Iraq covets drones for spray blitz

The Australian | March 10, 2003 | Jon Swain

[Wallaby]

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Iraq covets drones for spray blitz

Jon Swain The Sunday Times The Australian WORLD; Pg. 12 March 10, 2003 Monday All-round Country Edition

Baghdad

SADDAM Hussein has been trying to acquire a fleet of 300 drones equipped with spraying devices capable of delivering chemical and biological weapons. Iraqi documents seen by The Sunday Times show orders for kits to make the pilotless planes, and for gyroscopes and guidance systems enabling them to be flown at targets from a distance.

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"When I combined this inquiry with the others, and analysed what could happen if smaller sprayers were attached to the planes, I realised Saddam was trying to build a delivery system for weapons of mass destruction."

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The documents also contain requests for small spraying devices normally used in agriculture that would be specially adapted for use in the air.

Military experts said the drones could pose a serious threat to allied troops fighting a war in Iraq. Baghdad admitted that in 1988 it considered using drones to spray biological weapons, but rejected the idea because the craft it had were too small.

According to the documents, the order for the aircraft was made on behalf of the Ibn Firnas industrial centre in northern Baghdad, which is involved in the development and production of drones.

The material, which has been passed to UN inspectors, also revealed Iraq had been trying to develop a rocket capable of travelling 1200km -- eight times the range permitted by the United Nations.

Details of the orders emerged as chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said there was "credible information" that Iraq never destroyed 21,000 litres of biological warfare agents, including 10,000 litres of anthrax, stored during the 1991 Gulf War. There also was "credible information" that Iraq had 7000 litres more of biological warfare agents in bombs and warheads than it had declared. Dr Blix mentioned that inspectors had recently discovered an undeclared Iraqi drone with a wingspan of 7.6m, which he said had been test-piloted by Iraq and could carry anthrax or other biological weapons to neighbouring countries.

To the fury of British and US officials, the disclosure was buried deep in his 173-page report, delivered to the UN Security Council on Saturday morning, and not mentioned in his oral presentation to foreign ministers.

Dr Blix's report noted "a surge of activity" in missile technology and accused Iraq of failing to provide information on where it obtained parts and technology. It also said mobile, truck-mounted biological weapons units were "inherently difficult to verify", and said Iraq's "active assistance" was required to conduct road and rail searches.

The document showing Iraq's intended weapons purchases are filled with technical data and specifications. They show efforts by Baghdad to smuggle a wide range of prohibited items into the country through Jordan and Syria.

The documents were provided by an Iraqi engineer, who said he was approached by Baghdad to help arrange the purchase of the drones and associated equipment at the beginning of 1999, a few months after Iraq forced all UN weapons inspectors to leave.

"When I combined this inquiry with the others, and analysed what could happen if smaller sprayers were attached to the planes, I realised Saddam was trying to build a delivery system for weapons of mass destruction," the engineer said.

He said the request from Baghdad had stopped after the inspectors returned last November.

[Wallaby]

ping

[OXENinFLA]

NOW!!! Can we kill Saddam?

[Blue Collar Christian]

Is "Blix" French for something?

[arkady_renko]

I have yet to hear ANY of this on the ABC or CBS radio news on the hour. They are only reporting that Blix reported progress.

[OXENinFLA]

I wonder if Iraq is trying to get the parts from France?

Oops----- Getting from France.

[Blue Collar Christian]

"NOW!!! Can we kill Saddam?"

I believe we are done asking permission.

[John Jamieson]

People should also realise that SH is slowly crushing 6 rockets a day, but he is crushing only empty aluminum tankage and NOT the expensive engines.

A good Texas Big Foot Show could crush all 120 in an hour!

[maestro]

Uh,.......this might appear to be a silly and simple question,....but...
How far along is China in the developement and 'production/sales' of 'crop spray' technologies?

Uh,.....scary thoughts?

[Dog Gone]

I think you will hear a lot more about this in the next couple of days at the UN.

[holyscroller]

What a vicious sub-human Saddam is. How can any of these stupid anti-Americans (Jim McDermott, Bonier, Jimmah Carter, the anti-war crowd, the human shields, etc.) support him? Don't they realize that to him, they're "infidels" too, and he'd kill them in a heartbeat if he had the chance.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, we need to audit any account that Blix has and see if he has any number accounts in some off shore bank.

If he has been receiving payment from his favorite cash cow, his buddy Saddamn. We try Blix for war crimes in an ally country with quick death penalies.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, we need to audit any account that Blix has and see if he has any number accounts in some off shore bank.

If he has been receiving payment from his favorite cash cow, his buddy Saddamn. We try Blix for war crimes in an ally country with quick death penalies.

[OXENinFLA]

I think that's why Iraq invited Blix to stop by on the 17th, they need to hand him over some more cash.

[maestro]

.......The document showing Iraq's intended weapons purchases are filled with technical data and specifications. They show efforts by Baghdad to smuggle a wide range of prohibited items into the country through Jordan and Syria.......

.......from China, France, Germany,......Russia?

[Happy2BMe]

Why does Saddamn need chem drones when he's got these?

[Grampa Dave]

Old Saddamn has been spending his billions and billions the past few month to buy time and try to save his sorry butt.

I hope that we can see the money spent in the last ten years and in particuliar the last few months. If so there will be regime changes in a lot of the countries pandering for Saddam. Also, we could see a lot our rat senators suddenly retiring after making deals not to go to jail for treason.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Victoria Delsoul]

The documents were provided by an Iraqi engineer, who said he was approached by Baghdad to help arrange the purchase of the drones and associated equipment at the beginning of 1999, a few months after Iraq forced all UN weapons inspectors to leave.

Saddam doesn't need more time; the UN weapons inspectors don't need more time. Time's up!

[PhiKapMom]

Only place I have seen it mentioned is on Fox, MSNBC, and NBC. I went looking to see who had the article about it from the London Times. Lack of coverage was telling!