1999, 2000 Iraqi memos: Procurement of 50000 Aluminum Tubes That Can Be Used For URANIUM ENRICHMENT.

Pentagon/FMSO website for Iraq Pre-war documents ^ | April 24 2006 | jveritas

[jveritas]

This document CMPC-2004-004404 contains memos dated from 1999 and 2000 about Saddam regime procurements of 81 mm in Diameter, 900 mm in Lenght HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH QUALITY ALUMINUM TUBES. As many of you know the issue of 81 mm High Strength, High Quality Aluminum Tubes were subject for an intensive debate since 2002 because this type of tubes can be used in GAS CENTRIFUGES FOR URANIUM ENRICHMENT. Although the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) said in its final report in 2004 the following about the procurement of these tubes “ Baghdad’s interest in high-strength, high-specification aluminum tubes—dual-use items controlled under Annex 3 of the Ongoing Monitoring and Verification Plan as possible centrifuge rotors—is best explained by its efforts to produce 81-mm rockets”. However the ISG could not prove definitively that these very special tubes were not used as part of Saddam Regime attempt to build its Nuclear Programs and Projects (see link to ISG report http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/chap4.html#sect6). In fact the ISG in its report says also the following “ The limited information found by ISG that ties Iraqi nuclear entities to the tubes also appears related to the 81-mm rocket program and the ISG report also says ” Purported high-level interest in aluminum tubes by Saddam and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister—a potential indicator of a program of national importance, such as a centrifuge program.. A 6 March 2003 letter from the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate (NMD) to the IAEA’s Iraq Nuclear Verification Office (INVO) notes that the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) conducted material composition testing on a sample aluminum tube in early 2001 and In another translated memo “http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1620262/posts ” that talks about a secret project by the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission to re-instate the “Nuclear Reactor Simulators” using equipments from the “Old TAMUZ (OZIRAQ) Nuclear Reactor”. All this is a clear indication of Saddam intent to restart the Nuclear Programs.

I will translate the first two pages of this 11 pages document. The first two pages are the Quotation Bid regarding these Special Aluminum Tubes by a company called AL Bashair addressed to Al Rasheed General Company which is a division of the Iraqi Military Manufacturing Commission. Page 3 of the document has the Technical Specification written in English of these Aluminum tubes, Diameter, Length, Specification, Chemical Composition, Price, Manufacturing origin etc,,

Beginning of the Partial Translation of document CMPC-2004-004404

In the Name of God the Most Merciful The Most Compassionate

Al-Bashair Trading Co. LTD

Date: 2/11/1999

To: Al Rasheed General Company

Subject: Proposal

Following up to our two letters numbered T 2484 and T 2504 on 30/10 and 1/11/1999 consecutively and attached with it proposals numner/3 related to your invitation numbered (75/3/13) included is our forth proposal related to it:

Please study with the other proposals sent to by our letter above and inform us..

With Regards

Signature…

Mounir Mamdooh Awed

Acting Director

4/11/1999

Best Salute

Indicating to your overture addressed to us regarding the bid numbered (725/99) we are pleased to offer our proposal included and are shown its details of the Technical Specifications, Prices, and the required quantity by you.

Knowing that the cost of a single tube delivered to your respected company warehouses is estimated (105 dollar) one hundred and five American Dollars,

Please take in consideration the following issues:

1. The Manufacturing Origin of the tubes German/European.

2. The equipping will be achieved within a period of 8 months from the date to deposit the amount in our interest and in the order of partial shipments divided during the equipping period above, where the first shipment begins within four months from the period of equipping indicated above.

3. The quantity of tubes required for equipping is 50,000 Tubes.

We hope that our proposal will receive your approval… with the continuous corporation with you to serve the general interest… with regards

Attachments. Schedule of Technical Specifications with prices.

TUBE ALUMUNIUM ALLOY

1. SPECIFICATION: AL-ZN-MG-CU 215/ NO. 7075

2. DIMENSION OF TUBE:

Outside Diameter = 81.0 mm

Inside Diameter = 74.4 mm

Thickness = 3.3 mm

Length = 900 mm.

3. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

NB ALL TUBES ARE SUBJECTED TO CHEMICAL COATNG IONADIZATION PROCESS TO PREVENT AND SUSTAIN SCRATCHES AND CORROSIONS.

4. PRICE: FOR EACH TUBE = USD 105

5. MANUFACTURING OF ORIGIN: GERMANY OR E.E.C

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Rockets get hot and aluminum melts....

[freema]

ping for expertise and input

[jveritas]

You are absolutely correct eyespy.

[jveritas]

Document CMPC-2004-004402 is also a bid for the same type of Aluminum tubes but this one is for a quantity of 60,000 tubes and from Yugoslavia and the memo is dated May 14 2000.

PS: What is weird that both documents have synopsis on the Pentagon Website and neither one of the synopsis mentions the Aluminum Tubes despite that is has been a subject of great and inclusive debates since 2002!

[jveritas]

Document CMPC-2004-004402 is also a bid for the same type of Aluminum tubes but this one is for a quantity of 60,000 tubes and from Yugoslavia and the memo is dated May 14 2000.

PS: What is weird that both documents have synopsis on the Pentagon Website and neither one of the synopsis mentions the Aluminum Tubes despite that is has been a subject of great and inconclusive debates since 2002!

[Marine_Uncle]

"The quality level seems high for use in munitions....etc...."
I downloaded the pdf document blaster88 recommended. I did not have this in my collection.
Agree. As most everyone will. Perhaps my earlier on comments where somehow misinterpreted into thinking I believed the tubes where for rockets. I just was responding to earlier enquiries of folks possing questions, somewhat confused as to what a artillery shell is verse a rocket etc..
The evidence appears very strong that the tubes where not intendended for making rockets.

[ElkGroveDan]

Rockets get hot and aluminum melts.... ;

True, and while I am on your side in the doubtful column, I will point out that aluminum can be cast for use in extremely hot applications - engine blocks come to mind.

[Marine_Uncle]

"However if you link at what some freepers posted on this thread about Powell statements on these Aluminum tubes, it makes me think more and more that they were not intended for conventional 81 mm rockets."
And in this I have to agree with you. I downloaded the IAEA document blaster88 recommended. I am sure it is going to be a very informative read.

[Peach]

Now if we could get our Congressmen to actually start talking about this stuff, they could save themselves from defeat in November.

[expatpat]

I think you are doing terrific work. I'm just hoping that you can find a smoking gun. I never believed the tubes were intended for rockets, but I am hoping for something that will force reeasonable libs to accept the truth.

[avacado]

---But his attempt to procure them prior to the invasion was known, so any way we split it, the bastard was caught with his pants down.---

Yes indeed Saddam was caught with his pants down. But he has been caught with his pants down, ie, in breach of UN disarmament resolutions, for 12 years. The inspectors were finding banned Al Samud II missiles as late as Feb. 2003 and destroying them. They were also destroying warheads containing some 50 liters of mustard gas in Feb of 2003. It's all documented.

But the left doesn't care about 12 years of breaches of disarmament. The MSM drilled it into their tiny brains that it is ONLY about some HUGE volume of WMD.

[jveritas]

I am waiting for the Yellow Cake document to surface, now think what this will do to liberals and their media :)

[Shelayne]

Exactly. If it was OK for him to procure these tubes for rockets, why did he do it covertly? From what I understand--I will have to do more digging--it was OK for Saddam to have a certain kind of tube for rockets, but that is NOT what he was going for. He was covertly obtaining the dual-use tubes. Why?

[jveritas]

The MSM drilled it into their tiny brains that it is ONLY about some HUGE volume of WMD.

Absolutely correct, and even more correct when you attribute "tiny brains" to the liberal media :)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now look at this:

SPECIFICATION: AL-ZN-MG-CU 215/ NO. 7075

We have an alloy with Zinc, Magnesium, Copper and aluminum...and of course Thickness = 3.3 mm

Isn't 3.3 mm a bit thin?

And why the ingredients in the alloy?

[jveritas]

In fact if you look at page 2 of document CMPC-2004-004402 (page 2 contain the Technical Specifications that are English) dated May/14/2000 you notice that the Aluminum Technical Specifications is even higher grade than what mentioned in CMPC-2004-00404 as it mentions Aluminum No 7075 T6 and it has some content of Titanium (Ti 0.2%) whereas the first bid does not have it. As Collin Powell said they Iraqis kept elevating the Technical specifications of these Aluminum tubes.

[avacado]

Okay, here's something interesting. The trading company mentioned in this document, Al-Bashair Trading Co. LTD, seems to be a front for the Assad family in Syria.

Here's a few interesting notes on the Al-Bashair Trading Co:

- The nephew of Zu Alhema al-Shaleesh, Assef al-Shaleesh, runs Al Bashair Trading Co., a front for the Assad family involved prior to the war in oil smuggling from Iraq and arms smuggling into the country. Al-Bashair has offices in Damascus, Beirut and Baghdad.

- Al Bashair Trading Co. participated in the smuggling of millions of dollars worth of sophisticated arms and equipment to Saddam Hussein for three years prior to the Iraqi leader's overthrow.

- Al Bashair executives met with North Korean firms before the war began, according to the Los Angeles daily. The paper's three-month investigation included the translation of 800 signed contracts found in the Al Bashair Trading Co. office shortly before U.S. troops entered Baghdad.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very interesting.....we may not be able to eliminate the possibility that these tubes were for munitions, but everything we are seeing is that they are consistent with centrifuges....RIGHT?

And the quantities may be the REAL IMPORTANT element of these documents....cause I am guessing that Powell didn't have that factoid....

[Shelayne]

From Charles Duelfer's testimony to Congress (re:Nuclear Program)

One significant effort illustrating this was a high-speed rail gun program under the direction of two senior scientists associated with Iraq’s pre-1991 nuclear weapons program. Documents from this project show that the scientists were developing a rail gun designed to achieve speeds of 2-10 kilometers per second. The ostensible purpose for this research was development of an air defense gun, but these speeds are what are necessary to conduct experiments of metals compressing together at high speed as they do in a nuclear detonation. Scientists refer to these experiments as “equation of state” measurements.

Not only were these scientists developing a rail gun, but their laboratory also contained documents describing diagnostic techniques that are important for nuclear weapons experiments, such as flash x-ray radiography, laser velocimetry, and high-speed photography. Other documents found outside the laboratory described a high-voltage switch that can be used to detonate a nuclear weapon, laser detonation, nuclear fusion, radiation measurement, and radiation safety. These fields are certainly not related to air defense.

It is this combination of topics that makes us suspect this lab was intentionally focused on research applicable for nuclear weapons development.

We continued our efforts to determine if Iraq was seeking to develop technologies for a uranium enrichment capability. Iraq’s efforts to procure high tolerance aluminum tubes were examined. Ostensibly these tubes were for small rockets, but the manufacturing tolerances specified were much higher than would normally be required for this purpose. Technical reasons for the high tolerances were explained by a number of Iraqis associated with their acquisition, but there are still a number of discrepancies to examine with regard to these tubes.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/2004/tenet_testimony_03302004.html (Sorry, I don't know how to post links!)

Taken all together, is there really any question about these tubes anymore? Bottom line is Saddam was not allowed to have or acquire these dual-use tubes at all.

[eyespysomething]

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