The major transfer of WMD goods from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon occurred between January and March of 2003. However, the first shipments occurred even before then. In December of 2002, Israel claimed that Syria was hiding Iraqi mobile biological weapons labs, chemical and biological components and munitions.[51] The shipments were reportedly negotiated between Bashar Assad’s younger brother, Maher, and Saddam Hussein. Following their meeting, Syria agreed to harbor WMDs and officials should inspections begin again.[52]
Between January 10th and March 10th, the transfer of Iraqi chemical (and possibly biological) weapons to Syria and Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley was completed. They were placed in giant tankers and taken to Syria, and then to the Bekaa Valley under the protection of Syrian special forces and air-force intelligence units. Syrian army engineers then took over supervising the tankers at the poppy fields and used special drilling equipment to dig holes approximately 20-26 feet across and 82-115 feet deep. The weapons were buried under the poppy fields grown for heroin and under the rows of cotton plants in two of the most fertile regions of Lebanon. This is done because the local population is farmers (less dense population) and the poppy and cotton fields will grow over the holes extremely quickly. This is at the valley stretching between Jabal Akroum, the town of al-Qbayyat and the Syrian border. Weapons were also hidden at the land between the towns of al-Hirmil and al-Labwah between the Orontes River and the Syrian border. Israeli satellite photos showed it occurred at night and the crews wore protective suits. The local farmers were reportedly bribed into not saying anything, but we can also not rule out threats. Intelligence sources indicate that satellite photos prove the whole transfer here took place.[53]
Towards the end of summer 2003, Israel identified the placement of Iraqi WMD goods in Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon. Israeli spy satellites had captured on film several tractor-trailers filled with Iraqi weapons (they assessed them to be WMD later) in the Bekka Valley. The weapons were then connected to strange shipments that occurred between January and the first week of March 2003. Additional information indicated that Saddam Hussein paid Bashar Assad, Syria’s president, approximately $35 million to hide the supplies.[67] Not long after this was reported, additional press reports indicated that privately the United States had begun to suspect that the theory about WMDs in Lebanon to be correct.