U.S. loss of control over the flood of weapons into Iraq was highlighted again Sunday when it emerged that Italian anti-Mafia investigators had uncovered an alleged shipment of 105,000 rifles of which the American high command was unaware.

The Italian team, in an investigation codenamed Operation Parabellum, stopped the US$40 million sale and have made four arrests.

The consignment appears to have been ordered by the Iraqi interior ministry. The U.S. high command in Baghdad admitted that it had no knowledge of any such order, even though the ministry is supposed to inform the Americans before making any arms purchases.

An Iraqi interior ministry official insisted the weapons were mostly for Iraqi police in Anbar province.

The aborted shipment comes only a week after a congressional investigation team found that the Pentagon could not account for 190,000 U.S.-supplied weapons that had gone missing in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. It would have been another spectacular lapse to add to a growing list that began immediately after the invasion when the United States failed to protect Iraqi army weapons dumps from looting and disbanded the Iraqi army complete with weapons.

Four Italians have been arrested and are awaiting court indictment for allegedly creating a criminal association and alleged arms trafficking — trading in weapons without a government license. A fifth Italian is being sought in Africa. In addition, 13 other Italians were arrested on drug charges.

(SD-Agencies)