Senators were told Iraqi weapons could hit U.S.: Nelson said claim made during classified briefing

Florida Today ^ | 12/15/03 | John McCarthy

[TastyManatees]

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Monday the Bush administration last year told him and other senators that Iraq not only had weapons of mass destruction, but they had the means to deliver them to East Coast cities.

Nelson, D-Tallahassee, said about 75 senators got that news during a classified briefing before last October's congressional vote authorizing the use of force to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Nelson voted in favor of using military force.

[TastyManatees]

Florida Senator Ben Nelson apparently doesn't like working on intelligence matters anymore and would like his assignment to the Armed Services committee reconsidered.

Note, the most important sentence is the last one:

"Spokespersons for Reps. Dave Weldon and Tom Feeney said neither congressman could say if they had received similar briefings since they don't comment on classified information."

I can hear it now, "I know I revealed secret and classified work in progress to try to embarass the administration last time, but please feel free to be completely candid with me from now on. I promise I'll keep it secret this time. Really. Trust me."

Tasty Manatees

[DannyTN]

Between the pilotless drones or simply maneuvering a ship close enough to our shoreline. Anybody can launch a weapon on us at anytime.

All the more reason to control certain technologies and preven their spreads to rogue states like Iran. And for heaven's sake, less quit training foreign nationals in nuclear engineering. And that goes for a northern neighbors too, Eh Canada???

[Coop]

Nelson said the senators were told Iraq had both biological and chemical weapons, notably anthrax, and it could deliver them to cities along the Eastern seaboard via unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones.

"They have not found anything that resembles an UAV that has that capability," Nelson said.

Oh, gimme a break! Nobody in the Intel community would assert that Iraq had drones with ranges of 10,000 miles. I imagine the Senator got confused. Iraq did have the means to deliver via terrorists. Or maybe even smuggle a drone into the U.S., assemble it and then deliver something (last one's just speculation on my part).

[smith288]

Evidence of Iraq's covert UAV programme was acquired on 27 June 2002, when the US military tracked an automatically piloted UAV during a flight from its Samarra East air base around 100km north of Baghdad. Powell described this air vehicle as having achieved a range of over 500km during the sortie, which saw it fly in a tight ‘race track' pattern. He said the evidence provided by this flight test clearly contradicts Iraq's 7 December 2002 declaration to the UN that it did not possess UAVs with a range capability greater than 80km.

Alleged test release of a simulated biological warfare agent from a modified drop-tank on an Iraqi Mirage F1 in 1991. The tank was said to contain 1,000 litres of Bacillus subtilis - used to simulate B anthracis. The agent was released over Abu Obeydi air base in January 1991. This photo is taken from a videotape supplied by Iraq to UNSCOM (Source: US Department of State)

[bonesmccoy]

What part of Anthrax does this Senator not understand?

[Rebelbase]

"Nelson, D"

Despicable, Dastardly, Deceitful, Duplicious................

[TomGuy]

Nelson said he couldn't reveal who in the administration gave the briefing.

Probably the same "source" Wesley Clark uses for his WH sourcing. That nebulus, ethereal, psychic connection with the political universe. a.k.a., wishful thinking.

[CougarGA7]

Aside from that fact that Nelson is blabing on a classified briefing, does he really insinuate that they were told that Saddam was developing a drone that can travel 10,000 miles one way? Maybe he was daydreaming about this during the briefing.

[MJY1288]

This is about trying to take the wind out of the sails of Saddam's capture

[MindBender26]

The reporter missed the entire story.

A laydown of bio agents to hit US cities would be so easy, even using commercially availably off-the-shelf equipment.

Buy a Cessna or Piper agricultural spray plane ($200,000).
Install a GPS receiver with 200 waypoint capability ($8,500.)
Link it to the autopilot ($300).
Program in waypoints in Boston, NYC, DC, etc. (about 20 minutes work.)
Load it with anthrax power (about a hour's work.)
Launch from some unguarded dirt strip in Canada, Bahamas, Turks and Cacaos, et. (very easy, druggies do it all the time)

Result. 100,000 dead (Read "The Cobra Event.") For even more fun, launch 5-8 at a time, at night, low and slow. Never stop them.

Even easier. Load a semi trailer with a hole in the roof, a small snow blower, anthrax. Drive around Rt 128 in Boston, I-95 to NYC, around NYC, Newark, Philly, DC on the interstate highways that ring those cities.

It would be VERY easy!

[Conspiracy Guy]

This dude must be a Dean Supporter and an Idiot.

Howie

Your comments really crack me up,
I’d have to say you’re funny.
As funny as a hemorrhoid,
Or as a nose that’s runny.
Saddam’s capture no big deal,
Your stance is still the same.
You’re really sucking big on this,
I’d say your brain is lame.
But tell me Howie I must know,
These speeches just who writes them?
Katie Couric comes to mind,
Or Michael Moore, is it him?
Well Doctor Dean you make me sick,
For malpractice, I’ll sue you.
Please get a clue, I’ll sell you one,
John Kerry needs a few too.

Conspiracy Guy 12/16/03

[maryz]

Nelson, D-Tallahassee,

Tallahassee has its own U.S. Senator?

[MindBender26]

PS: Anyone think that the Saddamites haven't already thought of this?

[blackdog]

I don't get it though! Is Nelson claiming that Iraq has no Anthrax, Gas, or nuclear material that they could launch at us from sea based platforms or ships?

I would think that being surrounded by oceans, a Florida politician might err on the side of safety for his constituants? But then in a war on Bush, no tactic is out of reach.

[carton253]

Nobody in the Intel community would assert that Iraq had drones with ranges of 10,000 miles.

You beat me to it... so just let me add my 2 cents.

You are absolutely correct.

[Trust but Verify]

One of the news shows I was watching last night aired a segment on David Kay. Apparently we have found numerous Silkworm missiles which are long range (over 600 miles, I beleive). Furthermore, they were outfitted with cannisters capable of delivering Sarin gas. No threat there.

[clintonh8r]

Nelson, I(diot)-Floriduh.

[Kirkwood]

Yep, but why buy one when you can probably steal a plane?

[hchutch]

I was thinking something more along the lines of the "Hurricat" using an L-39 drone.

Just gotta get that merchie within 300 miles of the coast, and you could slime a couple of cities.

[Quilla]

Or dig one out of the sand.