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"The question is why do they need such a huge quantity of Tubes. 50,000 is a huge numbers of 81 mm Howitzers!!!"
OK. Firstly. The tubes could have been used for rockets.
Rockets are totally different from artillery shells. When one uses the term Howitzers, they make reference to a type of artillery piece.
So clear your mind on that one.
Secondly. Saddam's regime spent huge amounts of money of all forms of military hardware/ordnance. We must keep in mind they used up a lot of stuff during the eight year war with Iran.
For all we know they may have fallen well below their stock of various size rockets. Perhaps this they where planning to develop a new line of rockets somewhat superior to those they had been purchasing. It is possible they decided to develop and manufacture their own rockets fearing the would eventually be cut off from outside sales. Lots of reasons could be given for wanting such a large number of tubes.
And 50K could be used up in a few weeks if a massive exchange was required say with Iran in the future.
Think this way. Rocket launcher mobile system. Twenty tubes. Line up a hundred rocket launchers on a border area, and fire as many barrages as possible on a continues basis. Do the math. The barrage would not last very long, right.
OK
If the alternate plan for the tubes where for a centriguge system. Then we are cooking. Whether the tubes in the end analysis where proven to be of satisfactory quality and type aluminum. Saddam would have gone against the UN sanctions to not pursue nuclear development.
Who knows. On this one we may never have a final definitive answer. We must continue to be fair to ourselves. One does not want to put themselves into a spot where one is open to to much criticism. We simply do not know for sure at this time for what use these tubes where meant. But in either case, the question remains. Under the UN sanctions, was Iraq permitted to obtain these tubes for either of the proposed reasons. That is the issue, at least from my viewpoint.
And surely the question in no way reflects on your continued service to translate many rather smoking gun arabic documents. Thanks again for your service.