per US embassy.

The reason for such a vast volume of embassy deliveries from Baghdad is as yet unknown but this latest disclosure follows Wikileaks news that the US Consulate in Frankfurt was a purchase and postal centre for distributing spy equipment to other US embassies worldwide. Concerns are now raised that the US Embassy in Baghdad is also being used as a main distribution centre for secret operations.

In addition to Finland and Western Europe, the Wikileaks database shows that the US embassy in Baghdad disseminates hundreds of tons worldwide, with more than 300,000 kilograms recorded as being delivered Stateside alone.

Incoming diplomatic mail between embassies receives customs clearance and is automatically classified as a US government shipment.

The 80 page order list also details massive movements of road and air freight between Basra in the south of Iraq and Erbil in the north. No indication of the cargo contents are provided but the order sheets reveal convoys of trucks and vehicles were hired by Baghdad’s US embassy for the mysterious shipments.

The warehouse is equipped with several big gates suitable for lorries to drive in. Containers and a forklift in the yard indicate heavy duty use. A special antenna is on the roof.

Spy gadgets and surveillance operations

The disclosure of the building’s use by the US Embassy in Finland comes in light of revelations about US embassy spying activities worldwide, as featured in the Wikileaks’ US embassy shopping list database. In a published list of more than 16000 miscellaneous items, requests also appear for recording devices disguised as pens, lighters, glasses, watches and even spy shirt buttons.

Although US embassy procurements are public information, Wikileaks new database allows for country specific searches, giving clearer evidence of US embassy involvement in secret surveillance operations in certain parts of the world.. The timing of this latest Wikileaks’ release came just hours after its Twitter accounts were cyber attacked late on Friday, ahead of the Christmas holiday.

According to the database, requests made by the US Embassy in Finland appear to be for everyday items. Procurements include a tractor as well as services for snow removal, plumbing, gardening and cleaning. However, in light of ‘Tactical Spy Equipment’ purchased by US embassies elsewhere the existence of the warehouse compound near Malmi Airport raises concerns about potential secret operations closer to home. US Embassy official responsible for ordering the warehouse perimeter fence, was unavailable for comment.

Strategically located US embassy complex in Helsinki and the newly built “Innovation Center”.

Worldwide, the Wikileaks’ online data reveals that Latin America is the main target for purchases of spying equipment. Camera hats and USB drives as well as night visors and binoculars were among items procured for the US embassy in Colombia. But topping the list for requested surveillance items was the US embassy in El Salvador where the purchase of ‘Tactical Spy Equipment’ totalled 94 items.

Back in 2017 Wikileaks documents revealed that the American consulate in Frankfurt had served as a covert base to carry out digital spy operations. Using the US Embassy shopping list database, Germany’s Der Spiegel has now identified the consulate as a main buyer of spy equipment for diplomatic missions across Europe.

These latest Wikileaks’ revelations further highlight the role of US embassies in espionage activities across the globe. Some reports suggest over 80 US embassies worldwide conceal joint NSA-CIA “Special Collection Service” radio and electronic surveillance equipment. Such concerns add to the questions concerning activities at the Malmi warehouse and the secrecy surrounding it.

However, the database of US embassy shopping lists reveals some less concerning items too with one evoking the craziness of an Inspector Clouseau rather than a cold, calculating 007: A person to count fish and clean the pond was sought by the consulate in Guayaquil, Ecuador after officials lost track of how many fish they possessed.

The searchable Wikileaks database and info about Finland related activities can be found HERE.

Images  Google maps

WHAT DOES THE US EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD EXPORT TO FINLAND AND DOZENS OF OTHER COUNTRIES?

by Will Sillitoe

More than a million kilograms of cargo were shipped from Baghdad to different parts of the world, reveals US embassies procurement documents.

 

 

Mysterious cargo shipments from the US Embassy in Baghdad to other American embassies and consulates around the world have been revealed on a Wikileaks’ database. Procurement orders of US embassies are public documents, but Wikileaks put them in a searchable database making it easier to analyse.

 

The database displaying worldwide US embassy orders of goods and services reveals Baghdad as a postal and shipping centre for tonnes of freight.

 

Though military freight might be expected between the US and Iraq, records show that embassies across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa are all receiving deliveries from Baghdad too.

According to Wikileaks’ database, orders to ship more than 540 tonnes of cargo to the US were made in May 2018. The same document shows other main delivery destinations included 120 tonnes of freight to Europe, and 24 tonnes to South Africa, South America and Central Africa respectively. In comparison, only two and a half tonnes of freight were moved within Iraq between Baghdad, Basra and Erbil International Airports. So, the export of items from Iraq appears to be the primary activity.

The content of the deliveries is as yet unclear, though the order contract suggests household items, rugs, electrical goods, linen, kitchenware, furniture, pianos, refrigerators, books, chinaware, clothing as well as mail could be among the items dispatched. According to the website movers.com, an average one bedroom apartment of furniture weighs approximately one tonne but the practicality of moving many types of household objects across continents is doubtful. It also remains unclear whether the quantity of tonnage relates to many small deliveries or a small number of very large ones.

The lack of disclosed orders moving cargo and services into Iraq highlights that the movement of diplomats and their families into such a dangerous region on a large scale is unlikely.  Transfers of military personnel back and forth would normally go through the US airbases in Iraq and not via the Embassy administration. So discounting the movement of more than a thousand staff members out of Iraq to countries around the world means that the content and purpose of the shipments remains a mystery.

The Wikileaks’ database findings coincide with the discovery of a previously undisclosed US Embassy warehouse near Malmi Airport, a storage facility suitable for receiving large truckloads of incoming freight. Documents also show that the US Embassy in Finland ordered a new security perimeter fence for the warehouse compound in April 2018. The purpose for the warehouse remains unknown.

This latest uncovering of unusual US embassy activity follows the 2017 exposure of the US Consulate in Frankfurt being used for surveillance operations and as a buying and postal dispatch centre of spying equipment for other US consulates. These latest Wikileaks revelations raise concerns that the US Embassy in Baghdad may also serve as a hub for secret operations worldwide.

The database also reveals that items listed as ‘Tactical Spy Equipment’ were ordered for US embassies in Latin America, with Colombia and El Salvador receiving a range of spy cameras disguised as pens, glasses, hats, USB drives and even shirt buttons.

https://off-guardian.org/2019/01/15/from-baghdad-to-finland-and-all-across-the-world-whats-the-us-up-to/ 

Edited January 16, 2019 by KristiD

[MyLadiesDaddy]

3 hours ago, KristiD said:

WHAT DOES THE US EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD EXPORT TO FINLAND AND DOZENS OF OTHER COUNTRIES?

I would like to say that I'm stunned this is something that ANYONE would make an issue of, BUT I'M NOT.

The American Embassy in Iraq is the Largest American Embassy in the world. Thus it would of a necessity be maned by the largest complement of personnel in the world. Personnel that are only going to serve a max of 18 months in country before being reassigned. Personnel that naturally come with thousands of pounds of personal belongings. Belongings that must needs be shipped when said personnel are reassigned. 

Upper Echelon and High ranking personnel at an Embassy like Iraq might even have there families with them and thus have there own family housing quarters. The average weight of a families household goods would be between 10,000 to 15,000 pounds. All of which would have to be shipped with the family at the time of the Embassy Personnel being reassigned. Such Upper Echelon personnel don't always come back to the United States upon reassignment but would request, as a career enhancement, to be moved to another Embassy with seemingly more status. IE. Norway. 

These shipments for the most part are most likely nothing more than the personal belongings of the 

Embassy staff. 

And from some of the wording of the article I STRONGLY suspect that the author knows this. 

 

[haymon]

Camel dung..... for american cannabis crops..... 

[KristiD]

12 hours ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

I would like to say that I'm stunned this is something that ANYONE would make an issue of, BUT I'M NOT........And from some of the wording of the article I STRONGLY suspect that the author knows this. 

.

OUCH LGD!  Actually, I had no idea that embassy personnel are moved frequently and it honestly never occurred to me that their personal belongings would be shipped in and out regularly.  So thank you for explaining that, but I wish you had done so with respect and kindness.  (And naturally it follows that you are wrong to assume that I had some ulterior motive in trying to make a big deal out of nothing.  I am not interested in my ruby count here, I was just trying to find clues about the RV.)  Your information certainly explains  the shipping of 2.2 million pounds of "something" from the Badhad Embassy to other embassies.  Also, I just looked it up and the US has an embassy in Erbil so that could also explain the why it's shipping frieght from Bagdhad to Erbil. 

 

So I'm glad to have an explanation for this, and thank you for that.  Forgive me for being ignorant and I hope you will not continue to ascribe ulterior motives to me when there are none.  I do have a masters degree in business from a top business school, but I obviuosly fell short on being knowledgeable about this subject compared to your worldly expertise. 

 

All the best to you and yours LDG and may we both live by the Christian values we ascribe to.  

[MyLadiesDaddy]

45 minutes ago, KristiD said:

Forgive me for being ignorant and I hope you will not continue to ascribe ulterior motives to me when there are none. 

Oh My Gosh, I meant no disparaging nor disrespectful remarks toward you. My comments were directed towards the author of the article. You're bringing it here was a very legitimate question. My answer isn't from some high-class intelligence, rather from personal experience from my service in the military. Again please forgive me for that misunderstanding, I would not disparage you ever.

[FROSTYJACK]

9 hours ago, KristiD said:

.

OUCH LGD!  Actually, I had no idea that embassy personnel are moved frequently and it honestly never occurred to me that their personal belongings would be shipped in and out regularly.  So thank you for explaining that, but I wish you had done so with respect and kindness.  (And naturally it follows that you are wrong to assume that I had some ulterior motive in trying to make a big deal out of nothing.  I am not interested in my ruby count here, I was just trying to find clues about the RV.)  Your information certainly explains  the shipping of 2.2 million pounds of "something" from the Badhad Embassy to other embassies.  Also, I just looked it up and the US has an embassy in Erbil so that could also explain the why it's shipping frieght from Bagdhad to Erbil. 

 

So I'm glad to have an explanation for this, and thank you for that.  Forgive me for being ignorant and I hope you will not continue to ascribe ulterior motives to me when there are none.  I do have a masters degree in business from a top business school, but I obviuosly fell short on being knowledgeable about this subject compared to your worldly expertise. 

 

All the best to you and yours LDG and may we both live by the Christian values we ascribe to.  

Don't let it bother you KristiD. Every time I post something in difference of LGD opinion he threatens to have me removed from the site. That is just his way of showing the love. 😎

[MyLadiesDaddy]

11 hours ago, FROSTYJACK said:

Don't let it bother you KristiD. Every time I post something in difference of LGD opinion he threatens to have me removed from the site. That is just his way of showing the love. 😎

That's not true as I can only Moderate in the crypto section and banning  a VIP member is next to impossible. I do from time to time have to remind members of the forum rules, if that is what you mean. 

[KristiD]

21 hours ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

Oh My Gosh, I meant no disparaging nor disrespectful remarks toward you. My comments were directed towards the author of the article. You're bringing it here was a very legitimate question. My answer isn't from some high-class intelligence, rather from personal experience from my service in the military. Again please forgive me for that misunderstanding, I would not disparage you ever.

 

In all fairness, you said "anyone who thinks this is an issue" and since I obviously did think this was an issue, clearly your comment applied to me.  I'm pretty sure anyone else in my position, even you, would have felt stung by your reply.  Nonetheless I appreciate what you just now said and your apology is accepted, thank you!

[MyLadiesDaddy]

42 minutes ago, KristiD said:

 

In all fairness, you said "anyone who thinks this is an issue" and since I obviously did think this was an issue, clearly your comment applied to me.  I'm pretty sure anyone else in my position, even you, would have felt stung by your reply.  Nonetheless I appreciate what you just now said and your apology is accepted, thank you!

I see your point but believe me that was not my intention. I will attempt to be more careful in my 

articulations in the future.