U.S. military intelligence: Saddam transferred WMD to Syria

World Tribune ^ | 24 September 2004 | Unknown

[LSUfan]

The U.S. military continues to back its estimate that the former Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq transferred much of its weapons of mass destruction arsenal to neighboring Syria.

U.S. officials said that U.S. Army Intelligence does not share the conclusion that Saddam had abandoned his WMD program before the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003. They said military intelligence has attributed the U.S. failure to find Iraqi WMD platforms or munitions to Saddam's transfer of these systems to Syria in late 2002 and early 2003.

[Stellar Dendrite]

bump

[steveegg]

Time for some hot pursuit.

[Chummy]

"Do you think so?"

Neal Page, Planes, Trains and Automobiles

[mrplind]

Here's the bottom line of the article:

"U.S. reconnaissance satellites had detected the entry of Iraqi convoys of suspected WMD and missile cargo into Syria and Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in early 2003."

[mike182d]

...and Israeli intelligence, which is the best in the world, has been telling us this for how long now?

pulls out a rather large trout and slaps Michael Moore and John F. Kerry in the head

[xzins]

Having been trained once upon a time as an order of battle guy, I would insist that MI has a gazillion little facts here and there that add up to a big picture that results in their estimate.

That is largely how MI builds their estimates.

They can't explain it to you except through a "big picture" overview. I wouldn't be surprised to see 1000's of little facts used to add up to their big picture.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Remember Gulf War I, when he transferred most of his military aircraft to Iran? Why not send the WMDs to Syria? If he could send airplanes to an enemy, he could certainly send WMD agents to a friend.

[gilliam]

other evidence?

[tet68]

They are Baathists after all.

[Stonedog]

I suspect the reason Syria is playing nice now is tied to this. We will eventually get the information from the Syrian government. The Syrians have seen the light in the same way as Libya, IMHO.

[ThomasMore]

Time for some real covert work.

[Nita Nupress]

U.S. military intelligence: Saddam transferred WMD to Syria

Ya thank?!

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

[snakeoil]

Then Syria and Lebanon could attack us at any minute.
Are you suggesting Powell and Bush go before the UN with this evidence and ask for UN help to get rid of them?

[geopyg]

Not sure if its evidence - or how reliable the source was - but I recall a thread awhile ago talking about Saddam having his personal guard units take over the border patrol positions for awhile. "Saddam knows you boys have been working hard at the Syrian border. Go take a vacation - we'll take care of things while your're gone."

[freeperfromnj]

This makes a lot of sense. There was a story recently that Syria tested some sort of chemical weapon in Darfur.

[gilliam]

Then Syria and Lebanon could attack us at any minute.

With what? Mustard gas or Sarin?

[TBall]

Syria playing nice?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1221613/posts

[XJarhead]

The problem I have with this is that we've been there for 18 months, and apparently have not had a single person in Iraq come forward as talk about an active program, active stockpiles, or shipments to Syria. It's hard to thing that at least one person who was invovled or knew of that operation wouldn't have spilled the beans.

I'd love to believe its true, but I'm skeptical.