JULY 2004 or earlier : (NANA PACIFIC / GUARDIAN NET CASE : SHAW ACCUSES US & IRAQI OFFICIALS OF TAKING BRIBES) [Pentagon deputy undersecretary for international technology security John A. "Jack"] Shaw later wrote his own report on the cellular phone controversy, accusing U.S. and top Iraqi officials of taking bribes. The Pentagon's inspector general referred the report [written by Shaw accusing US and top Iraqi officials of taking bribes] to the FBI. ...One Pentagon official [later] said Shaw had repeatedly been asked to produce evidence to support his allegations, but had failed to do so. ----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
JULY 2004 : (PENTAGON : NANA PACIFIC / GUARDIAN NET CASE : SHAW REFUSES OFFER TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM HIS POSITION TO ANOTHER POST WITHIN DoD) After the round of accusations and counteraccusations, and with the FBI investigation pending, Pentagon officials in July attempted to transfer [Pentagon deputy undersecretary for international technology security John A. "Jack"] Shaw from his position to another post within the Defense Department, according to a senior Pentagon official. Shaw refused. "He was asked to seek another position in the department," a senior official said. "At that point, if we could find a spot, we were happy to do that." ----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
2004 befor Dec : (LA TIMES REPORT ON PENTAGON OFFICIAL JOHN A "JACK" SHAW : SHAW TRIED TO STEER TWO CONTRACTS IN IRAQ TO FRIENDS OR CLIENTS OF FRIENDS) [Pentagon deputy undersecretary for international technology security John A. "Jack"] Shaw, whose activities were detailed in the Los Angeles Times earlier this year [2004], was one of a few high-ranking U.S. officials who drew the scrutiny of investigators looking into how billions in taxpayer dollars were being spent in Iraq to rebuild that country. Shaw allegedly tried to steer two contracts, one involving telecommunications and a second involving dredging at an Iraqi port, to companies linked to longtime friends or clients of longtime friends. After the allegations against him surfaced last spring, Shaw responded with a report of his own, charging that one of the U.S. officials accusing him had taken bribes in a conspiracy to place Iraq's cellular phone network under the control of a former Saddam Hussein ally. ----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
OCTOBER 10, 2004 : (IRAQI OFFICIAL MOHAMMED J ABBAS LETTER TO IAEA'S ELBARADEI REPORTS THAT SINCE APRIL 9, 2003 LOOTING AT AL QAQAA HAS RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF 377 TONS OF EXPLOSIVES) But since the disappearance [of the explosives from alQaQaa facility in Iraq] was reported Monday [Oct 25, 2004?] in The New York Times, ElBaradei said he wanted the Security Council to have the letter dated Oct. 10 that he received from Mohammed J. Abbas, a senior official at Iraq's Ministry of Science and Technology, reporting the theft of 377 tons of explosives. The letter from Abbas informed the IAEA that since April 9, 2003, looting at the Al-Qaqaa installation had resulted in the loss of 215 tons of HMX, 156 tons of RDX and six tons of PETN explosives. Diplomats said there was nothing to suggest that ElBaradei, who had irritated the Bush administration before the war by insisting there was no evidence that Saddam had revived his nuclear program, had intended to keep the report a secret until after the Nov. 2 election. -------- AP, October 25, 2004
OCTOBER 15, 2004 : (VIENNA, AUSTRIA : IAEA INFORMS US MISSION OF ALQAQAA "MISSING EXPLOSIVES") To: fidelio This excerpt describes a conspiracy between the Slimes and IAEA to blackmail/extort the Bush administration:
[the IAEA informed U.S. mission in Vienna on Oct. 15 about the missing explosives at Al-Qaqaa. He said national security adviser Condoleeza Rice was notified "days after that," and she then informed President Bush. ElBaradei told the council the agency had been trying to give the U.S.-led multinational force and Iraq's interim government "an opportunity to attempt to recover the explosives before this matter was put into the public domain. " But since the disappearance was reported Monday in The New York Times, ElBaradei said he wanted the Security Council to have the letter . . . Diplomats said there was nothing to suggest that ElBaradei, who had irritated the Bush administration before the war by insisting there was no evidence that Saddam had revived his nuclear program, had intended to keep the report a secret until after the Nov. 2 election.]818 posted on 10/25/2004 10:25:27 PM PDT by Kryptonite
OCTOBER 20, 2004 Wednesday : (AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE OFFERS ALQAQAA STORY TO CBS's 60 MINUTES, BUT SINCE CBS PLANNED TO GET THE STORY OUT ON OCTOBER 31, JUST BEFORE THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- IT ENDS UP GETTING BEATEN BY THE NY TIMES) [The source behind the NYT story first went to CBSNEWS' 60 MINUTES last Wednesday [Oct 20], but the beleaguered network wasn't able to get the piece on the air as fast as the newspaper could print. Executive producer Jeff Fager hoped to break the story during a high-impact election eve broadcast of 60 MINS on October 31.] see for more info : ------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on Mon 10/25/2004
(* My note: I wonder if John A Shaw is the source of the initial NY Times/CBS 60 Minutes al QaQaa story, too? Shaw later reported that the Russians took the stuff, I wonder if he was only doing that to try to look like he was a pro-Bush conservative trying to "help" by "negating" the NY Times story with the explanation that the Russians took it before the war not Iraqis and terrorists during the war from under our nose)
OCTOBER 25, 2004 Monday : (NY TIMES BREAKS AL QAQAA "MISSING EXPLOSIVES" STORY : ) The NYTIMES urgently reported on Monday in an apprent October Surprise: The Iraqi interim government and the U.N. nuclear agency have warned the United States that nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives are now missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations. ... Jumping on the TIMES exclusive, Dem presidential candidate John Kerry blasted the Bush administration for its failure to "guard those stockpiles." "This is one of the great blunders of Iraq, one of the great blunders of this administration," Kerry said.
**ABCNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 4 Times
**CBSNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 7 Times
**MSNBC Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 37 Times
**CNN Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 50 Times ------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on 10/25/2004
***
To: Jeff Blogworthy Pardon me for being a little fuzzy on this, but is the thrust of the New York Times story that after the invasion, with the country in flames, the roads locked down, and the Iraqi Army dispersed and scattered, that somehow, a few enterprising insurgents stole THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TONS of explosives out from under our noses? I don't know if anyone here has been part of any major logisitical endeavor, but 380 tons of whatever item you want doesn't just get up and move itself. You need more than a pack of dudes and a pickup truck. If the stuff was there when we got there, it would be almost impossible to move it without attracting attention. If it wasn't, then who knows when it was moved? If I had to guess, I'd say 'Probably around the time the WMD was shipped out as well'. I'm so not buying this story. 14 posted on 10/25/2004 10:38:14 PM PDT by Steel Wolf
To: Steel Wolf I don't know if anyone here has been part of any major logisitical endeavor, but 380 tons of whatever item you want doesn't just get up and move itself. Until you mentioned it, I didn't really picture just how much 380 tons is. It's pretty hard to believe it would have been in any way possible to move that much freight after the invasion. 17 posted on 10/25/2004 10:47:13 PM PDT by Welsh Rabbit
To: finnman69 What is truly amazing is that the left accepts as a matter of course the fact that 380 tons of HE can mysteriously disappear but that 10 tons of Sarin, ten tons of mustard gas and a suitcase full of biocrud can not. It would take a convoy of almost 100 tractor trailers to move the HE and 4 to move the WMD. If Rove can't use this to knockout Kerry and his left wing Garmara, he ain't worth a crap. 71 posted on 10/25/2004 6:38:24 PM PDT by jwals
To: FreeAtlanta The NY Times story actually never stated that there were explosives there when the troops arrived. They do state that the troops found nothing when they arrived, but they've buried that fact under alot of speculation and spin such that they imply that Bush let the explosives get looted. You can bet that they will retract nothing. 92 posted on 10/25/2004 6:42:37 PM PDT by rocklobster11
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (PHILADELPHIA, PA : CLINTON SPEAKS AT KERRY RALLY)
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (PA : US MILITARY ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR THE NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS BEING DELAYED. BLOCKED BY DEMOCRATS IN PENNSYLVANIA) To: OXENinFLA; cyncooper : OFF TOPIC: Hannity is talking about Fast Eddie Rendell blocking the Military being able to vote in PA
Tonight on the radio Fast Eddie FINALLY admited that ballots were late in getting out ...THEN ... Fast Eddie says he'll overnight them (Fedx ??) to the troops100 posted on 10/25/2004 6:44:10 PM PDT by Mo1
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (SEN DECONCINI CLAIMS "MISSING EXPLOSIVES" AT ALQAQAA WERE WMD) To: StarFan " I didn't hear Sean mention it as I hit mute until the DeConcini segment finished." Ah, then you missed DeConcini saying those explosives were weapons of mass destruction! 130 posted on 10/25/2004 6:49:57 PM PDT by bcoffey
To: bcoffey : DeConcini said that??? Pinch me as I'm surely dreaming that NBC corrected the NYSlimes and DeConcini assessment of the article clearly pointed to WMDs which we said all along.217 posted on 10/25/2004 7:08:57 PM PDT by StarFan
To: StarFan "DeConcini said that???" He said it just before Sean lowered the NBC boom on him. 229 posted on 10/25/2004 7:10:31 PM PDT by bcoffey
OCTOBER 25, 2004 (FORMER CLINTON STAFFER JOE LOCKHART COMMENTS ABOUT ALQAQAA MISSING EXPLOSIVES STORY) To: All A new FR thread has a Joe Lockhart reply (source is DU but it's still interesting reading).
“In a shameless attempt to cover up its failure to secure 380 tons of highly explosive material in Iraq, the White House is desperately flailing in an effort to escape blame. Instead of distorting John Kerry’s words, the Bush campaign is now falsely and deliberately twisting the reports of journalists. It is the latest pathetic excuse from an administration that never admits a mistake, no matter how disastrous.”524 posted on 10/25/2004 8:16:18 PM PDT by bcoffey
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (PENTAGON OFFICIALS POINT OUT THAT IRAQ HAD ALREADY ADMITTED TO BREAKING THE SEALS AND MOVING TONS OF THE EXPLOSIVES BEFORE UN INSPECTORS REENTERED THE COUNTRY IN 2002) But Pentagon officials said yesterday [Oct 25, 2004] that Iraq had already admitted to breaking the IAEA seals and moving tons of the explosives from the Al Qaqaa facility, south of Baghdad, before U.N. inspectors re-entered the country in 2002.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...[Oct 26, 2004]----- "Pentagon responds to missing-explosives report," By Rowan Scarborough, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Published October 26, 2004
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (AL QAQAA "SCANDAL" : UN CLAIMS INSURGENTS IN IRAQ MAY HAVE OBTAINED NEARLY 400 TONS OF "MISSING" EXPLOSIVES) Why is the U.N. nuclear agency suddenly warning now that insurgents in Iraq may have obtained nearly 400 tons of missing [HMX & RDX] explosives -- in early 2003? NBCNEWS Jim Miklaszewski quoted one official: "Recent disagreements between the administration and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency makes this announcement appear highly political." ------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on 10/25/2004
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (JOHN KERRY'S WEB SITE COORDINATES WELL WITH NY TIMES AL QAQAA STORY)To: DCPatriot : From today's press release from johnkerry.com:
“George W. Bush who talks tough and brags about making America safer has once again failed to deliver. After being warned about the danger of major stockpiles of explosives in Iraq, this administration failed to guard those stockpiles – where nearly 380 tons of highly explosive weapons were kept. Today we learned that these explosives are missing, unaccounted for and could be in the hands of terrorists.Kerry/Edwards/Dems have adamantly maintained that terrorists were not in Iraq before we pre-empted. Since stockpiles disappeared prior to the start of the pre-emption, the terrorists had to be there before we invaded.
“Terrorists could use this material to kill our troops and our people, blow up airplanes and level buildings.
“In May of this year, the administration was warned that terrorists may be helping themselves to ‘the greatest explosives bonanza in history.’ And now we know that our country and our troops are less safe because this president failed to do the basics. This is one of the great blunders of the Bush policy in Iraq. ..."
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (AL QAQAA : JOHN EDWARDS ON AL QAQAA 'MISSING EXPLOSIVES' STORY) Dem vp hopeful John Edwards blasted Bush for not securing the [HMX & RDX] explosives:
"It is reckless and irresponsible to fail to protect and safeguard one of the largest weapons sites in the country. And by either ignoring these mistakes or being clueless about them, George Bush has failed. He has failed as our commander in chief; he has failed as president."------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on 10/25/2004
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (PENTAGON STATEMENT ON NYTIMES AL QAQAA STORY) After the invasion: The Pentagon said Monday that ''coalition forces were present in the vicinity at various times during and after major combat operations. The forces searched 32 bunkers and 87 other buildings at the facility, but found no indicators of WMD (weapons of mass destruction). While some explosive material was discovered, none of it carried IAEA seals. (Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
------- "Timeline on missing explosives in Iraq," Boston.com, 10/25/2004 16:24 , Associated Press, via Posted on 10/25/2004 10:14:37 PM PDT by Jeff Blogworthy
To: Jeff Blogworthy : This confirms what Drudge is saying. The stuff wasn't there. ----5 posted on 10/25/2004 10:23:41 PM PDT by whershey
OCTOBER 25, 2004 PM : (NBCNEWS REPORT : AL QAQAA HMX & RDX EXPLOSIVES WERE MISSING BEFORE APRIL 10, 2003) But tonight, NBCNEWS reported: The 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives were already missing back in April 10, 2003 -- when U.S. troops arrived at the installation south of Baghdad! An NBCNEWS crew embedded with troops moved in to secure the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility on April 10, 2003, one day after the liberation of Iraq. According to NBCNEWS, the HMX and RDX explosives were already missing when the American troops arrived. ------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on 10/25/2004
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (AL QAQAA : SO JOHN, "WE DID NOT GO INTO IRAQ SOON ENOUGH?") A senior Bush official e-mailed DRUDGE late Monday: "Let me get this straight, are Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards now saying we did not go into Iraq soon enough? We should have invaded and liberated Iraq sooner?" ------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on 10/25/2004
OCTOBER 25, 2004 : (ALQAQAA SUPRISE : WASHINGTON, DC : REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL POINTS OUT THE EXPLOSIVES WERE ALREADY GONE WHEN US FORCES ARRIVED AT AL QAQAA) "The U.S. Army was at the site one day after the liberation and the weapons were already gone," a top Republican blasted from Washington late Monday [Oct 25, 2004]. ------ "Drudge now reporting in "NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED... " that Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT, " Drudge Report, Posted on 10/25/2004
OCTOBER 26, 2004 : (WASHINGTON TIMES REPORT ON ALQAQAA STORY) The Pentagon said yesterday [Oct 25] that 380 tons of missing explosives from an Iraqi munitions facility may have been moved before U.S. troops overran the area during the invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The statement came after a joint project by CBS' "60 Minutes" and the New York Times reported that the Iraqi government has told the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the stockpile of material for plastic explosives went missing during postwar looting. The IAEA did not publicly reveal the issue of missing explosives until after the CBS-Times report.
But Pentagon officials said yesterday that Iraq had already admitted to breaking the IAEA seals and moving tons of the explosives from the Al Qaqaa facility, south of Baghdad, before U.N. inspectors re-entered the country in 2002. Officials said the rest of the explosives stockpiles may have been removed and hidden before the arrival of American troops.
That explanation was bolstered last night by a report from NBC News, which said the weapons already were missing when their embedded reporter arrived at the site on April 10, 2003.
"NBC News was embedded with troops from the Army's 101st Airborne as they [took] over the weapons installation south of Baghdad. But they never found the 380 tons" of missing explosives, the network reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...[Oct 26, 2004]----- "Pentagon responds to missing-explosives report," By Rowan Scarborough, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Published October 26, 2004
OCTOBER 26? 2004 Tuesday : (NY TIMES STILL DOESN'T AKNOWLEDGE ITS ALQAQAA STORY WAS DEBUNKED BY MSNBC, PRINTS YET ANOTHER TALE) The Tuesday morning NYSlimes compounds the errors in the Monday story. No mention of the NBC debunking. This is very curious. Could this be the Slimes version of Rathergate? How can they simply go forward, refusing to report the fact that these explosives were gone before our troops arrived? And what about the complicity of the IAEC official and the U.N.? Could this be a ploy to divert attention from the "oil-for-food" scandal dogging the U.N.? 13 posted on 10/25/2004 10:37:54 PM PDT by rebel_yell2
OCTOBER 2004 : (JOHN A SHAW TELLS THE WASHINGTON TIMES' GERTZ THAT HE HAD RECEIVED FOREIGN INTEL SHOWING THAT RUSSIAN SPECIAL FORCES UNITS WERE INVOLVED IN REMOVING WMD FROM IRAQ BEFORE THE US INVASION IN MARCH 2003) In October, Mr. Shaw told The Washington Times that he had received foreign intelligence data showing that Russian special forces units were involved in an effort to remove Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction in the weeks before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began in March 2003.-------- "Pentagon ousts official who tied Russia, Iraq arms, " Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, December 30, 2004
OCTOBER 27, 2004 Wednesday : (SHAW TELLS THE WASHINGTON TIMES ABOUT INTEL INDICATING RUSSIAN FORCES CONDUCTED DISPERSAL OPERATION BETWEEN JAN AND MARCH 2003) John A. Shaw, who told The Washington Times on Wednesday [Oct 27, 2004]that recent intelligence reports indicate Russian special forces units took part in a sophisticated dispersal operation from January 2003 to March 2003 to move key weapons out of Iraq. ------ "Photos point to removal of weapons," By Bill Gertz, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/29/04, http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041028-115519-3700r.htm via 55 posted on 12/30/2004 2:38:57 PM PST by GarySpFc
OCTOBER 28, 2004 : (WASHINGTON TIMES & FINANCIAL TIMES REPEAT SHAW'S STORY ABOUT RUSSIA REMOVING IRAQI WEAPONS FROM IRAQ)----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
OCTOBER 28, 2004 or before (INTERSECTION OF AL QAQAA "MISSING MUNITIONS" CASE & NANA PACIFIC / GUARDIAN NET CASE : SHAW, WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE PENTAGON PRESS OFICE, SAYS HE BELIEVES RUSSIAN COMMANDOS REMOVED THE EXPLOSIVES FROM IRAQ DAYS BEFORE THE COALITION INVASION IN MARCH; RUMSFELD SAYS HE "CANNOT VALIDATE THAT EVEN SLIGHTLY") [Pentagon deputy undersecretary for international technology security John A. "Jack"] Shaw most recently made news late in the presidential campaign, when he inserted himself into the controversy surrounding a report that up to 380 tons of high-grade explosives had disappeared from an Iraqi storage bunker after U.S. troops had failed to secure it.
As Democrats highlighted the story, calling it an example of the administration's failings in Iraq, Shaw was quoted Oct. 28 by the Financial Times and the Washington Times as saying he believed that Russian commandos had spirited the explosives out of Iraq in the days before the March 2003 invasion. Conservative media outlets seized on Shaw's remarks as proof that Bush had done nothing wrong. But Rumsfeld distanced himself from Shaw's report, saying he "cannot validate that even slightly."
Shaw's remarks on the missing explosives — made without the approval of DiRita's press office — apparently were the breaking point that led to the demand for his resignation. Shaw said in his letter that he was asked to resign for having exceeded his "authority and brief."
[* My note: If it was true, he may have unwittingly given the Russians a heads up on how good our intel on their activities was and is. If not true, not such a big deal as a leak of real info would be.]
Shaw defended his decision, however, saying that he had to get the information about the Russian commandos out as quickly as possible in the heat of the campaign. "I realized I was probably the only person in the country who could disprove the story" of the missing munitions, he said.
----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
[* My note: Is this Shaw trying to make himself look like a good little conservative? Shaw tried later to imply he was fired because he was out of turn when he 'leaked' the Russians removed the explosives from al QaQaa in Iraq- but there was some effort to sideline him much earlier as you can see by the Pentagon's effort to transfer him to another post in July 2004]]
OCTOBER 27, 2004 : (IAEA SAYS IT WARNED THE US ABOUT THE VULNERABILTY OF EXPLOSIVES STORED AT AL QAQAA DAYS AFTER THE COMPLEX WAS LOOTED) Also yesterday [Oct 27], the IAEA said it warned the United States about the vulnerability of explosives stored at Al-Qaqaa after Iraq's Tuwaitha nuclear complex was looted. "After we heard reports of looting at the Tuwaitha site in April 2003, the agency's chief Iraq inspectors alerted American officials that we were concerned about the security of the high explosives stored at Al-Qaqaa," IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told the Associated Press. She did not say which officials were notified or exactly when.------ "Photos point to removal of weapons," By Bill Gertz, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/29/04, http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041028-115519-3700r.htm
[* My note: What good, exactly, is a warning after the fact?]
OCTOBER 28, 2004 Thursday : (MORE ANONYMOUS LEAKS FROM PENTAGON TO SUPPORT SHAW) U.S. intelligence agencies have obtained satellite photographs of truck convoys that were at several weapons sites in Iraq in the weeks before U.S. military operations were launched, defense officials said yesterday [October 28]. [* My note: This part is true and has been confirmed by Rice]
The photographs indicate that Iraq was moving arms and equipment from its known weapons sites, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
[* My note: Actually we don't know exactly what they were moving, certainly not from just looking at satellite photos. The movements were suspicious enough]
According to one official, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, known as NGA, "documented the movement of long convoys of trucks from various areas around Baghdad to the Syrian border." [* My note: We do know the trucks left Iraq and entered Syria though I don't believe anyone specified the trucks originated only from sites around Baghdad] The official said the convoys are believed to include shipments of sensitive armaments, including equipment used in making plastic explosives and nuclear weapons. [* My note: this is not neccesarily true - it's the FIRST mention that suspected among the material was equipment for making plastic explosives- that part seems to be added to support the recent alQaQaa controversy] About 380 tons of RDX and HMX, used in making such arms, were reported missing from the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility, though the Pentagon and an embedded NBC News correspondent said the facility appeared to have been emptied by the time U.S. forces got there.
The photographs bolster the claims of Pentagon official John A. Shaw, who told The Washington Times on Wednesday that recent intelligence reports indicate Russian special forces units took part in a sophisticated dispersal operation from January 2003 to March 2003 to move key weapons out of Iraq. [* Not really- the photos were already known well before Shaw 'revealed' his info but the photos contain no proof of Russian involvement nor do they tell us what exactly was in those shipments.] In Moscow, the Russian government denied that its forces were involved in removing weapons from Iraq, dismissing the claims as "far-fetched and ridiculous." [* My note: I wouldn't call it far-fetched, just that so far we have no evidence to prove it one way or another.]
"I can state officially that the Russian Defense Ministry and its structural divisions could not have been involved in the disappearance of the explosives, because Russian servicemen were not in Iraq long before the beginning of the American-British operation in that country," Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vyacheslav Sedov told Interfax news agency.
Bush administration officials reacted cautiously to information provided by Mr. Shaw, who said details of the Russian "spetsnaz" forces' involvement in a program of document-shredding and weapons dispersal came from two European intelligence services.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was unaware of the information in The Times report. "I know that there is some new information that has come to light in the last couple of days," Mr. McClellan said, noting that another news report said the amount of high-explosive materials may have been less than 377 tons, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claims. Asked about foreign intelligence reports of Russian troops moving Iraq's weapons to Syria, Mr. McClellan said, "I have no information that points in that direction."
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said in a interview on the Laura Ingraham radio show that she also was not aware of the information about Russian troops relocating Saddam's weapons to Syria, Lebanon and possibly Iran. Defense officials said the information has been closely held within the Pentagon because Mr. Shaw, a deputy undersecretary of defense of international technology security, has been working with the Pentagon inspector general in investigating the Russian role in the weapons transfers.
[* My note: If Shaw was "asked" to take a job in another department back in June 2004 [in lieu of getting fired?], but he refused- I doubt he was working with the Pentagon inspector general after that date.]
Information in the inspector general office is not widely shared within the policy and intelligence communities. The Pentagon is still investigating the fate of the explosives and possible Russian involvement. Officials said numerous intelligence reports in the past two years indicate Saddam used trucks and aircraft to withdraw weapons from Iraq before March 2003. However, the new information indicates that Russian troops were directly involved in assisting the Iraqi military and intelligence services to secure and move the arms. Documents reviewed by one [anonymous] defense official include specific Russian military unit itineraries for the truck convoys. The arms that were taken out of the country included missile parts, nuclear-related equipment, tank and aircraft parts, and chemicals used in making poison gas weapons, the official said. Regarding the satellite photographs, [anonymous] defense officials said the photographs bolster the information obtained from the European intelligence services on the Russian arms-removal program. The Russian special forces troops were housed at a computer center near the Russian Embassy in Baghdad and left the country shortly before the U.S. invasion was launched March 20, 2003.
Harold Hough, a satellite photographic specialist, said commercial satellite images taken shortly before U.S. forces reached Baghdad revealed Russian transport aircraft at Baghdad's international airport near a warehouse. "My thought was that the Russians were eager to get something out of Iraq quickly," Mr. Hough said. "But it is quite possible that the aircraft was used to transport the Russian forces." Note, the confusion as to what transpired. .------ "Photos point to removal of weapons," By Bill Gertz, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/29/04, http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041028-115519-3700r.htm via 55 posted on 12/30/2004 2:38:57 PM PST by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
To: ravingnutter Yes, while I have respect for Bill Gertz the report was not as solid as he makes it out to be. The photographs are in this article. The foreign intelligence source was a general and former director of the Romanian Intelligence Service. You will note this article is dated 10/29/04 --- http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041028-115519-3700r.htm via 55 posted on 12/30/2004 2:38:57 PM PST by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber) [* My note: Would that source be Pacepa? (sp?)]
To: Wiz : " My memory is not clear but I also thought there was also news in the first few weeks of Iraq War about Russian special force involvement in Iraq. " Yeah, There were reports posted on FR of Russian military advisors still in Iraq as we were advancing on Baghdad. Reported back then as retired military leadership...now they are presented as special forces. There also has been a report about the Russians aiding with nightvision stuff. 57 posted on 12/30/2004 5:45:48 PM PST by Domestic Church
To: Domestic Church : there was also some thought that these fleeing Russian diplomats had smuggled Saddam out - which was not true.
still, I have to believe that their are sat photos that show these convoys (russian or otherwise) taking stuff to Syria before the war. Al Douri is in Syria. why the US refuses to "out" Syria in this whole thing, I do not know, perhaps its because we aren't prepared to do anything about them.59 posted on 12/30/2004 5:52:15 PM PST by oceanview
NOVEMBER 18, 2004 : (NANA PACIFIC / GUARDIAN NET CASE : PENTAGON INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE DENIES THE LA TIMES FOIA REQUEST FOR INFO ABOUT SHAW'S EFFORTS TO ARRANGE FOR NANA PACIFIC & GUARDIAN NET TO GET IRAQ CONTRACTS DUE TO A PENDING LEGAL INVESTIGATION) As recently as Nov. 18, however, the Pentagon's inspector general denied a [LA] Times' Freedom of Information Act request on the case [concerning John A "Jack" Shaw's efforts to arrange for Nana Pacific & Guardian Net to get a police and fire radio contract in Iraq] due to a "pending law enforcement investigation" by an unnamed federal agency. ----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
DECEMBER 10, 2004 : (JOHN A SHAW IS "DISMISSED" .... HE CLAIMS IT WAS FOR EXCEEDING HIS AUTHORITY- PENTAGON SAYS REORGANIZATION ELIMINATED HIS JOB) A Pentagon official who publicly disclosed information showing Russian involvement in moving Iraqi weapons out of that country has been dismissed. John A. Shaw, the deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security and formerly an aide to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, was forced to leave his position Dec. 10 as the result of a "reorganization" that eliminated his job, defense officials said.
Mr. Shaw said he had been asked to resign for "exceeding his authority" in disclosing the information, a charge he called "specious." -------- "Pentagon ousts official who tied Russia, Iraq arms, " Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, December 30, 2004
[* My note: Shaw tries to imply he was fired because he was out of turn when he 'leaked' the Russians removed the explosives from al QaQaa in Iraq- but there was some effort to 'nicely' move him over rather than out much earlier as you can see by the Pentagon's effort to transfer him to another post in July 2004. Could his leak, if it has substance, have alerted the Russians to ongoing investigations? ]
DECEMBER 11?, 2004 Friday : (NANA PACIFIC / GUARDIAN NET CASE : WASHINGTON, DC : CONFIRMATION THAT PENTAGON OFFICIAL JOHN A. "JACK" SHAW HAS BEEN FIRED AFTER REFUSING TO RESIGN) A senior Defense official placed under investigation by the FBI on allegations that he tried to steer Iraqi reconstruction contracts toward friends has been removed from office, Pentagon officials confirmed Friday. John A. "Jack" Shaw, the Pentagon's deputy undersecretary for international technology security, was ordered to leave after refusing to sign a letter of resignation, the officials said. His last day was Friday. "He was asked to discontinue his service," a senior Pentagon official said. ...
...Shaw did not respond to requests for comment on his ouster. However, in e-mails and letters exchanged with Pentagon officials over his departure, Shaw portrayed himself as a whistle-blower who was being unfairly asked to resign for having highlighted problems with the cellular phone licensing process.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Shaw expanded on the accusations made in his previous report, charging that Defense Undersecretary Douglas J. Feith, his former law partner L. Marc Zell and Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress party, were also involved in the conspiracy.
He also charged that Lawrence DiRita, the Pentagon's top spokesman, was organizing a "smear campaign" against him, according to an e-mail obtained by The Times. He threatened DiRita that, if forced to step down, he would unleash "Iran Contra II," a reference to the scandal that roiled the Reagan administration.
[* That last threat doesn't make him sound like a very good conservative, LOL]
"I cannot submit my resignation to you until it is clear that the well-orchestrated campaign to obstruct justice and suppress the findings of my office has been properly addressed and stopped," Shaw wrote in a letter to Rumsfeld.
DiRita dismissed Shaw's charges against Feith as "obviously ridiculous." "If Jack has information and credible evidence, he really has an obligation to produce it and deliver it to the inspector general," DiRita said. In reference to the allegations against him, DiRita said: "I certainly have not done and would not do what he's alleging." Neither Zell nor Chalabi could be reached for comment.
Shaw, 65, is a longtime government employee who served in the White House under Presidents Ford, Nixon and Reagan and was an associate deputy secretary in the Department of Commerce. [* My note: So we're supposed to believe he SKIPPED serving under Carter and Clinton? How did he manage that? WHEN was he an associate dpty sec in the Dept of Commerce? Was it around the time of Ron Brown and Riady and Huang?] ----- "Pentagon Ousts Official Under FBI Investigation [Shaw: Russians took 380 tons, friends got deals]," by T. Christian Miller, Yahoo, Dec 11, 2004
(* My note: Shaw is apparently yet another person the press played up to be a conservative but whose target is Feith, Zell, Chalabi, DeRita, Rumsfeld - and dare I say it? Perhaps even the Office of Special Plans that Rockefeller and the LaRouche faction in the Pentagon hates so much? And notice that Commerce Department connection there... remember the Chalabi papers with the head of al QaQaa andhis visits to China)
Also wonder how Ford managed to become President before Nixon there--sounds like Chevy Chase helped Yahoo write that paragraph and managed to trip backward in time :-)
If Shaw started in the Nixon administration, what department was he with and who did he work with? I wonder if he was linked to the leakers in the administration. A fuller background on Shaw's activities in previous administrations would be useful.