European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday april 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 British seize Iraq arms experts believe pipes Are parts for giant gun Ondon apr equipment or auction unit a said Tony Peck i. J i no a Ina Imoh of on in a i can Lancman bound shipment London apr equipment or dered by Iraq and impounded at an English port a could be used As a barrel of a Large artillery gun to fire a projectile of some considerable size a the customs and excise office said thursday. The manufacturer and the iraqi government have insisted that the equipment was a pipe to be used at a petrochemical Plant. A we Are now satisfied that this equipment is covered by the munitions list to the Export of goods control order 1989,�?� a customs spokesman said. The Domestic British news Agency press association said the consignment included parts for a 130-foot-Long gun barrel with a bore of 40 inches. This would be the longest Ever made. Arms experts said a gun of that size could fire nuclear or chemical warheads As far As Tehran Iran or Tel Aviv Israel. Both cities Are within 350 Miles of iraqis Borders. Douglas Tweddle customs chief investigations officer said the suspected guns capability was confirmed by ministry of defense experts who inspected the cargo thursday on the docks at Middlesbrough in northeastern England. On March 28, customs officials seized parts for  atomic bomb triggers that were bound for Iraq. The seizure of those parts and iraqis March 15 execution of a British reporter convicted of spying have soured British iraqi relations. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein last week threatened to use missiles armed with chemical warheads against Israel. Iraq has also accused Britain and Israel of orchestrating an anti Iraq Campaign. A spokesman for Sheffield forge Mas ters the firm identified in news reports As the manufacturer said that the governments department of Trade and Industry approved the order. A the department of Trade saw specifications drawings everything. We were supplying a pipe for a petrochemical production unit a said Tony Peck a company spokesman. The company a chief executive Phillip Wright said his firm had been approached by Iraq to make a gun barrel but the government advised the company to Remse the request. A what we made were a series of tubes and they Are not like any sort of a gun a Wright said. A we do make gun barrels and in fact they Are immediately  a department of Trade spokesman speaking on condition of anonymity said it was department policy not to comment on dealings with individual companies. A customs spokesman speaking on condition of anonymity said the authorities raided offices in the Northern English steel town of Sheffield and the Industrial City of Birmingham in Central England on wednesday. He said they a took away papers relevant to the specifications ordering and delivery arrangements for this piece of  a spokesman for Walter Somers Ltd. In Halesowen near Birmingham said customs officers seized documents there on wednesday. The spokesman who requested anonymity said the company produced some steel pipes a of very much smaller dimensions for Iraq in 1988 and had no pending orders from the country. The customs spokesman said the goods were consigned to Iraq and were being loaded aboard a ship chartered by the iraqi maritime Agency. Britain had banned All arms sales to Iraq and its enemy Iran following the outbreak of the eight year persian Gulf War. There has been a cease fire since 1988. Because Iran and Iraq Are still not officially at peace the British embargo is still in effect. Two weeks ago customs officers seized 40 american made components for nuclear bomb triggers As they were being loaded aboard an iraqi airways crates carrying pipe bound for Iraq sit in a shed at tees Dock in Middlesbrough. Flight to Baghdad. Five people were arrested three Are facing charges one was deported and one was released. The iraqis Are widely believed to be building a nuclear bomb and there has been increasing concern about the country a growing weapons program. Iraq has confirmed it has chemical weapons but denied that it is seeking nuclear capability. The nation has complained about anti Iraq actions. A if this Campaign continues it will be against your interest a iraqi ambassador Azmi Al Salihi said in an interview with British broadcasting corp. Television. A if you done to sell these things and continue to urge this Campaign against our country its our right to buy them from another county. They Are pipes for the petrochemical Industry a Saiichi said. British news reports thursday speculated on whether an iraqi gun project could be linked to the slaying of an american ballistics expert. The times of London reported without attribution a the Only Man capable of designing such a weapon was or. Gerald Bull. Who was killed outside his Brussels Flat apartment last  Bull 62, a Canadian born american citizen was slain on March 22. Belgian police said he was shot twice in the head. They said the gunman used a Silencer and inc motive was not robbery because $20,000 was found in the victims pockets. In addition to Iraq Bull was known to have advised Iran and South Africa on building heavy weapons. He had been president of space research corp., which ran into trouble after it struck a Deal to sell advanced howitzer techno to by to South Africa in violation of . A and a . Arms embargo. In 1980, Bull was convicted in Vermont where he had taught at Norwich University on charges of smuggling arms to South Africa. Another London paper the daily Telegraph said Bull headed the big gun High Altitude research project run jointly by the United states Ana Canada. The two nations later abandoned the project for missiles. That project produced a gun that is listed by the guinness Book of world records As the longest Ever built. It had a barrel 120 feet Long and fired an 185-Pound projectile at an Altitude of 112 Miles in a test in Arizona on nov. 19, 1966, guinness  abruptly bars sex Kings return from exile Bucharest Romania apr authorities announced thursday they had cancelled the entry visa of King Michael of Romania who was to return to his country later in the Day after 43 years in exile the state news Agency rompers reported. The action was taken after the sex Monarch and his Advance party made Clear he would not heed an Appeal from the provisional government to postpone his planned trip until after the elections set for May 20. Rompers said authorities had conveyed to the former King a message asking him to postpone the trip. A although no direct Contact could be established through the romanian embassy in Bern a family member confirmed that Michael of Hohenzollern got the message but gave no further details a the Agency said. Michael and his family live in Versoi Switzerland near Geneva. A under these circumstances the romanian Side announced that the entry visa for Romania had been withdrawn and instructions were issued to All Border Crossings to take action accordingly a rompers said. A a furthermore the romanian embassy in Bern informed the Swissair company which was to Fly sex King Michael to Romania that the entry visa issued to him was no longer valid that the romanian authorities had withdrawn it a rompers said. It added Swissair was told that a the company has to take action accordingly to avoid breaking International regulations under which passengers without any visa for the country of destination should not be taken  the provisional government on wednesday issued a statement appealing to the sex Monarch to delay his visit until after the elections. A there is a possibility of some violent manifestations a said the statement carried by rompers. A nothing has changed the King is coming a members of his entourage said wednesday refusing to be further identified. King Michael the visit a and the publicity surrounding it Are interpreted As a political gesture of a nature to bring about unwelcome elements in the electoral Campaign and stir new passions a the government said. It said the sex monarchs visit prior to elections could a exacerbate existing conflicts while also endangering his personal  earlier this week several parties competing in the elections also called for a postponement. The government also referred to a various extremist groups which openly Call for violence without providing further details. Similar to the previous statement thursdays government announcement said in the action taken against the sex Monarch a a emphasis was placed again on the Strong opposition of various major political forces to the  it also referred to opposition to the visit by Lead ers of several parties represented in the provisional National Unity Council. A regretfully it was Learned the King and his entourage failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation persisting in his position to make the trip that is As much untimely As it is damaging to their own prestige a rompers said. It said the government of Romania hoped that the former Monarch and his family would understand the decision which was prompted by a concern for the country a stability and  King Michael left Romania four Days after signing an act of abdication on dec. 30, 1947. Later in exile he denounced the abdication saying he signed the document Only after being warned by the soviet installed Premier that there would be a Bloodbath among his supporters if he refused. On tuesday his second daughter Helen arrived in Bucharest with a Convoy from Britain containing 120 metric tons of Relief supplies. The 39-year-old Princess who stopped at several cities in route to distribute Aid said she was a struck by dilapidation and  a if his majesty decided to come i think he should Quot said a 59-year-old Man who identified himself Only As Eugene before the government decision was known. However he added that Michael should not meet with political leaders. Last week a spokesman for the King emphasized the private nature of the visit and said Michael who lives in exile would not have any political contacts