Prisoners Were Used to Test Poisons

The Sunday Times ^ | October 10, 2004 | Peter Conradi

[quidnunc]

In a chilling reminder of the Nazis, a report based on confessions reveals how far the Iraqi regime went to get its enemies.

Saddam Hussein established a special assassinations unit that made use of poisons and other James Bond-style weaponry to kill his enemies abroad, according to the report published by the Iraq Survey Group last week.

Before the poisons were used in the field they were tested on political prisoners, many of whom died in a macabre series of experiments that ran for two decades until at least 2001.

The research, says the US report, was part of a programme by the regime to target its enemies with a variety of devices from pen-shaped “auto-injecting” syringes to perfume sprayers and medicine bottles filled with sarin and mustard gas.

The report says the programme was overseen by Iraq’s M16 chemical directorate, which operated covert laboratories producing, researching and testing ricin and other toxic substances from as early as 1975.

A leading role was played by Muhammad Munim al-Azmerli, a prominent scientist said to have personally filled a pen-shaped syringe with snake venom for use on a foreign mission.

Al-Azmerli, arrested after the American invasion as one of the “200 list” of suspects, died in US custody in May after what an autopsy described as a “sudden hit to the back of his head”. Before he died he is said to have confessed to testing poisons on human guinea pigs.

-snip-

[denydenydeny]

If only we'd left him in power, we'd be more secure.

[Wneighbor]

Yep, reminders of Nazis keep cropping up over there.

[Paul Atreides]

In a chilling reminder of the Nazis, a report based on confessions reveals how far the Iraqi regime went to get its enemies.

Wait, I thought W was the only person in the world on the same level as the Nazis. /sarcasm

[GeronL]

Expect the media to make this a big story.... after the election...

[Diogenesis]

FLASHBACKS

Dan Rather: "Mr. President, if only you knew how
much I and others at CBS support, worship, bow, grovel and kneel to you.
We will NEVER let American forces hurt you.
We pledge to coverup all your atrocities, Mr. President. Do not fear our Bush,
for CBS is forever with you, Mr. President."

Terrorist-Murderer Saddam: "Mr, Rather, it is absolutely remarkable that you media girly men
repeatedly betray your own country, and your own President, and even the free American people during your war.
Do you realize, Mr. Rather, that for millions of Iraqis who were my captives
I previously had to gang rape each man's child and each man's wife,
and then burn them each of them in nitric acid,
and then mutilate them by cutting off at an ear,
or by forcing them to watch my sons push their children through a wood shredder.
And the result was I got only get a fraction of YOUR obedience, groveling and loyalty.
Mr. Rather, never before have we seen any betrayal as yours.
Would you like some forgeries for your "news"?"

[Ptarmigan]

The Baath Party of Iraq is the modern day Nazis. If I am correct, the Nazis help create what would become the Baath Party in Iraq. Gees, looks Adolf Hitler lives on.

[FairOpinion]

"The research, says the US report,"

If this was in the report, why isn't the US media making no mention of it?

BTW, for anyone, who has the perseverence to go through the report, here it is in its entirety:

Comprehensive Report
of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq’s WMD

30 September 2004


http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/index.html

[festus]

As the wife's bro-in-law says "Saddam only killed his citizens that rebelled" and this is why ( according to him ) Saddam wasn't nearly as bad as George W. Bush.

Boy it frightens me to think we let him vote.....

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[txroadkill]

"I believe the president made a huge mistake, a catastrophic mistake, not to live up to his own standard, which was: build a true global coalition, give the inspectors time to finish their job and go through the U.N. process to its end and go to war as a last resort.

I ask each of you just to look into your hearts, look into your guts. Gut-check time. Was this really going to war as a last resort?" -John Kerry, 10/9/04
I know what my gut is telling me John, I'm pretty sure these people would have wished we acted sooner.

[Steven W.]

John Kerry was for Saddam's snake venom filled syringe pen weapons experiments before he was against them ... or was it the other way around, these things are always so complicated for the man.

[Steven W.]

think about the other aspects - we are lucky we went when we did. In retrospect it turned out to be the safest time possible. Hanoi John French Kerry would have preferred we waited a couple more moths later with Saddam eluding sanctions & the mustard + sarin program back up & running.

[dk/coro]

I do believe you are correct here. The National Socialist movement during the '30's and war years had a lasting impact upon the Iraqi regime -- for several reasons, not the least of which was its attractive counterpoint to the pervasive Anglo-French colonial influence.

This essentially secular influence permeates the remnants of the Baathist splinter groups in Syria and Jordan as well as the Sunni triangle to this day.

[Helms]

Kerry-Kennedy-Kofi: Axis of Geopolitical Evil

[LeoWindhorse]

Kerry-Kennedy-Kofi: Axis of Geopolitical Evil


don't forget Jacque Iraq
oops , I mean Chirac...

[Savage Beast]

If elected, Kerry can restore Saddam to power and withdraw coalition forces.

BTW, what happened to Saddam's acid vats?

[lepton]

Yep, reminders of Nazis keep cropping up over there.

Ummm. The Baathists WERE Nazis. They were just Arab Nazis who believed in Pan-Arabism instead of Pan-Aryanism.

[lepton]

If I am correct, the Nazis help create what would become the Baath Party in Iraq.

Close. They were founded in Damascus, Syria. ...but otherwise you are correct.