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.
They were used by helicopters, by fighters, we were using them. The Iraqi army was using them.
"Saddam's Secrets: How an Iraqi General Defied and Survived Saddam Hussein."
Published 2 days ago, currently #124 in Amazon.com's sales rank and #272 at Barnes & Noble.
My bet is that they're all over the planet by now.
"Oh yes, 100% after 1998 they were there and they were in the process of hiding... they were hid until the summer of 2002. When he realized the Americans are coming he... transported these... and jumbo 747s and 727s, they were transported to Syria."
"Many senior captains in the Iraq air force... they told me all this and after I knew I was shocked... I understood they were shifted to Syria."
Hannity: "So everything was brought to Syria?"
"That's it..."
Hannity: Was it Saddam's goal to destroy Israel?
Yes... he thought the Americans would never attack, and if they did... migs would penetrate to Israel... at this time I said sir... these airplanes and chemical weapons will be destroyed and dropped over our people, this will give chance to Israel to detonate a nuclear weapon, this is a disaster, the whole region will be destroyed.
Osama bin Laden was coming...
Not as important as day 28 of the Abu Ghraib scandal (a story which was "front page" news at the NYetTimes for 30 days).
This is an "update" to the continuing search for WMDs. Long ago it was determined by the liberal elites that they didn't exist. Therefore this is just a correction to the old stories. Corrections normally run on page 157, right?
So much for "Bush lied, they died."
Of course there were many of us who always KNEW Saddam had extremely dangerous weapons of mass destruction, that he styled himself as the great new Nebuchadnezzar and had designs to destroy and "humble" our country and HAD to be taken out before he used them against us. Many of us have always known that PRESIDENT BUSH DID PRECISELY THE RIGHT THING IN GOING IN AND REMOVING THE ANIMAL THAT HAD A GUN POINTED AT OUR CHILDREN'S HEADS.
Didn't stop a boatloads of idiots and self-serving leftist @'oles from making their accusations, though.
The UN put out a report the summer of 04 stating that the WMD went to Syria and from there some have made it to Turkey and Holland. Sounds like Europe is gonna have some "fun" in the future.
We pretty much knew this was the case. I wonder if the "mainstream" media knows about it.
Wish Hannity would have asked him about Rockefeller tipping off Syria, if only to remind people a member of our Senate Intelligence Committee met with terrorists.
"It is true that many nations believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong could be wrong but very doubtful.”
There, that's better. I never had a doubt - never.
Almost 5 years later and it comes to light?
There has been a Presidential legacy in the making and the DNC doesn't like it. ; )
That is one of the most moving and horrifying things I have ever seen. I had seen the "usual" MSM pics from the massacre which are graphic and devastating, but that one really hits hard. Thank you for posting. Indeed. There is much we should Never Forget.
It was their 9/11 long before ours hit. It demonstrates the true picture of "radical islam". This is one of the images I see everytime I think about the war on terror, there will be many theatres before it's over, if in our lifetime.
ping
Thanks for the ping Calpernia.
And just how many of the major news networks will carry this news? Hmmmm..........
Fire up the Stealths, both F-117s and B-2s. Time for a little wienie roast.
I hadn't seen it before, and the MSM sure as hell isn't reporting it (for obvious reasons).
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