Banned missile programme found in Iraq

The Associated Press ^ | 6/4/03

[LdSentinal]

LONDON (AFP) - US and British experts have discovered that Iraq was developing a banned missile, capable of reaching Israel and other parts of the Middle East, the Times reported, quoting "senior government sources".

The right-of-centre newspaper said it understood British Prime Minister Tony Blair , who has called for patience in the search for Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, has been told that rocket motors for the missiles have been found.

Sources told the paper that in the past few weeks weapons experts discovered that the Abu Ghraib military base near Baghdad was developing a weapon with a range of about 960 kilometres (600 miles).

Under limits set by the UN Security Council, Iraq was allowed to missiles with a range of up to 150 kilometres only, The Times said.

Blair, under growing pressure over allegations his office exaggerated intelligence reports to make Saddam Hussein's regime appear more menacing, has hinted that further evidence of Baghdad's secret programme has begun to emerge but has yet to be made public.

However, Whitehall sources told The Times: "What we need to find is firm evidence of a chemical weapons programme, because much emphasis was placed on the chemical threat. We need to discover why Saddam did not use chemical weapons against coalition forces."

A powerful parliamentary committee decided late Tuesday to probe Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq, amid claims the government had embellished intelligence on weapons of mass destruction to justify the conflict.

The left-wing Daily Mirror tabloid reported Wednesday that troops hunting for Saddam's weapons of mass destruction had searched 87 "prime sites" in Iraq, but found nothing.

The paper, which opposed the US-led war, said that a 100-strong team of British military specialists would join a new American-led hunt for weapons evidence involving 1,400 personnel belonging to the Iraqi Survey Group after the apparent failure of the current search.

[Salvation]

More evidence of WMD.

So how will the lamestream media spin this?

[rwfromkansas]

The local news said tonight "no WMD have been found in IRaq."

What is the status on those mobile labs? If so, I will call the station on their comment line. Usually they are good at being balanced, so I am sure they will listen at least.

This missile (though I just skimmed the article so I may have missed something) is not WMD, just a banned missile range-wise.

[Mo1]

The right-of-centre newspaper said it understood British Prime Minister Tony Blair

The right of centre newspaper???

[RobbyS]

The reason he didn't was because they couldn't "fix" the material in the warhead. They knew how to use it against civilian populations but not against an army.

[DeepDish]

"The right-of-centre newspaper said"

There is the spin in the story itself. I cannot recall the associated press using this description before. It is
meant to create doubts about the news organization that it
is stealing the story from.

[exDemMom]

The left-wing Daily Mirror tabloid reported Wednesday that troops hunting for Saddam's weapons of mass destruction had searched 87 "prime sites" in Iraq, but found nothing.

Of course they found nothing. The UN made sure that Hussein had plenty of time to hide them and ship them out of country.

[JustPiper]

The left-wing Daily Mirror tabloid reported Wednesday that troops hunting for Saddam's weapons of mass destruction had searched 87 "prime sites" in Iraq, but found nothing.

Ok, 87 out of what 2000? The libs will say this is nothing and cry for those hearings. The fact it may be buried, the fact it may have been sold, nothing matters because they want Bush's foreign policy to go in the toilet for next year's election, then they spring Hiliary. Well, we just will not let that happen!

[gubamyster]

BTW, when did missiles become WMDs?

One of the reasons we went into Iraq was to prevent Saddam from acquiring WMD. The point is, these are weapons banned by resolution 1441. Also banned are the Al Samud missiles we found during the war, and the Scud missiles Saddam fired during the war. Not to mention the mobile bio-weapons labs and the arsenic and other chemicals that were detected in the Euphrates River.

[Bonaparte]

Clearly, terrorist sympathizers in Parliament are attempting to compromise intelligence assets by pressuring Blair to disclose more than they know he should.

[danmar]

BTW, when did missiles become WMDs?

Do you know what a missile does for a living?...it fly's/delivers goods...i.e.,Bio,Chemical,Nuclear,Conventional for the sole purpose of ...tada, mass destruction.You should update your knowledge, about military hardware asap., my friend!

Your question as posted, it shows a very infantile mind set your way!

[EGPWS]

"What we need to find is firm evidence of a chemical weapons programme, because much emphasis was placed on the chemical threat.

Unbelievable.

For 12 YEARS it "apparently" was OK to let the WMD's in Iraq ride, NOW when we have ousted the threat tied to the WMD's in Iraq, immediately, it's a major concern that we find them! NOW!!

I'm off to find a wall for my head to bang, as to help ease the frustration.

[EGPWS]

One of the reasons we went into Iraq was to prevent Saddam from acquiring WMD. The point is, these are weapons banned by resolution 1441. Also banned are the Al Samud missiles we found during the war, and the Scud missiles Saddam fired during the war. Not to mention the mobile bio-weapons labs and the arsenic and other chemicals that were detected in the Euphrates River.

You make some very good points, however let me pitch in and add one. The "multiple resolutions" since GW1 was a "gift" to SADDAM as a way to guarantee he would no longer attempt aggression against his neighbors. This being implememted, through the UN, "allowed" him to to maintain power AND to maintain a functional (non-obliterated) country.

Saddam, lied, time and time again to the UN hence, he is NOW gone, which is a function of his own doing.

[Cronos]

Well, I never believed they wouldn't find the WMD, but I knew we were correct when the mass graves were dug up. The US has rid the world of one evil dictator and freed millions of Iraqis. If that isn't enough reason, then send the libs to Iran or Pak or Saud.

[McGavin999]

These people are going to lull both the British and American people into a false sense of security by these questions. People could well believe them that there was no threat. If that happens, and we or the Brits are struck, all those deaths will lie squarely at the feet of these cynics. What they are doing is endangering everyone.

[FairOpinion]

Didn't the UN actually found a few missiles like that, i.e. missiles with significantly greater range than what Iraq was allowed to have?

[kayak]

I'm off to find a wall for my head to bang, as to help ease the frustration.

Here ya go .... you can share mine because I'm feeling the exact same frustration.

[BagCamAddict]

I've said this before: We've looked at 87 of the "top suspected sites" for WMD and haven't publically admitted to finding anything.

We found about $600 million dollars inside dog kennels. I wonder if dog kennels would have been on ANYONE's top-2000 list of suspect places to look for money stolen by Saddam & Sons.

In other words, it would not surprise me AT ALL if the WMD are actually hidden in places we haven't even considered looking. One 2000-gallon tank of Anthrax, measuring 6 feet in diameter and 10 feet long, could be hiding under a tarp in the back yard of one of the "free" Baathist's houses. Or in his chicken coop, or his dog kennel.

I'm with Bush and Blair on this one... I am 100% certain they were there. If they are still there (vs. moved to Syria or Iran, etc.), then I believe we will find them in time.

[Tommyjo]

"The point is, these are weapons banned by resolution 1441. Also banned are the Al Samud missiles we found during the war, and the Scud missiles Saddam fired during the war."

During this conflict no SCUDs were fired by the Iraqi's. The longest range missile fired by the Iraqi's during this conflict was the Al Samoud. Al Samoud was a moot point as the Iraqi's had already stated that if war was inevitable it would stop it's destruction programme. The just over the limit range Al Samoud were found on the battlefield along with other shorter range missiles. The minute a SCUD or any of the Iraqi SCUD developments had been launched Hussein's regime would have been instantly busted.