Secret bunkers held chemical weapons, says Iraqi exile

The Age ^ | 4/1/2004 | Russell Skelton

[Rodm]

Secret bunkers held chemical weapons, says Iraqi exile

April 1, 2004

A scientist describes Saddam's weapons and stealth technology programs, reports Russell Skelton.

For seven years, before he was tortured and sentenced to death, Rashid (not his real name) worked at the top of Iraq's scientific establishment. He says he regularly met Saddam Hussein and his cousin and strongman deputy prime minister Abdul Tawab Huweish. After the Gulf War he was put in charge of a taskforce code named "Al Babel" to develop stealth technology to make aircraft and missiles undetectable on radar.

Rashid, who now lives in Melbourne, also claims to have had access as a trusted insider to secret underground bunkers where chemical weapons were stored. "Saddam gave me access to everything, he was so desperate to perfect the stealth technology," he says.

Now Rashid's great fear is that Saddam loyalists still active in postwar Iraq may get to the chemicals and weapons he saw hidden away before fleeing for his life.

[50sDad]

April Fool? Is this a troll?

[blanknoone]

Perhaps Rashid could give some information more specific than 'secret' to support the notion that he is not a lying nut job.

[ASA Vet]

Is this a troll?

Yep, Rodm must be one of them deep cover sleeper trolls.

[Coop]

"If those weapons still exist, the worry is that they will be used against the Iraqi people, the US forces or even sold off to al-Qaeda. Maybe those weapons no longer exist, but I find it hard to believe they could disappear so easily," he says.

If he's really as worried as he claims, then it should be fairly easy for him to assist the coalition in discovering and accessing these WMD sites, if they haven't been look at already.

[Coop]

look=looked

[zook]

I have no reason to reject this man's claims.

[ASA Vet]

We've likely found the bunker already and are keeping it super secret for President Bush's October surprise.

[CatoRenasci]

This guy's been around, and gave us a lot of intelligence before the war. His accuracy rate has not always been high. Whether he was out of the loop he thought he was in, or whether he's playing to make a living, who knows?

[50sDad]

I would love to think that is true!

[Allegra]

We've likely found the bunker already and are keeping it super secret for President Bush's October surprise.

That's what I've been saying all along.

And more power to him on that October surprise.

[MrB]

< Leftspeak>
Yeah, but Bush claimed they were an imminent threat that could launch on the United States in 45 minutes.
He's a liar.
< /Leftspeak>

[Rebelbase]

"April Fool? Is this a troll?"

Nah, its just a newbie.

[BluH2o]

We've likely found the bunker already and are keeping it super secret for President Bush's October surprise.

The Bush administration would like very much to find WMD in Iraq; they also want Ben Laden. It would be nice if both these things occurred soon, but not in October. If news of the discovery of WMD in Iraq and Ben Laden in Afghanistan (or Pakistan) occur close to the election the liberal mainstream media will scream foul. They will accuse the Bush administration of grandstanding and outright duplicity, hinting in their editorials and broadcasts that it was all part of the Republican re-election strategy.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

They will accuse the Bush administration of grandstanding and outright duplicity, hinting in their editorials and broadcasts that it was all part of the Republican re-election strategy.

Yes, that is exactly what they would say. On the other hand, bringing up George W. Bush's forty year-old DUI incident three days before the 2000 election is considered to be the work of investigational journalists, and sits squarely on the altar of fair play. Hypocrisy doesn't begin to describe the democrats. We need another word.

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[ASA Vet]

they also want Ben Laden

He's been dead for over two years. It wasn't announced so as to prevent his
obtaining martyr status. Our government doesn't bring him up, or refer to him,
except in very short replies to the commiecRAT media questions.

Have you noticed the one eyed doctor has taken OBL's place lately
as the mastermind terrorist Bush is failing to find?

[FairWitness]

Rashid's days of working at the top came to an abrupt end in 1998 when he was arrested with a group of other scientists and army officers on charges of plotting to remove Saddam.

He was taken "out of the loop" in 1998 - that's a long time to allow things to be moved around. Even if his story is true, the stuff could be long gone to a new hiding place (or country!).

[Quilla]

One, he says, was under an island in the Tigris River near Saddam University. Another was beneath the house of one of Saddam's cousins, and reached by a tunnel with a hidden entrance 800 metres away.

He described the bunkers as being built 15 metres underground, of reinforced concrete, and multi-storeyed. "Between these layers, pipes would rise up, through the building above to provide access for ventilation.

"The lethal chemicals were stored in drums and the bunkers were air-conditioned. But there were also artillery shells and 122-millimetre rockets armed with chemicals."

Pretty specific information here and I pray we have acted upon it. I consider it telling that this appears in the Australian media rather than the US media. One is an ally of the US, the other is not.

[BamaCharm]

What do you make of this Syrian Journalist's story that pinpoints the locations in Syria where Iraqi WMD is being stored?

http://www.2la.org/syria/iraq-wmd.php