U.S. didn't interview tipster on mobile labs

Washington Post ^ | 3/5/2004 | Walter Pincus

[JohnGalt]

U.S. didn't interview tipster on mobile labs Friday, March 05, 2004

By Walter Pincus, The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's prewar assertion that Saddam Hussein had a fleet of mobile labs that could produce bioweapons rested largely on information from an Iraqi defector working with another government who was never interviewed by U.S. intelligence officers, according to current and former senior intelligence officials and congressional experts who have studied classified documents.

In his presentation before the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell said "firsthand descriptions" of the mobile bioweapons fleet had come from an Iraqi chemical engineer who had defected and is "currently hiding in another country with the certain knowledge that Saddam Hussein will kill him if he finds him."

The claims about the mobile facilities remain unverified, however, and now U.S. officials are trying to get access to the Iraqi engineer to verify his story, the sources said, particularly because intelligence officials have discovered that he is related to a senior official in Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, a group of Iraqi exiles who actively encouraged the United States to invade Iraq.

[JohnGalt]

Chalabi strikes again. Were Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfled, Perle, Feith, Woosley, Rodman, Feith, Wurmser et al duped by him, or were they willing dupers?

"We are heroes in error." Ahmed Chalabi 2/19/04

No evidence found on pilot's fate

Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.

George Washington

[WOSG]

The only dupes are the dupes who still think it was a mistake to invade Iraq. We did the right thing, we are winning the war on terror, and the center of gravity in the mid-east has turned toward reform and democracy.

We have changed history. For the better.

[dirtboy]

The only dupes are the dupes who still think it was a mistake to invade Iraq.

Intel said Saddam had WMDs and Qaddafi didn't. Now, after we took out Saddam, we can be sure that NEITHER can use them in the future, because Qaddafi doesn't want to share Saddam's fate.

Sometimes bad intel leads to good results.

[jpl]

We've already been hit by WMDs on our soil, and it's highly likely they were supplied by Saddam or one of his top officials. That won't happen again, and least not from Iraq.

[JohnGalt]

"The ends justify the means."

Your honesty is appreciated.

[dirtboy]

"The ends justify the means."

Your honesty is appreciated.

Your dishonesty of putting words in my mouth isn't.

Just about everyone - including the French - believed Saddam had WMDs. It appears now that the intel was wrong. Conversely, Qaddafi was much further along in his WMD development. Now, neither Saddam OR Qaddafi will be a threat to us again. If that's a happy accident of bad intel, so be it.

[JohnGalt]

I already thanked you for your your honesty, what more can I do?

[dirtboy]

I already thanked you for your your honesty, what more can I do?

Try being honest yourself? It's not as much effort as it may seem to someone who hasn't tried it before.

[JohnGalt]

Is there any ambiguity on any issue when it comes to dealing with me, DB?

[WOSG]

"Your dishonesty of putting words in my mouth isn't."

Dittoes to this.

WARNING TO THE BOARD: John Galt put quotes around words that were not expressed by those he responded to. That is dishonest, misleading debating tactics.

JohnGalt, I hope you are man enough to apologize for the error.

[JohnGalt]

I hope you are man enough to admit you were duped.

[dirtboy]

Is there any ambiguity on any issue when it comes to dealing with me, DB?

Being consistent in your own to the point of absurdity in no way prevents you from being dishonest about what the other side is saying. So that's hardly any defense for deliberately misquoting me.

[optimistically_conservative]

The claims about the mobile facilities remain unverified

That's an interesting backing down by Pincus. Has he been duped or is he trying to dupe us?

[dirtboy]

That's an interesting backing down by Pincus.

I think he realized he was trying to prove a negative to make a point and wisely backed away.

[JohnGalt]

"deliberately misquoting"

If you wish to clarify your stance, by all means but sinking to childlike tactics is just silly for a serious Machiavellian like yourself.


To: Montfort
leading question, needs freeping.

The new discoveries are just *more evidence* of the proof of WMD.

3 posted on 06/29/2003 11:36:06 AM PDT by WOSG (We liberated Iraq. Now Let's Free Cuba, North Korea, Iran, China, Tibet, Syria, ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]

[JohnGalt]

Its a fair question.

Did anyone die over his duping?

[dirtboy]

If you wish to clarify your stance, by all means but sinking to childlike tactics is just silly for a serious Machiavellian like yourself.

Ah, you're the one deliberately misquoting and distorting my position, but I'm the Machiavellian one.

Do you always torture words and logical concepts in this manner?

[snooker]

I need a second source.

[JohnGalt]

I gave an honest reaction to you both, and put it in quotes since it's a cliche. If you wish to clarify by all means.

You chose to start a flame war on this thread rather than deal with this Chalabi character who should be put on trial with the folks who promoted him within the administration. Your apathy toward this character Chalabi causes me to question your own commitment to the principles of this fair Republic.

[snooker]

http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/arms/03052801.htm

sigh ...