Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Wikileaks Documents:Saddam's WMD Program Existed in Iraq (Note we reported the transfer of WMD's to Lebanon/Syria - at least 5 years ago and ignored

WE WILL REPORT THIS ARTICLE DAILY UNTIL THE


U.K MEDIA REPORT IN DETAIL AND DISCUSS


AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE GORDON BROWN'S

STATEMENT AT THE CHILCOTT ENQUIRY


(Note we reported the transfer of WMD's to Lebanon/Syria -

at least 5 years ago and ignored by U.K. media)-see end articles



Wikileaks Documents:


Saddam's WMD Program Existed in Iraq


Source: Jim Kouri, Law Enforcement Examiner


October 24th, 2010


http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcement-in-national/wikileaks-saddam-s-wmd-program-existed-iraq


The recent release by WikiLeaks of classified Pentagon documents reveals that US military intelligence discovered chemical weapons labs, encountered insurgents who were specialists in the creation of toxins, and uncovered weapons of mass destruction.

The latest WikiLeaks document dump reveals that as late as 2008, American troops continued to find WMD in the region.

There are numerous mentions of chemical and biological weapons in the WikiLeaks documents, however the US media appear only interested in those portions of the leaked material that highlight actions that are viewed as embarrassing for the US military such as the accusation that US commanders were aware of abuse and "torture" of prisoners by Iraqi soldiers and police officers...

WikiLeaks documents don't reveal evidence of a massive weapons program by Saddam Hussein...or some enormous stockpile of WMD, but do reveal that chemical weapons did vanish from the Iraqi battlefield.

According to the latest WikiLeaks document "dump," Saddam’s toxic arsenal, significantly reduced after the Gulf War, remained intact. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict and may have brewed up their own deadly agents, according to the WikiLeaks web site.

During that time, former Iraqi General Georges Sada, Saddam's top commander, detailed the transfers of Iraq's WMD. "There [were] weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands," Mr. Sada said. "I am confident they were taken over."

Gen. Sada's comments came just a month after Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Moshe Yaalon, claimed that Saddam Hussein "transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria"...

During the a battle in Fallujah, American forces claim they discovered a “house with a chemical lab...substances found are similar to ones in lesser quantities located at a previous chemical lab.” The following day, there was a call in another part of the Fallujah requesting "explosives experts to dispose of a chemical [weapons] cache."

In addition, an armored vehicle came upon "155mm rounds filled with an unknown liquid, and several of which are leaking a black tar-like substance.” Initial tests were inconclusive. But later, “the rounds tested positive for mustard.”

Editor's Note: It cannot be stressed enough that the contention that the primary reason for military intervention by the US in Iraq was not -- repeat, was not -- Saddam Hussein's perceived stockpile of WMD. It was the genocide of the Iraqi Kurds per then President George W. Bush in his speech to the United Nations. In fact, Hussein's WMD programs -- which we now have proof existed -- was fourth in the reasons presented for military intervention: genocide, refusal to return prisoners of war, enabling of terrorists and their organizations, and then refusal to cease WMD development programs and refusal to allow verification of said cessation.


Vindication?: The latest released cache of intelligence documents

by Wikileaks presents proof that bio-chemical weapons of

mass destruction did in fact exist in Iraq upon the US military

intervention in that nation, with personnel finding bio-chemical

weaponry as late as 2008.




Wikileaks: Saddam's WMD program existed in Iraq



The recent release by WikiLeaks of classified Pentagon documents reveals that U.S. military intelligence discovered chemical weapons labs, encountered insurgents who were specialists in the creation of toxins, and uncovered weapons of mass destruction.

The latest WikiLeaks document dump reveals that as late as 2008, American troops continued to find WMD in the region.

There are numerous mentions of chemical and biological weapons in the WikiLeaks documents, however the U.S. media appear only interested in those portions of the leaked material that highlight actions that are viewed as embarrassing for the U.S. military such as the accusation that U.S. commanders were aware of abuse and "torture" of prisoners by Iraqi soldiers and police officers.

The U.S. Defense Department continues to demand that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange immediately return the stolen military documents in his possession, including recent documents that created another stir when published, according to Elaine Wilson of American Forces Press Service.

The department also wants the whistle-blowing web site to permanently delete all versions of these documents, which contain classified and sensitive information, from its web site, computers and records, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters during a Pentagon briefing.

WikiLeaks documents don't reveal evidence of a massive weapons program by Saddam Hussein — the Bush administration’s leading rationale for invading Iraq -- or some enormous stockpile of WMD, but do reveal that chemical weapons did vanish from the Iraqi battlefield.

According to the latest WikiLeaks document "dump," Saddam’s toxic arsenal, significantly reduced after the Gulf War, remained intact. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict and may have brewed up their own deadly agents, according to the WikiLeaks web site.

During that time, former Iraqi General Georges Sada, Saddam's top commander, detailed the transfers of Iraq's WMD. "There [were] weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands," Mr. Sada said. "I am confident they were taken over."

Gen. Sada's comments came just a month after Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Moshe Yaalon, claimed that Saddam Hussein "transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria."

in 2004, for example, American special forces members secretly purchased what they believed to be containers of liquid sulfur mustard which have been used since World War I. Following testing in a military lab, the chemical was then secured and transferred to a secret location.

Meanwhile, also in Iraq, U.S. recon soldiers inspected a suspected “chemical weapons” plant:

“One of the bunkers has been tampered with,” they write. “The integrity of the seal [around the complex] appears intact, but it seems someone is interested in trying to get into the bunkers.”

During the a battle in Fallujah, American forces claim they discovered a “house with a chemical lab … substances found are similar to ones (in lesser quantities located a previous chemical lab.” The following day, there was a call in another part of the Fallujah requesting "explosives experts to dispose of a chemical[weapons] cache."

In addition, an armored vehicle came upon "155mm rounds filled with an unknown liquid, and several of which are leaking a black tar-like substance.” Initial tests were inconclusive. But later, “the rounds tested positive for mustard.”

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he's a columnist for The Examiner (examiner.com) and New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.

To subscribe to Kouri's newsletter write toCOPmagazine@aol.com and write "Subscription" on the subject line.

  • October 24th, 2010 4:1


  • Subject: Debka - Syrans Hid Iraqi WMDs in Lebanon
    5/4/2003 2:00:34 AM
    According to a report from Debka.com (today May 4) Bashar Assad and the Syrians hid a large portion of Iraq's WMDs in large pits in the Syrian controlled Bekaa valley in Lebanon.
    The transfer of the WMDs from Iraq through Syria into Lebanon was completed just 10 days before the war began on March 20. The Syrians were reportedly paid $ 35 million by the Iraqis to cover costs and for services rendered.
    Again, according to Debka the US government is aware of this development. Secretary of State Colin Powell 'discussed' this issue with Assad during his recent visit to Syria.

    RE:Debka - Syrans Hid Iraqi WMDs in Lebano: Bolton's testimony 9/16/2003 6:12:20 PM
    U.S.: Syria supporting terror groups, developing WMD By Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies Undersecretary of State John Bolton on Tuesday vehemently attacked Syria and said it was a rebellious country, like Iran, North Korea and Libya. Bolton told a congressional hearing that Syria is developing weapons of mass destruction and supporting terror organizations, and that the combination poses a serious threat to both U.S. and international security. Bolton said that the United States must keep open the option of using "every tool" - code for the remote possibility of military action - to dissuade Syria and others from pursuing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. While saying the United States had yet not found any information to substantiate media reports that Iraq might have transferred some of its suspected weapons of mass destruction to Syria, Bolton said Washington was concerned by the reports. Bolton added that Syria continues to support Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad - groups the United States considers terrorists - and that it is allowing militants to cross the border into Iraq. But Bolton asked the Congress committee members to be patient and allow Secretary of State Colin Powell time to bring about a change in Syria's behavior. Syria's foreign minister on Tuesday rejected the U.S. accusations and said his country was willing to meet "reasonable" U.S. demands within the framework of international legitimacy. Foreign Minister Farouk Sharaa spoke at a press conference with European Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Patten, before the U.S. Congress opened the hearing on Syria. "This is not the first time in which the U.S. Congress makes an unjust accusation against Syria," Sharaa said. He said Syria, which opposed the U.S.-led war on Iraq, was ready to cooperate with America "if the U.S. demands are within the framework of international legitimacy, for the sake of Iraq's unity and in order to find a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict." Blaming Israel for his country's strained relations with the United States, Sharaa said, "I hope Congress would not adopt a deformed image about Syria which it receives from others."

    RE:Debka - Syrans Hid Iraqi WMDs in Lebano: Bolton's testimony 9/16/2003 7:39:40 PM
    Depka is not the only source on this story and it wasn't the first. John Loftus (late of the Justice Dept., and who still holds very high level security clearances), whose sources are in CENTCOM and the CIA spoke about this at or around the time the war began, back on March 19.

    RE:Debka - Syrans Hid Iraqi WMDs in Northern Syria 12/16/2003 5:14:32 PM
    link >> DEBKAfile?s military and intelligence sources reveal that Washington and Dr. David Kay, senior US and coalition WMD hunter in Iraq - far from groping in the dark for Saddam?s prohibited weapons, as conventionally believed ? have a very good idea of where they are hidden. The search has narrowed down to a section of the Syrian Desert known as Dayr Az-Zawr in Syria?s 600 sq. mile Al Jazirah province, which is wedged between the Turkish and Iraqi borders. The missing weapons systems are thought to be buried somewhere under these desert sands. This area is now probably the most keenly watched area on earth ? from its outer periphery. At its eastern edge, US special force units, Predator drones and reconnaissance airplanes and satellites make sure no one steps into this ultra-sensitive patch of desert. Turkish special forces, intelligence and air force units are guarding it from the northwest. The Syrians are nowhere to be seen, acting as though the target-area does not concern them. DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly have consistently reported that Saddam?s weapons of mass destruction were removed from the country and secretly buried in Lebanon and northern Syria with the connivance of Syrian president Bashar Assad. <<>

    Debka - Syrans Hid Iraqi WMDs in three sites in Syria 1/6/2004 6:00:39 AM
    From Debka: "A senior Syrian journalist reports Iraq?s WMD located in three Syrian sites. Nizar Najoef, a Syrian journalist who recently defected from Syria to Western Europe and is known for bravely challenging the Syrian regime, said in a letter Monday, January 5, to Dutch newspaper ?De Telegraaf,? that he knows the three sites where Iraq?s WMD are kept. The storage places are: 1. Tunnels dug under the town of al-Baida near the city of Hama in northern Syria. These tunnels are an integral part of an underground factory, built by the North Koreans, for producing Syrian Scud missiles. Iraqi chemical weapons and long-range missiles are stored in these tunnels. 2. The village of Tal Snan, north of the town of Salamija, where there is a big Syrian airforce camp. Vital parts of Iraq?s WMD are stored there. 3. The city of Sjinsjar on the Syrian border with the Lebanon, south of the city Homs. Najoef writes that the transfer of Iraqi WMD to Syria was organized by the commanders of Saddam Hussein?s Special Republican Guard, including General Shalish, with the help of Assif Shoakat , Bashar Assad?s cousin. Shoakat is the CEO of Bhaha, an import/export company owned by the Assad family. In February 2003, a month before America?s invasion in Iraq, DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly were the only media to report the movement of Iraqi WMD, the efforts to bring them from Iraq to Syria, and the personal involvement of Bashar Assad and his family in the operation. Najoef, who has won prizes for journalistic integrity, says he wrote his letter because he has terminal cancer." I really wonder...

    ================

    Russia "Cleaned Up" Saddam's WMD

    Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense John A. Shaw, a "top Pentagon official who was responsible for tracking Saddam Hussein's weapons programs before and after the 2003 liberation of Iraq," stated in October 2004, March 2005, and again in February 2006 that it was the Russians who helped Saddam Hussein to "clean up" his weapons of mass destructionstockpiles "to prevent the United States from discovering them." [1]

    In late October 2004, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' "nuclear watchdog", told the UN Security Council that the Iraqi Interim Government "reported to the agency" that approximately 380 tons of "conventional explosives" were "missing" from the "vast" Al Qa Qaa complex of "1,100 buildings" [2] about 30 miles south of Baghdad "after last year's invasion." [3][4][5]

    IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei "passed on the letter from Iraqi authorities informing the agency of the theft." [6]The IAEA said that "the material, sealed and monitored by its inspectors until the US-led invasion, had gone missing some time after" April 9, 2003, "during 'the theft and looting of governmental installations'." The IAEA "last inspected the munitions at al-Qaqaa in January 2003 but [had] not been allowed back into Iraq" following the invasion. [7]

    The Associated Press reported October 25, 2004, that, "At the Pentagon, an official who monitors developments in Iraq said U.S.-led coalition troops had searched Al-Qaqaa in the immediate aftermath of the March 2003 invasion and confirmed that the explosives, under IAEA seal since 1991, were intact. Thereafter, the site was not secured by U.S. forces, the official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity."

    The Pentagon was "unclear" as to whether or not the explosives had "disappeared" after the site in Iraq "fell under US control." [8][9]

    On February 18, 2006, Shaw "told an audience" at "a privately sponsored 'Intelligence Summit'" in Alexandria, Virginia, that "The short answer to the question of where the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians went was that they went" to Syriaand the Bekka valley inLebanon, Kenneth R. Timmerman reported February 19, 2006, in NewsMax. "They were moved by Russian Spetsnaz (special forces) units out of uniform, that were specifically sent to Iraq to move the weaponry and eradicate any evidence of its existence," Shaw said.

    However, the Financial Times (UK) reported October 28, 2004, that Shaw had "not provided evidence for his claims and the Pentagon [had] distanced itself from his remarks."

    On December 10, 2004, Bill Gertz reported in The Washington Times that Shaw, who was a former aide to Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, "was forced to leave his position ... as the result of a 'reorganization' that eliminated his job, defense officials said. ... Shaw said he had been asked to resign for 'exceeding his authority' in disclosing the information, a charge he called 'specious'."


    Contents

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    External links

    Overview

    2003

    2004

    2005

    2006

    Related SourceWatch Resources

    Sunday, 15 March 2009

    Did Iran Spread Iraqi WMD Disinformation?



    Foreign Confidential....

    Israel's enemies and critics have unjustly accused it of manipulating the United States into needlessly invading Iraq, a contained, secular foe with no weapons of mass destruction and no meaningful Al Qaeda connections.

    But a number of intelligence analysts believeIran deliberately fueled suspicions regarding Iraqi WMD and Islamist ties in order to trick the U.S. into a draining, costly conflict. Iran was allegedly inspired by the way Washington tricked Moscow into invading Afghanistan in order to bleed it dry.

    Iran also sought to divert attention from its nuclear and missile development programs, and remove a Middle Eastern enemy that stood in the way of Iranian regional dominance. The U.S. invasion and conquest of Iraq accomplished that, turning the Sunni-ruled nation into a Shiite dominated, emerging Iranian satellite.

    Iranian disinformation, according to these analysts, was spread across the globe through agents of influence and unwitting dupes; and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who had constructed a myth around Iraqi WMD--to enhance his power and protect himself against Iran--was trapped into keeping the Big Lie alive. Tehran understood Saddam's vulnerability and effectively exploited it to the maximum possible extent.

    This much is certain: just as the Vietnam war set back the legitimate anti-Communist cause and the case for truly necessary military intervention, the deeply unpopular Iraqi war has undermined the anti-Islamist struggle (the so-called War on Terror) and the need to stop Iran from acquiring atomic arms and the means of delivering them.

    Israeli and other analysts believe Iran is already capable of making a nuclear weapon. Given another 12-18 months, these experts say, the mullahocracy could be mass-producing nuclear weapons, including warheads for long-range missiles.

    Hey Dave, l remember what was said at the time of this. The Israeli Website at the time claimed that Iraq did have WMD but that because Russia, Germany, France, and a few other European nations had business deals in there, then this would make them look bad, especially the Russians, who allegedly sent in their special forces to remove the offending sources. Also Georges Sada a Former Iraqi General says that these weapons were also transfered to Syria. I have also included some of the articles below. I suspect this was done to protect assets and embarrass the americans which wouldnt suprise me.
    Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied & Survived Saddam Hussein General Georges Sada (Author), Jim Nelson Black ( i think this may be in our library)
    Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied & Survived Saddam Hussein

    Iraq's WMD Secreted in Syria, Sada Says

    By IRA STOLL, Staff Reporter of the Sun | January 26, 2006

    http://www.nysun.com/foreign/iraqs-wmd-secreted-in-syria-sada-says/26514/

    Russia tied to Iraq's missing arms

    By

    12:26 a.m., Thursday, October 28, 2004

    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/oct/28/20041028-122637-6257r/

    Iraq Moves WMD Matériel to Syrian Safe-Havens

    http://128.121.186.47/ISSA/reports/Iraq/Oct2802.htm

    October 28, 2002:

    Russia Moved Iraqi WMD

    Charles R. Smith
    Thursday, March 3, 2005

    Moscow Moved Weapons to Syria and Lebanon

    http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/2/230625.shtml

    What is Assad hiding in his backyard?

    Satellite photos of secret Syrian site depict at least five guarded installations whose purpose is unclear.

    By Avi Scharf 02:37 30.05.10

    http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/what-is-assad-hiding-in-his-backyard-1.292935

    Pentagon Document Details Iraqi Dissidents Reporting on WMD Move to Syria

    Jim Kouri

    Some believe that Saddam Hussein indeed possessed WMD, but feared using them against the American-led invasion.

    Photo: Newsbusters

    Wikileaks: Saddam's WMD program existed in Iraq

    The recent release by WikiLeaks of classified Pentagon documents reveals that U.S. military intelligence discovered chemical weapons labs, encountered insurgents who were specialists in the creation of toxins, and uncovered weapons of mass destruction.

    The latest WikiLeaks document dump reveals that as late as 2008, American troops continued to find WMD in the region.

    There are numerous mentions of chemical and biological weapons in the WikiLeaks documents, however the U.S. media appear only interested in those portions of the leaked material that highlight actions that are viewed as embarrassing for the U.S. military such as the accusation that U.S. commanders were aware of abuse and "torture" of prisoners by Iraqi soldiers and police officers.

    The U.S. Defense Department continues to demand that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange immediately return the stolen military documents in his possession, including recent documents that created another stir when published, according to Elaine Wilson of American Forces Press Service.

    The department also wants the whistle-blowing web site to permanently delete all versions of these documents, which contain classified and sensitive information, from its web site, computers and records, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters during a Pentagon briefing.

    WikiLeaks documents don't reveal evidence of a massive weapons program by Saddam Hussein — the Bush administration’s leading rationale for invading Iraq -- or some enormous stockpile of WMD, but do reveal that chemical weapons did vanish from the Iraqi battlefield.

    According to the latest WikiLeaks document "dump," Saddam’s toxic arsenal, significantly reduced after the Gulf War, remained intact. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict and may have brewed up their own deadly agents, according to the WikiLeaks web site.

    During that time, former Iraqi General Georges Sada, Saddam's top commander, detailed the transfers of Iraq's WMD. "There [were] weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands," Mr. Sada said. "I am confident they were taken over."

    Gen. Sada's comments came just a month after Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Moshe Yaalon, claimed that Saddam Hussein "transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria."

    in 2004, for example, American special forces members secretly purchased what they believed to be containers of liquid sulfur mustard which have been used since World War I. Following testing in a military lab, the chemical was then secured and transferred to a secret location.

    Meanwhile, also in Iraq, U.S. recon soldiers inspected a suspected “chemical weapons” plant:

    “One of the bunkers has been tampered with,” they write. “The integrity of the seal [around the complex] appears intact, but it seems someone is interested in trying to get into the bunkers.”

    During the a battle in Fallujah, American forces claim they discovered a “house with a chemical lab … substances found are similar to ones (in lesser quantities located a previous chemical lab.” The following day, there was a call in another part of the Fallujah requesting "explosives experts to dispose of a chemical[weapons] cache."

    In addition, an armored vehicle came upon "155mm rounds filled with an unknown liquid, and several of which are leaking a black tar-like substance.” Initial tests were inconclusive. But later, “the rounds tested positive for mustard.”

    Iraq's WMD Secreted in Syria, Sada Says

    By IRA STOLL, Staff Reporter of the Sun | January 26, 2006

    http://www.chronwatch-america.com/blogs/762/Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction-and-Iraq.html

    http://www.nysun.com/foreign/iraqs-wmd-secreted-in-syria-sada-says/26514/

    Weapons of Mass Destruction and Iraq
    By Rachel Neuwirth | Published 07/17/2007
    The references cited in this article strongly suggest that: 1. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) did indeed exist inside Iraq before the war. 2. The weapons inspectors were both fooled and bribed to ignore evidence. 3. Massive amounts of WMD were removed to known locations in Syria just prior to the war.

    4. Massive numbers of Saddam's audio tapes and paper documents were collected and most remain unavailable and presumably un-translated. 5. U.S. officials refused to investigate a number of likely WMD sites. 6. The U.S. intelligence community, and other branches of this government, are stonewalling the issue. Readers are urged to review the references and decide for themselves.

    Before America went to war to topple Saddam Hussein's regime it was widely believed that he possessed weapons of mass destruction. Today it is widely believed that there were no WMD in Iraq before the war. People of both political parties, the major media, and the intellectual community all appear in strong agreement on that point. Some even charge that the Bush administration deliberately, and knowingly, misled the nation with false information as a pretext to justify going to war.

    The Bush administration is quietly acknowledging it they made a mistake, albeit not intentional. That admission seems to be the final confirmation that there were no WMD in Iraq. In police work when the accused confesses to making a mistake, it is then assumed that the accusation is true and people consider it to be ''case closed.''

    This widespread belief of no WMD in Iraq is seriously damaging our ability to deal with a growing nuclear threat from Iran. There are those who opposed our toppling mass murderer Saddam Hussein both in 1991 and again in 2003, even after he defied multiple U.N. resolutions and was generally believed to have WMD. Now the ''peace at any price'' crowd is exploiting the widespread belief of ''no WMD'' to undermine our war in Iraq. If we fail in Iraq it greatly weakens our ability to deal with Iran, which will become greatly emboldened and infinitely more dangerous as it eventually goes nuclear.

    Opponents of military action to stop Iran claim that the mistake over Iraq means that we cannot trust any claim by the Bush administration regarding Iran's growing nuclear threat. That logic may be faulty but it will further turn opinion against dealing withIran, especially with those who are now sour on our war in Iraq--and that is currently a majority of Americans. The opponents of military action persistently argue for more ''negotiations'' as the only way to avoid a nuclear Iran even while Iran is clearly stalling for sufficient time to acquire the bomb.

    It is therefore essential that the widespread belief of ''no WMD in Iraq'' be double-checked for accuracy. But how can average citizens, and other non-experts, really know the truth? Unfortunately, too many people refuse to reconsider an issue once their minds are made up. Reconsideration is essential and there is a way to deal with this question, at least indirectly. That way is to list critical unanswered questions and then demand that the proponents of ''no WMD in Iraq'' come up with credible answers. Those who adamantly insist that there were no WMD have a duty to answer the following questions or else admit their assertions remain unproven and conceivably wrong.

    Obvious Question

    Bill Clinton, John Kerry, and other Democrats, all saw the same intelligence back when Clinton was president and George Tenet headed the CIA. They all claimed Iraq had WMD which threatened America. If there really were no WMD, why are they not held equally accountable for misleading the American people? Shouldn't they be required to reveal the basis for their assertions? George Bush retained Clinton's CIA chief who reportedly assured Bush that it was a "slam dunk" that Saddam Hussein had WMD. Other intelligence services including those of NATO and Israel also believed there were WMD. Why don't the critics attempt to discover the evidence for those conclusions?

    What was Saddam Hussein hiding with his elaborate schemes to frustrate the U.N. arms inspectors? Why would Saddam needlessly provoke the United Nations and the United Nations into going to war against him if he had nothing to hide? Why haven't the critics answered this question?

    Shortly before the war, it was reported that U.S. satellites spotted truck convoys moving from Iraq to Syria at night. One possible explanation is that Saddam had WMD and removed them before the war. Various reports claim that the Russians helped move convoys and planeloads of materials from Iraq into Syria to at least three heavily guarded locations, identified, at least two years ago, by Debka.com and other news sources.

    Inexplicably, there has been no effort to discover what was moved. If WMD were indeed removed in this manner, shouldn't we know it? If it turns out that WMD were removed, then the war in
    Iraq becomes justified and the focus should then shift to Syria. If Saddam Hussein was not allowed to have WMD, why then is Syria, Iran's new ally, allowed to have possible WMD with no inspection? Is there unfinished business relative to Saddam's WMD? Is Syria now able to threaten Israel and U.S. forces in the region with chemical and biological weapons?

    Where is Saddam's bio weapons expert known as Doctor Germ? What was her work? Saddam's chemical weapons expert known as "Chemical Ali" was recently sentenced to death. What was he doing prior to the war in 2003? Two of Saddam's sons-in-law defected and testified about Saddam's WMD. They were spirited back by Saddam and then promptly killed. What did they reveal to U.S. authorities?

    Libya's Colonel Khaddaffi gave up his WMD to the United States. What weapons did the U.S. recover and ship back to Americaand who was working on these programs? Did Saddam Hussein sponsor the Libyan WMD program?

    Early Reports

    Seven months after the war began, an extensive report was published presenting a wealth of information on Iraqi WMD and containing 76 open source citations. It described how and what was hidden and how much of it was moved to Syria andLebanon. It is ''a must read.'' The following paragraph is excerpted from that report.

    "Now, it would be common to ask for the reason the Bush administration has not revealed that WMDs are in Syria and/orLebanon. According to Israeli intelligence sources, it is likely because exposure of that would lead to a domino effect where evidence would leak out that Iraq's programs had roles played by Egypt, Syria, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. [plus the French, Germans, and Russians] Such leaks will enflame the region and especially Iraq, and make things much harder, resulting in a more bloody and costly war and diminishing likelihood that other countries would send forces in. [71] Additionally, people would be skeptic, saying it was a lie so that the warmongering neo-cons were trying to justify a new conquest. The other side would put enormous pressure to bring the war to Syria--a war we are not yet ready to fight."

    Iraqi General Georges Sada

    In another intelligence revelation, ex Iraqi General Georges Sada recently published his book, ''Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied and Survived Saddam Hussein.'' In it he explains how, just prior to the war, Saddam moved his WMD to Syria, with Russian help. Go to www.amazon.com and search for author Georges Sada. Click on picture of book, "Saddam's Secrets." Scroll down to read reviews.

    Reviews from Publishers Weekly:

    Reviewer 1: In General Sada's unique position, he was able to observe some of the worst of Saddam's behavior and trickery and confirms in this book not only the existence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), but also the extraordinary lengths that Saddam went to hide these weapons....

    Reviewer 2: The author tells how Saddam managed to trick the world into believing he did not have weapons of mass destruction. He goes into detail how Saddam managed to hide all evidence of WMD's and how he managed to move all of them out of Iraqunder the noses of the United Nations weapons inspectors. ....

    Reviewer 3: Of particular note are tapes of more than 3,000 hours of Saddam Hussein meeting with his war cabinet and millions of pages of documents that contain vital information about Saddam's WMD program and plans for transporting the WMDs out of the country in order to dupe the weapons inspectors.... American and world citizens must demand that these tapes and documents be immediately released, translated, and analyzed in their entirety.

    Intelligence Summit Meeting

    Hundreds of security experts of diverse backgrounds convened on February 17, 2006 to evaluate Iraqi WMD. The organizers announced that translations of 12 hours of tapes of Saddam Hussein's cabinet meetings would be revealed at the meeting. In it Saddam would be heard talking about Iraq's WMD, its nuclear programs and how he fooled U.N. inspectors. Ten days before the meeting attendees received messages from inside the administration pressuring them not to attend. "However, these new tapes would have forced the intelligence community to admit that they misled President George W. Bush to state that Iraq had no WMD. Such admission, apparently, was something the intelligence community wanted to avoid by attempting to discredit this conference."

    Captured Tapes and Documents

    "Who'll Let the Docs Out? Bush wants to release the Saddam files but his [national] intelligence chief [John Negroponte] stalls. By Stephen F. Hayes" 03/20/2006, Volume 011, Issue 25 of the WeeklyStandard.com

    Excerpts:

    "On February 16, President George W. Bush assembled a small group of congressional Republicans for a briefing on Iraq." Representative Mike Pence said to President Bush: "There are 3,000 hours of Saddam tapes and millions of pages of other documents that we captured after the war. When will the American public get to see this information?"

    "Bush replied that he wanted the documents released. He turned to [National Security Advisor Stephen] Hadley and asked for an update. Hadley explained that John Negroponte, Bush's director of national intelligence, "owns the documents" and that DNI lawyers were deciding how they might be handled.

    .......

    "Bush told Hadley to expedite the release of the Iraq documents. "This stuff ought to be out. Put this stuff out." The president would reiterate this point before the meeting adjourned. .....

    ......

    "Negroponte never got the message. Or he is choosing to ignore it. He has done nothing to expedite the exploitation of the documents. And he continues to block the growing congressional effort, led by [Rep. Pete] Hoekstra, [the Michigan Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee] to have the documents released.

    ''I Found Saddam's WMD Bunkers'' was osted by Melanie Phillips on April 19, 2007 in Daily Mail. It is a devastating expose of criminal incompetence and cover-up by the U.S. government. The first two paragraphs follow.

    "It's a fair bet that you have never heard of a guy called Dave Gaubatz. It's also a fair bet that you think the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has found absolutely nothing, nada, zilch; and that therefore there never were any WMD programmers in Saddam's Iraq to justify the war ostensibly waged to protect the world from Saddam's use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons."

    "Dave Gaubatz, however, says you could not be more wrong. Saddam's WMD did exist. He should know because he found the sites where he is certain they were stored. And the reason you don't know about this is that the American administration failed to act on his information, ''lost'' his classified reports and is now doing everything it can to prevent disclosure of the terrible fact that, through its own incompetence, it allowed Saddam's WMD to end up in the hands of the very terrorist states against whom it is so controversially at war."

    Media Spin

    Another problem with objectively appraising the danger of WMD is exemplified in a recent article that originally appeared in theLos Angeles Times. The headline reads: "Scientist profits on fears of WMD. - Germ-weapons expert wins grants, federal contracts through his warnings of mass-casualty biological attack." Notice how the reader is immediately primed to be suspicious by the use of emotionally charged words such as "...profits on fears..."

    The first paragraph reads, "After helping to lead the Soviet Union's germ-weapons program, Ken Alibek defected to the United States and began warning about the threat of a mass-casualty biological attack. Alibek also has sought to profit from the fear of such weapons of mass destruction, landing federal contracts or grants totaling about $28 million."

    The first sentence above acknowledges that Ken Alibeck had good reason to know about the Soviet Union's germ-weapons program and hence he has credibility. But then, as if to immediately undermine his credibility, there follows the insinuation that, ..." Alibek also has sought to profit from the fear ..." This implies a selfish, if not a sinister, motivation. And in support of this insinuation we are told that his company received government contracts or grants, as if that alone was evidence of wrongdoing.


    If the Los Angeles Times has any proof of wrongdoing by Alibeck let it produce the evidence. Instead, this news implies an accusation without actually making a charge that could expose them to be prosecuted for libel. Honest reporting would require a clear separation between presenting hard facts and offering editorial opinion. Their blatant failure to observe journalistic ethics raises the question of an agenda on the part of the Los Angeles Times.

    Too many people are imposing their biases and opinions on the WMD issue which makes it much harder to get the full truth and to defend against a future attack.

    Bertram Cohen contributed to this article.

    http://www.meforum.org/755/syria-after-lebanon-the-growing-syrian-missile

    FALL 2005 • VOLUME XII: NUMBER 4