CIA can't rule out WMD move to Syria - (Charles Duelfer ISG; latest report)

WASHINGTON TIMES.COM ^ | APRIL 27, 2005 | ROWAN SCARBOROUGH

[CHARLITE]

The CIA's chief weapons inspector said he cannot rule out the possibility that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were secretly shipped to Syria before the March 2003 invasion, citing "sufficiently credible" evidence that WMDs may have been moved there. Inspector Charles Duelfer, who heads the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), made the findings in an addendum to his final report filed last year. He said the search for WMD in Iraq -- the main reason President Bush went to war to oust Saddam Hussein -- has been exhausted without finding such weapons. Iraq had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in the early 1990s.

But on the question of Syria, Mr. Duelfer did not close the books. "ISG was unable to complete its investigation and is unable to rule out the possibility that WMD was evacuated to Syria before the war," Mr. Duelfer said in a report posted on the CIA's Web site Monday night.

He cited some evidence of a transfer. "Whether Syria received military items from Iraq for safekeeping or other reasons has yet to be determined," he said. "There was evidence of a discussion of possible WMD collaboration initiated by a Syrian security officer, and ISG received information about movement of material out of Iraq, including the possibility that WMD was involved. In the judgment of the working group, these reports were sufficiently credible to merit further investigation."

[kcvl]

bttt

[netmilsmom]

bttt

[NutCrackerBoy]

Arguing against a WMD transfer to Syria [is] the fact that all senior Iraqi detainees involved in Saddam's weapons programs and security uniformly denied any knowledge of residual WMD that could have been secreted to Syria. -Inspector Charles Duelfer, who heads the Iraq Survey Group (ISG)

Yes, that's a very convincing argument. (/irony)

[eyespysomething]

interesting ping, and good night.

[eyespysomething]

Oops, meant to ping you, see how late it is!

[des]

This info will be verified in 2008.

[guitfiddlist]

The CIA's chief weapons inspector said he cannot rule out the possibility that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were secretly shipped to Syria before the March 2003 invasion, citing "sufficiently credible" evidence that WMDs may have been moved there.

This guy would make an excellent street detective. After a search turns up nothing at a crack house that had been given several weeks notice of an impending raid, he would brilliantly surmise that perhaps possibly - just maybe - the dealers would be crazy enough to move their goods to another house.

We need more Clouseau's like this at the agency, people who can think "outside the cubicle".

[Siobhan]

FYI bump

[Waco]

I can buy that the Russians may have "helped" Iraq get the stuff out, but I can also buy that the US got some/a lot of the stuff and parked it in Oak Ridge or elswhere. In the inital confusion and noise of the invasion of Iraq, who knows?

[SittinYonder]

It is an interesting ping. And good night.

[CHARLITE]

FYI

[Rockitz]

The MSM had painted an opposing picture just yesterday. Preemptive disinformation- seems to be the status quo lately. Turds!

[EGPWS]

-- the main reason President Bush went to war to oust Saddam Hussein --

Really?

Lest we forget the umpteen UN resolutions which were broken thanks to the UN and their fabulous work that prompted the idea that perhaps Saddam DID have WMD!

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

Bump.

[neverdem]

bump for later

[chuckles]

Let's also not forget that Saddam had been shooting at our planes flying over the "No Fly Zones" for 12 years. How long was this supposed to go on before we put the hammer down? He broke the CEASE FIRE agreement and forfeited peace in so doing.I frankly don't care about the WMD's. Nobody says he didn't want to make some if we had let up on him. (Like Billy Klinton did).

[EGPWS]

Let's also not forget that Saddam had been shooting at our planes flying over the "No Fly Zones" for 12 years. How long was this supposed to go on before we put the hammer down?

All in all our actions were AND are justified. Lack of action has shown it's consequences via 9/11 and more lack of action would have just promoted more of the same.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[cibco]

BTTT