Australian PM Howard claims weapons proof

The Australian ^ | June 17 2003 | Patrick Walters

[knighthawk]

AT least one of three vehicle trailers found by the US military in Iraq was a mobile biological weapons platform, John Howard said yesterday.

The Prime Minister's claim was the first official confirmation by a coalition political leader that suspected vehicle trailers had actually been used to produce weapons of mass destruction.

After weeks of intense speculation about the use of the vehicle trailers, Mr Howard told parliament that confirmation of a third suspect mobile weapons platform had come from US and British intelligence agencies.

The confirmation came as the Senate prepared to vote today on a parliamentary inquiry into the pre-war assessments of Iraq's weapons program made by Australia's intelligence agencies.

Labor's Senate leader, John Faulkner, called yesterday for an inquiry into the "nature and accuracy" of intelligence received by Australian government agencies on Iraq's WMD program, and whether it constituted an immediate global security threat.

Mr Howard said US and British intelligence agencies had concluded that at least one of three vehicle trailers found in Iraq was a "mobile biological weapons production facility".

The Prime Minister was responding to weekend media reports citing British government sources claiming that examinations of two vehicle trailers found in northern Iraq had concluded they were not biological warfare laboratories. He again ruled out any independent inquiry into the pre-war intelligence supplied by the Office of National Assessments.

Mr Howard told parliament the Australian intelligence community had been firm in its assessment of Iraq's weapons program.

"The Office of National Assessments remains confident in the judgment that there was a WMD capability in Iraq in the lead-up to war and is continuing to assess the scope and the nature of that capability," he said.

Mr Howard said he remained confident the US-led investigations by coalition inspectors would uncover the full extent of Saddam Hus sein's weapons of mass destruction.

Labor's call for a parliamentary inquiry is expected to be carried in the Senate.

Former ONA analyst Andrew Wilkie has arrived in London to give evidence before a British parliamentary committee into the handling of pre-war intelligence on Iraq.

Mr Wilkie, who left ONA in March in protest at the Howard Government's pro-war stance, believes coalition administrations grossly exaggerated the global threat posed by Iraq's WMD program.

[knighthawk]

AT least one of three vehicle trailers found by the US military in Iraq was a mobile biological weapons platform, John Howard said yesterday.

Middle East list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[facedown]

Labor's Senate leader, John Faulkner, called yesterday for an inquiry into the "nature and accuracy" of intelligence received by Australian government agencies on Iraq's WMD program, and whether it constituted an immediate global security threat.

Same strategy as US and UK.

[Dog]

Hahahahaha!!!

We knew this day was coming.......all the critics are out on the limb......and it's just been sawed off!

[hchutch]

Bingo! First sign of proof.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very good !!!

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[weikel]

What the left has been saying there's been nothing there since 6 months before the war, that radioactive stuff which caused radiation sickness in the surrounding lab was for a radiology department, yeah thats the ticket neocons, selected not elected, no blood for oil, let every vote count.

[Dog]

Can you move this into Breaking News..

[Dog]

Just caught a report on MSNBC it seems we are sending a new tean in to look for the WMD....headed by former Head UN inspector David Kaye.

[hchutch]

Guess the 24/7 Barney the Dinosaur routine worked.

[mewzilla]

David Kay's a good egg. Undoubtedly why he wasn't on the UNMOVIC team.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Bingo! First sign of proof.

More to follow I'm sure, although I don't really care other than for "I told you so purposes".

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yes, but it feels so good to say, "I Told You So"!!!

[nina0113]

Shut up John...we don't want to saw the branch off before they're all the way out...

[VRWC_minion]

We are not even close to the "I told ya so" stage.

When the investigation is done and Bush is ready, the chain saw will be reved up. The branch he cuts off will look something like this:

[Carry_Okie]

This whole "Where are the WMDs?" thing has had the look of a massive rope-a-dope since it's inception.

[Grampa Dave]

Our two year old Grandson was given a Barney that plays that damn song for his sister's birthday. The people who gave it to him, felt sorry for him as his sister cleaned out the Barbie stuff on the West Coast.

After about 20 minutes of non stop Barney this past Wednesday, Grampa Dave conceded and took both of them outside to ride, walk, run and get Papa away from that damn Barney Song!

Both of them are very smart in how to manage Grampa. So I'm sure that this Wednesday, the Singing Barney will broken out and played until Grampa takes them outside to get away from Barney.

[hchutch]

Yup.

I wonder if they will scramble to define use of the "Barney" theme song as torture.

[justshutupandtakeit]

And Ole Georgie will be floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.