Iran's smoking Steyr Mannlicher

The big conversation bit the last couple of weeks has been "does Iran supply Iraqi terrorists with weapons?" Besides diversion into "hey, look at the home-made crap..." there are serious issues about this. The IED arguments are compelling, but the LATimes and others (yes, that is the VOA) still say things like this,

...evidence of Iranian involvement in Iraq's troubles is limited. U.S. troops have found mortars and antitank mines with Iranian markings dated 2006, said U.S. Army Col. David W. Sutherland, who oversees the province. But there has been little sign of more advanced weaponry crossing the border, and no Iranian agents have been found.

Well, I think this should put everything to rest.

Austrian sniper rifles that were exported to Iran have been discovered in the hands of Iraqi terrorists, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
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The guns were part of a shipment of 800 rifles that the Austrian company, Steyr-Mannlicher, exported legally to Iran last year.
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Within 45 days of the first HS50 Steyr Mannlicher rifles arriving in Iran, an American officer in an armoured vehicle was shot dead by an Iraqi insurgent using the weapon.

Over the last six months American forces have found small caches of the £10,000 rifles but in the last 24 hours a raid in Baghdad brought the total to more than 100, US defence sources reported.

One big-a55 .50 cal sniper rifle goes missing? Sure, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. 100? No. Guilty. Game, set, match.

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UPDATE: CAPT Ed is on it as well.

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