Iraqi drone 'could drop chemicals on troops' (See Para #2 of story -- MUST READ)

London Times ^ | 8 March 2003 | James Bone

[PhiKapMom]

March 08, 2003

Iraqi drone 'could drop chemicals on troops'
From James Bone in New York

A REPORT declassified by the United Nations yesterday contained a hidden bombshell with the revelation that inspectors have recently discovered an undeclared Iraqi drone with a wingspan of 7.45m, suggesting an illegal range that could threaten Iraq’s neighbours with chemical and biological weapons.

US officials were outraged that Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector, did not inform the Security Council about the drone, or remotely piloted vehicle, in his oral presentation to Foreign Ministers and tried to bury it in a 173-page single-spaced report distributed later in the day. The omission raised serious questions about Dr Blix’s objectivity.

“Recent inspections have also revealed the existence of a drone with a wingspan of 7.45m that has not been declared by Iraq,” the report said. “Officials at the inspection site stated that the drone had been test-flown. Further investigation is required to establish the actual specifications and capabilities of these RPV drones . . . (they) are restricted by the same UN rules as missiles, which limit their range to 150km (92.6 miles).

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, told the Security Council in February that Washington had evidence that Iraq had test-flown a drone in a race-track pattern for 500km non-stop.

In another section of the declassified report, the inspectors give warning that Iraq still has spraying devices and drop tanks that could be used in dispersing chemical and biological agents from aircraft. “A large number of drop tanks of various types, both imported and locally manufactured, are available and could be modified,” it says.

The paper, obtained by The Times, details the possible chemical and biological arsenal that British and US Forces could face in an invasion of Iraq. The paper suggests that Iraq has huge stockpiles of anthrax, may be developing long-range missiles and could possess chemical and biological R400 aerial bombs and Scud missiles, and even smallpox.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, told his fellow Security Council Foreign Ministers that the document was a“chilling read”.

General Powell resorted to reading passages from the paper out loud in the Council chamber. He pointed out that it chronicled nearly 30 times when Iraq had failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate its claims, and 17 instances when inspectors uncovered evidence that contradicted those claims. But his draft copy, dating from a meeting of the inspectors’ advisory board last week, did not contain the crucial passage about the new drone.

The decision by Dr Blix to declassify the internal report marks the first time the UN has made public its suspicions about Iraq’s banned weapons programmes, rather than what it has been able to actually confirm. “Unmovic has credible information that the total quantity of biological warfare agent in bombs, warheads and in bulk at the time of the Gulf War was 7,000 litres more than declared by Iraq. This additional agent was most likely all anthrax,” it says.

The report says there is “credible information” indicating that 21,000 litres of biological warfare agent, including some 10,000 litres of anthrax, was stored in bulk at locations around the country during the war and was never destroyed.

The paper, a collection of 29 “clusters” of questions for Iraq, offers some reassurance about Iraq’s missing botulinum toxin, which Unmovic believed is “unlikely to retain much, if any, of its potency” if it has been stockpiled since 1991.

[PhiKapMom]

Blix is an absolute disgraced and should be fired along with anyone who knew he did this!

[Howlin]

That would leave us and whoever votes with us at the U.N.

[PhiKapMom]

Blix lied to the Security Council on Friday. This information was not furnished to Powell or Straw until later which is now being reported on NBC, MSNBC, and Fox.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

The omission raised serious questions about Dr Blix’s objectivity.

First nomination for understatement of the year.

[PhiKapMom]

I am convinced that everyone had this report but the US, UK, Spain, and Bulgaria! I would bet money that France had it for sure!

[scooby321]

Im Shocked

time to start Defunding the UN in Congress

Kofi the Beggar will come clean

[PhiKapMom]

My sentiments exactly -- UNDERSTATEMENT

[Peach]

My step-son is over there and God forbid anything happen to him or any of our other beloved troops. I will personally find and **** Blix. I'm beyond livid and haven't been able to participate as much as usual on this forum because the duplicity of the UN and their willing co-appeasers is more than I can bear.

[blam]

They will not try to use the drones to poison our troops in Iraq, they'll use them on us here in the US.
Remember those reports of someone possibly shipping drones into the US some time back?

[LaraCroft]

I would sincerely hope the the US is not relying on the UN or the inspectors for information of this kind. Our people should have uncovered this for themselves.

Maybe they did and just couldn't bring it up because it wasn't in the published reports, but if they didn't, its a wake up call to get on their toes.

[BluH2o]

Not sure if it's just me, but does Blix somehow remind you of Ken Starr? They not only have a physical resemblance ... both seem oblivious, and choose to ignore, hard glaring fact.

[xzins]

The omission raised serious questions about Dr Blix’s objectivity.

Especially the last report by Blix demonstrated coordination with the French and Germans, in my opinion.

There is a Blix/Annan/Weasels axis.

Don't say it is about objectivity. As GW's Dad said once upon a time, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck....it's a duck."

[Miss Marple]

It has been brought up by us before. Powell talked about it in his FIRST presentation to the Security Council. Blix as much as called him a liar!

[Steven W.]

Blix MUST resign!

[deport]

You streching it some ......

Show us where President Bush knew of the drone that was just found by the inspectors but buried within the report and also not in the Powell draft....... Come on now and fess up..... show us... Can you? Will You.... bet the answer is no

[PhiKapMom]

You don't get it! Powell told the Security Council on 5 February these drones existed and showed pictures from our Intelligence folks.

Well Blix dissed Powell on the next report he gave and said our Intelligence had not proven anything as the Inspectors did not find anything from those Intelligence reports -- translation -- no drones.

Well on Friday, Blix did not brief the SC that the Inspectors had not only found the drones but that the drones were equipped with devices to carry chemical weapons. He also left that fact out of the draft report he gave Powell and Straw. The 167 report turned into a 173 page report that Powell and Straw were given as they were leaving the UN.

IOTW, they had to search for what was added and found that the Inspectors HAD found the drones. Big difference between our intelligence having the information and Blix knowing the inspectors found them and said nothing.

What if the Iraqi's had decided to use the drones to attack our troops on Friday? We would not have known they actually did have them and were ready for use.

The fact we knew they had drones and Blix knew but did not tell us they had found them is the story.

[xzins]

I agree, but Blix is now irrelevant. His next report is 3 weeks away. There will be war by then and Blix will be moot.

[PhiKapMom]

That's right! I do remember the report!