Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Iraq Official: Saddam Moved WMD to Syria
www.newsmax.com ^

Posted on 01/26/2006 11:56:46 AM PST by French_for_Bush

Edited on 01/26/2006 12:02:58 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

Iraq Official: Saddam Moved WMD to Syria

The former number two official in Saddam Hussein's Iraqi air force claims the former Iraqi dictator moved weapons of mass destruction from Iraq to Syria in the months preceding the current Iraq war.

Georges Sada revealed the charges in an interview Wednesday with the New York Sun. They are detailed in his new book, "Saddam’s Secrets.”

"Saddam realized, this time, the Americans are coming," Sada told the Sun. "They handed over the weapons of mass destruction to the Syrians.”

The former Iraqi general said Special Republican Guard brigades loaded WMDs onto two converted Iraqi Airways planes.

He said he was told of the operation by two pilots that helped transport the materials. Sada says 56 flights were made, and were accompanied by a ground convoy of trucks carrying similar materials.

The Sun reports that the flights attracted scant international attention because they occurred at the same time that Iraq was sending relief to Syria for a dam collapse.

Sada’s claims echoed those made by Moshe Yaalon, Israel’s top general in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Yaalon told the Sun in December that Saddam had "transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria.”

According to the Middle East Quarterly, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon issued a similar warning in a Dec. 23, 2002 television appearance on Israel’s Channel 2.

"Chemical and biological weapons which Saddam is endeavoring to conceal have been moved from Iraq to Syria,” Sharon said.

Together, their claims challenge the conventional wisdom in the United States and Europe that pre-war intelligence estimates were incorrect in suggesting the mass-murdering Iraqi dictator either possessed or was close to possessing WMDs.

Even President Bush has conceded the point, telling Americans in a televised address in December, "It is true that many nations believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong.”

Recent reports by Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard have similarly challenged the conventional wisdom on Saddam’s relationships with al-Qaida.

Hayes is calling for the release of approximately 2 million unclassified documents recovered in Iraq from the Hussein regime. He claims the documents could prove Saddam maintained significant contacts with al-Qaida.

Sada’s and Yaalon’s claims will be even more difficult, if not impossible, to prove, but several U.S. Senators will try to get to the bottom of the claims. Sada is scheduled to meet with Senators Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and James Inhofe, R-Okla., next week. Both are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2002; 200212; 20021223; 727; 747; abuali; abuhimma; alialmajid; alihussein; alihusseinalmajid; almajid; assadgeneralali; basharassad; biologicalwarfare; biologicalweapons; chemicalali; chemicalwarfare; chemicalweapons; convoy; dam; damascus; damcollapse; disasteraid; disasterelief; flights; georgessada; himma; huntforwmd; inhofe; iraq; iraqiairways; iraqiwmd; iraqwar; iraqwmds; jamesinhofe; jeffsessions; mosheyaalon; oklahoma; primakov; relief; russianadvisors; russians; sada; saddam; saddamssecrets; saddamswmd; searchforwmd; sessions; stephenhayes; syria; trucks; truckshipments; trucktraffic; waronterror; waronterrorism; wmd; wmds; wot; yaalon; zulhimawe
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-139 last
To: Spanaway Lori

" I wonder if the "mainstream" media knows about it."

Inappropriate question. They are puppets and will not be instructed to talk about it.


121 posted on 01/27/2006 5:07:40 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: crowman

"If you haven't read about the Russian Spetsnaz Special Forces then look them up as it is said that they were in on the WMD transfer to the Bekka Valley in Syria just before the take out of Saddam.."

have a reference?


122 posted on 01/27/2006 5:11:57 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: French_for_Bush
Sada’s and Yaalon’s claims will be even more difficult, if not impossible, to prove.

BULL!!!!
123 posted on 01/27/2006 5:18:29 PM PST by glaseatr (Proud Father of a Marine, Uncle of SGT Adam Estep A. 2/5 Cav died Thurs April 29, 2004 Baghdad Iraq)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: M. Espinola

Huh? Those MiG-25s had been in service with the Iraq's since the 1980s. They were no surprise to any member of the Coalition.


124 posted on 01/28/2006 6:02:34 AM PST by Tommyjo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]

To: ridesthemiles

The Iraqis were legally allowed to operate those MiGs. They were even allowed to operate ballistic missiles with a range not exceeding a specific range. MiGs are not WMDs.


125 posted on 01/28/2006 6:05:05 AM PST by Tommyjo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: in hoc signo vinces
Most likely, this will just "fade away", thanks to the MSM and general ignorance of the populace. The lie that "no WMD's existed" will most likely continue.....

BUT........

What IF somehow, this all can be PROVEN, 100% FACT, with NO way to discredit it? I know that will be very hard to do. but if it could....Would not this ONE event, totally destroy the demoncratic left and ALL of the recent cries of "bush lied", and then, wouldn't that cause the ENTIRE party to collapse, as to being a serious political entity??

About 6 or so months ago, I wrote a "fantasy piece" in which I chronicled what MIGHT happen, in such an instance. I was just ramblnig on, in response to some DU fantasy about Bush, Cheney ,Rice Rumsfield etc, being impeached and sent to prison.

Could it all be about ready to happen for REAL (MY fantasy, not theirs?)

I guess we can all dream, and pray.
126 posted on 01/28/2006 11:34:23 AM PST by Rca2000 (5th amendment.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Rca2000

Check out the link at post #12, please.


127 posted on 01/28/2006 11:45:34 AM PST by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: Tommyjo

IIRC the MIG that was dug up was equipped with a modern avionics package, with components stamped "Made in France" and "Made in Germany."


128 posted on 01/28/2006 2:23:40 PM PST by Ostlandr ("In a mature society, the terms 'civil servant' and 'civil master' are semantically equal." -RAH)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Tommyjo
It was a surprise Saddam buried them in the desert. What else did Saddam hide under the sand?
129 posted on 01/28/2006 2:59:25 PM PST by M. Espinola (Freedom is Never Free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Ostlandr

Get real. The fit on that MiG-25 was standard Russian. The media hype is purely that 'hype'. The same as the hype surrounding the so-called French delivered Roland SAMS. All the Roland SAMS found in Iraq by the Coalition had been from batches sold to Iraq in the 1980s. To the media everything was factory fresh straight from France & Germany. I serve in the Coalition. That MiG-25 was a vanilla standard Russian export. No French or German made parts. Don't believe everything that you read in the media!


130 posted on 01/28/2006 4:03:41 PM PST by Tommyjo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: strategofr

Just search for "Spetsnaz WMD Bekka Valley" and go from there...


131 posted on 01/28/2006 5:55:49 PM PST by crowman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: crowman

"Just search for "Spetsnaz WMD Bekka Valley" and go from there..."

Thanks. Have posted.


132 posted on 01/28/2006 8:42:20 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 131 | View Replies]

To: Tommyjo

I stand corrected. Apparently the Newsmax.com article was "hype" as you said.

The exact wording:

"The recovery of the advanced MiG fighter is considered to be an intelligence coup by the U.S. Air Force. The Foxbat may also be equipped with advanced Russian- and French-made electronics that were sold to Iraq during the 1990s in violation of a U.N. ban on arms sales to Baghdad."

http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/8/6/105528.shtml


133 posted on 01/29/2006 8:09:31 AM PST by Ostlandr ( Hey! Where'd my tagline go?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: Ostlandr

No problem. The fuss that some Freepers made of the original hype was astounding. The same with the 1980s era Rolands found by Coaliton forces.


134 posted on 01/29/2006 10:01:51 AM PST by Tommyjo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: Michael Barnes; French_for_Bush

Man, Katie Couric is going to be all over this on the Today show tomorrow. Right.


135 posted on 01/29/2006 6:46:48 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MplsSteve
Bob Parks' 31-JAN blog entry has more information- scroll down to the subheading "Timing Was Everything"
136 posted on 01/31/2006 10:07:22 AM PST by George Smiley (This tagline deliberately targeted journalists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TPartyType

Probably VX.


137 posted on 01/31/2006 10:09:32 AM PST by George Smiley (This tagline deliberately targeted journalists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Tommyjo
Depends upon what law you're citing.

According to US Code, WMDs are what passes for destructive devices under 18 USC 922.

138 posted on 01/31/2006 10:17:39 AM PST by George Smiley (This tagline deliberately targeted journalists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: George Smiley

Yikes!


139 posted on 01/31/2006 10:58:52 AM PST by TPartyType
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-139 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson