The episode of the US-registered cargo plane blocked and impounded on Sunday by Zimbabwe authorities, because found with 64 suspected "mercenaries", for the most part white, and "military material", is turning into a political case. Yesterday in a statement to the press, Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi stated that the blocked cargo plane, a Boeing 727/100, resulted to be registered in the United States. Anonymous sources of the US State Department in the afternoon denied to the Italian ANSA and other international news agencies that the craft was registered in the US. However, later in the day the Zimbabwean State TV showed some pictures of the material found in the craft (more than arms, the images show equipment such as sledgehammers, bolt cutters, walkie-talkies, loudhailers, sleeping bags and heavy duty boots) and the tail number of a white plane N4610. According to US Federal Aviation Administration records, N4610 is a 727 registered to Dodson Aviation Inc. based in Ottawa, Kansas (US), which claims to have sold the craft in question only a week ago to the African Logo Ltd. Company. A few hours from the declarations of American aviation authorities, also the US State Department intervened on the episode, correcting indiscretions leaked during the day. In speaking to the press, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher did not exclude that the craft could be registered in the US, but only on a private title, making it evident that supplementary information is still attended from the local US Embassy, which for the moment has not released any comment. Boucher however added that there is also "no indication that the plane is linked to the American government" and denied any information on the arrest of American citizens in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean Home Affairs Minister announced that an inquiry has been opened into the episode and that only at the conclusion of the investigation will some still unclear aspects be disclosed, such as the real identity of the men found onboard the craft and "their final destination". Meanwhile, in Pretoria (South Africa) the deputy foreign Minister Aziz Pahad expressed concern over the "still unconfirmed information that some of the 64 alleged mercenaries are South Africans". "If these claims should be true - added Pahad - it would be a serious violation of the law on foreign assistance abroad, which bans South Africans from participating in any military activities outside South Africa without specific authorisation". The plane has for the moment been transferred to a military base near the international airport of Harare, based on information provided by Zimbabwean authorities, without however disclosing any details on the 64 passengers. 
[BO]

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