German "Spiegel": Saddam Building Poison Labs in 2000. BND Knew

"Spiegel Online" ^ | February 22, 2003 | "Spiegel Online"

[longjack]

Iraq Crisis

BND Knew About Mobile Poison (Gas) Laboratories

The BND (CIA - longjack) had received information about the existence of mobile laboratories for the production of biological weapons in Iraq before the beginning of the current crisis. According to the data, classified as reliable, Saddam Hussein started around the year 2000, at the latest, to have the mobile facilities built.

Hamburg -- the BND informed both the chancellor's office and the foreign policy committee of the Bundestag about their suspicions months ago. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented drawings of such rolling laboratories to the United Nations Security Council three weeks ago.

The Chancellor’s office regards the reports, that, the poison workshops are Iveco trucks (company name, e.g. Mack - longjack) with toxicological laboratories from Germany and were delivered to Iraq in the 80's after an official Federal Government approval, as highly improbable. Although the equipment in the Laboratories was provided by, of all things, a Hessian company which was later suspected to have helped build up the Iraqi production of poison gas, the equipment is regarded as completely unsuitable for poison gas production.

The German trucks would be used to test if it is safe for Saddam’s troops to advance after poison gas deployments by the Iraqi Army.

© DER SPIEGEL 9/2003

"Spiegel"..BND wusste von mobilen Gift-Laboren

Translated by longjack

[longjack]

Herrn Fischer and Trittin, of course, are still not convinced. Since the Iraqis don't have WMD, there is "no acute danger", nor will the trucks be able to detect anything since the Iraqis don't have poison gas either.

longjack

[longjack]

German ping

Top story by "Spiegel Online" today.

longjack

[Dajjal]

BTTT

[CatoRenasci]

Very interesting. Almost two disjointed stories: one consistent with the headline, that the Bundes Nachrichten Dienst knew about mobile labs built in 2000 or so, and another where the Kanzlerei discredits Powell's earlier report of labs built in the '80s. Hmmm. Looked so odd in the English, I had to read the German, and, by gum, that's what Spiegel said.

Nice translation, if you did it.

[longjack]

I had the same thoughts as I was translating. The lead-in definitely emphasizes the 2000 time frame for constructing the labs, while the government emphasizes that the trucks were delivered in the 80's (Kohl), and that the lab equipment was not applicable to chemical warfare.

I would guess the government knows the lab equipment was sold on their watch but want to use the dual-use argument to avoid culpability.

I also find it interesting that this is the top "Spiegel" story.

We have started a German ping list, BTW, for Freepers who read German. We try to keep any articles in German on the board longer. Let me know if you would like to be on the list.

longjack

[CatoRenasci]

Bitte. Put me on the list. My German is rather rusty now, but once upon a time it koennte ich Deutsch.

[longjack]

OK, Danke.

longjack

[Cachelot]

while the government emphasizes that the trucks were delivered in the 80's (Kohl), and that the lab equipment was not applicable to chemical warfare.

So we have a German witness (a biowar expert who was in on the project and "saw the mobile labs in operation many times") who says they were aimed at producing biologicals. That was in 1988. Does this mean that in 2000, they expanded the mobile capability to chemical weapons?

[fightinJAG]

thank you, longjack

Can I get on your German ping list? Thanks.

[CatoRenasci]

Actually, the story suggests the 2000 labs are biological and the '80s labs were chemical. Maybe we have two sets of labs delivered by our good friends, the Germans.

[fru]

1. "With Germans Parts"

Where do you get that from?
The article expressly suggests the trucks Powell talked about are not identical with Iveco trucks delivered during the 80s. It doesn't say anything about German parts.

2. Regarding "BND knew":

LOL. It says BND had received "hints".

When was the last time the BND got to know something other than what American secret services tell them? BND is not doing much more than collecting paper clips - they're utterly useless.


Don't get too excited about this.

[happygrl]

This is the reason why the west is in a hurry to obtain smallpox vaccine stores.

This was discussed on a previous thread here at FR.

A smallpox epidemic would be worse than a nuclear explosion.

[longjack]

The BND says they have reliable info that the bio trucks/labs were built around 2000.

The German government is saying the trucks they delivered in the 80's could only detect gas, not produce it, ergo, not our fault. The government seems to be indicating they are not the same trucks / equipment as these Bio trucks of 2000.

The article title refers to GIFT, which is probably translated more as poison, which would indicate gas, IMHO. The title of the article encourages a connection between the BIO trucks and the GAS trucks for me, but I may be reading into it. Other German readers will help, hopefully.

I tried to translate the article as close to verbatim as I could.

longjack

[happygrl]

Don't get too excited about this.

Are you an apologist or a provacateur ?

Perhaps the BND knows something about the products which are shipped out of Germany ?

[longjack]

"With Germans Parts" - Where do you get that from?

You're correct. My thread title is mis-leading. I should probably change it to:

German "Spiegel": Saddam Building Poison Labs in 2000. BND Knew

Admin Moderator, could you change that for me, please.

thank you, fru.

longjack

[longjack]

OK. Thanks.

longjack

[McGavin999]

Thanks for your excellent work longjack, it's really appreciated.

[RAY]

Many short sighted people will sell anything for a buck.

[fru]

Are you an apologist or a provacateur ?

I'm just trying not to read anything into this article that is not there.
Apart from that I feel like Germans have received enough bashing here. No need to dig up stuff that happened in the 80s when Saddam was "our bastard" to insinuate German large-scale weapons deals with post-1991 Iraq.

More interesting to me is the question: WHO is providing the Spiegel with this information? I guess people inside of the BND close to the CDU (opposition) worried about German-American relations are trying to step up pressure on Schroeder. But at the end of the day there's still nothing newsworthy behind this other than BND is and has been ultimately clueless as usual.

[longjack]

I also wonder why this showed up on "Spiegel".

And, again, you were correct about my mis-leading title. I read to much into the story and should have been more careful about my interpretation. I'm glad you called me on it and that I was able to get the title changed.

longjack