[craig_eddy]

Related article on smugglings out of Iraq: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227664/posts

[b4its2late]

I wonder what those Iraqi scientists know?

[cake_crumb]

"Quoting Western intelligence officials, the London-based Sunday Telegraph reported that Syrian President Bashar Assad fears that the US will use the presence of the Iraqi scientists as a pretext to target Syria and he is desperate to find a new home for them."

Iraqi nuclear scientists?? I say target Syria if they don't hand them over to the coalition. If they only worked on innocuous stuff, they'd have nothing to fear. Obviously, they fear the US. Iraqi nuke program, anyone?

[Gator113]

" .........Syrian President Bashar Assad fears that the US will use the presence of the Iraqi scientists as a pretext to target Syria and he is desperate to find a new home for them."

Sorry prez........you're way too late. You are already on our "Things To Do" list.

[Syncro]

Since their arrival in Syria, they have been hidden at a secret Syrian military installation where they have been conducting research on behalf of the Assad regime.

Bingo

Thanks, Syria

Give Syria 30 seconds...ok 30 minutes to lock up these people AND all of their physical data and have them ready for our Military to send a plane for them

After the deadline passes, we know where they are.

In "a" military installation. Which one?

Gee, that we don't know.

We will have to take out all of them.

Oh heck, give them a whole hour.

[fish hawk]

Time to kick Syrias ass.

[Nita Nupress]

Syrian President Bashar Assad fears that the US will use the presence of the Iraqi scientists as a pretext to target Syria and he is desperate to find a new home for them.

That's a great reason to reelect the grownups if I've ever heard one. Can you imagine what Assad's actions would be if the children (a.k.a., dove Democrats) were in charge?

You guessed it. Nothing. And don't forget about Libya in this equation, either.

Soccer moms, are you listening?

[omniscient]

More for GWB's Nov. 3 To-Do List. Providing we get a GOP win, the post-election period is going to be fascinating, as business gets taken care of, bills get paid, and garbage is taken out.

[Polybius]

Syrian President Bashar Assad fears that the US will use the presence of the Iraqi scientists as a pretext to target Syria and he is desperate to find a new home for them.

[Jim Robinson]

"The Iraqi scientists, who are said to have taken computer disks crammed with research data on Saddam's nuclear program, were given new identities, as well as Syrian citizenship papers and false birth, education and health certificates."

How can this be? The media and the Democrats have assured us over and over again that Saddam Hussein did not have a nuclear program. I'm confused. Surely the media and Deomocrats can't be mistaken on this point?

[DoughtyOne]

The U.S. might offer Assad a reprieve of thirty days, if he turns these guys over. Otherwise, we should go in and get them.

[HarryCaul]

Funny the effect Bush's rising poll numbers have around the world, is it not?

[shield]

bmp

[Soul Seeker]

If they are desperate to find a new home for them, why not turn them over to us? It would save time. I mean, Iran is among the next on the hit list anyway.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Nearly 25% 0f Troops in Iraq are Non US Troops - Kerry wrong again!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/iraq/foreigntroops.html

In addition to the United States, which has more than 130,000 troops in Iraq, many other countries have sent military personnel. The number of non-American coalition troops is more than 40,000, though numbers fluctuate.

United Kingdom: 9,000 soldiers
Italy: 3,000 soldiers, some serving as police and engineers
Poland: 2,400 soldiers
Ukraine: 1,600 soldiers
Netherlands: 1,100 soldiers plus a logistics team, a field hospital, military police and 200 engineers
Japan: 1,100 soldiers assigned to reconstruction
Australia: 800 soldiers
Romania: 700 soldiers plus 149 de-mining specialists, military police and "special intelligence" members
South Korea: 600 military engineers and medics
Bulgaria: 480 soldiers plus chemical warfare experts
Thailand: 440 soldiers assigned to humanitarian missions
Denmark: 420 soldiers including medics and military police
El Salvador: 360 soldiers
Hungary: 300 soldiers
Norway: 179 soldiers, mostly engineers and mine clearers
Mongolia: 160 soldiers involved in peacekeeping
Azerbaijan: 150 soldiers taking part in law enforcement and protection of historic monuments
Portugal: 125 soldiers functioning as police officers
Latvia: 120 soldiers
Lithuania: 115 soldiers
Slovakia: 102 soldiers
Czech Republic: 80 soldiers, serving as police
Philippines: 80 soldiers plus police and medics
Albania: 70 non-combat troops
Georgia: 70 soldiers
New Zealand: 60 army engineers assigned to reconstruction (expected to leave in Sept. 2004)
Moldova: 50 soldiers including de-mining specialists and medics
Macedonia: 35 soldiers
Estonia: 30 soldiers
Kazakhstan: 30 soldiers (expected to leave end of May 2004)
Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq following the election of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on March 14. Honduras and the Dominican Republic quickly followed suit. The three countries combined had nearly 2,000 troops in Iraq. Nicaragua withdrew its 115 troops at the end of March 2004 for economic reasons.

Countries that provide non-military support include: Kuwait and Qatar, which have hosted the U.S. Central Command and the invasion force; Ethiopia and Eritrea, which have given use of bases or ports; and Turkey, which has given permission for airspace use. Others countries have opted to give political support: Angola, Costa Rica, Colombia, Iceland, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Palau, Panama, Rwanda, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

In early April 2004, the Bush administration indicated it was negotiating with another 50 countries that had expressed interest in providing peacekeeping troops.

FOREIGN WORKERS

The exact number of foreign workers in Iraq is hard to gauge, but it's at least 30,000. Many work for companies that have contracts with the American military to provide support or to rebuild the country. Others work for aid agencies.

Companies with U.S. Department of Defence contracts:
Kellogg, Brown and Root
Washington Group International
Fluor Intercontinental
Perini Corporation
Vinnell Corporation
CSC DynCorp International

Companies with U.S. Agency for International Development contracts:
International Resources Group
Air Force Augmentation Program
Stevedoring Services of America
Creative Associates International
Research Triangle Institute
Abt Associates
Skylink Air and Logistics Support
Bearing Point Inc.
Bechtel (including subcontractors from the UK, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Kuwait, Switzerland)

Non-governmental organizations with USAID grants:
United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Mercy Corps
International Relief and Development Incorporated
Agriculture Co-operative Development International
Volunteers in Overseas Co-operative Assistance
Co-operative Housing Foundation
Save the Children Federation
Iraqi Nursing Association

[Grampa Dave]

Time for a few more industrial accidents to happen throughout Syria.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Boy that match lit under Assad's butt must be mighty hot. First the terrorists and now this.

[CyberAnt]

Excuse me .. why aren't we offering to take these scientists from the Syrians ..??

I mean .. maybe behind the scenes we are .. but I sure wish we would do that. Once we had those men under protection, we might be able to find out where all the atomic and other WMD are hidden.

[ridesthemiles]

These weren't the greatest house guests to have in the first place.

[SunkenCiv]

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