Posted on 12/19/2005 3:04:06 PM PST by blam
US sets Saddam's scientists free
Huda Ammash was educated in the US
Eight former aides to Saddam Hussein - including two women accused of making biological weapons - have been released from US custody in Iraq.
The freed detainees no longer pose a security threat, a US spokesman said.
They include Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, nicknamed by the US "Mrs Anthrax" and Rihab Taha, also known as "Dr Germ".
Reports have been circulating of a pre-election deal to free former regime figures in order to appease Iraq's Sunni Arabs, correspondents say.
A US military spokesman in Baghdad said eight detainees "were released as part of an ongoing process for many months in full consultation with the Iraqi government".
"Many were originally held as suspects in possible war crimes and as material witnesses," the spokesman said.
They were released over the weekend after nearly three years in detention.
They have been flown to Jordan, reportedly because of fears for their safety in Iraq, where many former regime figures have been assassinated.
Weapons programme
The British-educated Dr Taha and US-educated Mrs Ammash had both been accused by the Bush administration of involvement in Saddam Hussein's banned weapons programme.
Neutralising the threat posed by the former leader's chemical and biological weapons was cited by the US as its prime motive for invading Iraq in 2003.
No such weapons have been found since the invasion.
While the US military maintains only eight figures from Saddam Hussein's government have been released, an Iraqi official quoted by the Associated Press news agency said some 24 prisoners had been set free.
Aseel Tabra, an Iraqi Olympic Committee official and Hossam Mohammed Amin, head of the weapons inspections directorate, are among those released, according to the official quoted by the agency.
IOW, these two have been wrung dry, and since we know the terrorists know it too, we aren't worried about them trying to "return to the fold", since the terr's will view them as traitors.
I have an idea what just happened....but won't post it in the open.
This isn't good.
huh?
aren't these the ones who developed the Iraq WMD program that was used to kill the kurds?
Depends on what we got in return...
Arab world, arab rules...bargaining, trading, bartering...
What was traded? Most likely something with the Sunnis.
they are needed in syria
Exactly....what did the Sunnis give us in return....the Zman better sleep lightly.
And it makes you wonder..
Ineresting. No surprise but I don't remember this being reported much.
So we figure if we didnt find any weapons on Mass destruction they where exported to Syria. Now we just set loose the scientists that worked with the Biological side of WMD, How long before they end up in Syria with their old trucks and files and set up shop there?
Personally I would feel better if these people had been shot trying to escape.
If their release generates more buy-in from the Sunnis, that's positive. Iraq will not be stable until all the major factions are onboard as new Iraqi citizens. It's looking much better today than six months ago.
Sometimes you have to use live bait when fishing. I am sure Syria might try to contact those two woman considering they (Syria) have Saddam's chemical weapons.
Thew news reports she has left Iraq and went into Jordan.
She was the 5 of Hearts in the Iraqi Most Wanted playing cards.
Send me a FReep mail.
Does the mclame "Kiss-the-Terrorists-Don't-Make-Them-Cry" thingee apply durring their Jordanian "visit"??
If not, IMHO it might be OK if they "visit" Jordan, and I'll bet the Jordanians are VERY exited about their "visit", will be EXCELLENT hosts, and probably already have "accomodations" awaiting them....
Mail call.
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