Posted on 10/23/2001 4:29:41 PM PDT by callisto
Iraq Tuesday denied involvement in the anthrax attacks and accused the US administration of spreading anthrax fears to transform its "defeat" in the September 11 terror attacks into a victory in countering alleged bio-terrorism.
"We worked on anthrax in the 1980s," Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Aziz told BBC television when told that Iraq was a suspected source of the anthrax scare.
"(But) in the 1990s, we destroyed all our anthrax assets; they were not of high grade," he said.
"This is very well known because there were (UN) inspections in Iraq for seven and a half years in the 1990s," Aziz said.
"Anthrax exists in many, many countries, including the United States," added the Iraqi official, who again denied Baghdad's involvement in the terror attacks on New York and Washington.
Ath-Thawra, mouthpiece of Iraq's ruling Baath Party, said earlier Tuesday that "all evidence" points to the United States as being "the source of the anthrax."
"This anthrax has been prepared in American laboratories and the suspect packages which spread the scare have been sent from inside the United States, and this incriminates the American authorities," the newspaper said.
Ath-Thawra said the "American authorities do not wish to kill Americans, but are seeking to spread a scare around the world to reach their objectives."
The United States "wants to show that its security services have succeeded in uncovering an alleged biological attack in order to make everyone forget its defeat and inability to detect the September 11 attacks on time or to find concrete proof about the perpetrators."
The anthrax scare has deepened around the world after it was confirmed that two US postal workers died of anthrax inhalation.
Iraq's charge d'affaires in Cairo Tuesday also dismissed US media reports linking Baghdad with the anthrax scare, saying Iraq was "above responding to such insults.
"These false accusations are nothing new," Hamam al-Alusi said, quoted by Egypt's MENA news agency. "The whole world knows that Iraq has nothing whatsoever to do with this subject."
Last week, a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Scott Ritter, said to blame Baghdad was irresponsible.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Washington's arch-foe, is the only Arab leader not to have condemned the terror attacks on the United States.
But Aziz insisted on BBC television that Baghdad had "nothing to do" with the attacks and that all claims to the contrary were "a pretext to hurt Iraq."
"No, the world is not after that," Aziz said when asked whether he could assure the world that Iraq is not developing mass destruction weapons.
It is the United States and Britain which are "after that, and they are using that as a pretext (to threaten Iraq)," he said.
Asked whether Baghdad was ready to stand up to another US attack, Aziz said: "We are. We have no choice but to defend our country, our sovereignty and (our territorial) integrity."
And Iraq's message to the United States: "Leave us alone; stop the aggression against Iraq."
Shrewd observation.
Iraq should sense that they are #2 or #3 on the Hit List and their turn will surely come. Anticipating that instance, they have to use the intervening time to muddy the water. This is an attempt to peel off our allies and attract support for their own "innocent" selves...
My theory is that it's one, maybe two, lefties doing this on their own. Their "group" is unaware, and would turn them over to the FBI if they knew.
They're just sitting back watching the tube now. The post office workers were not suppose to die though.
I think they probably wanted a big scare , but it didn't turn out that way.
It's a theory, but I really feel that this is homegrown.
Sure, there's lots of rumers, stories, news articles that say "they did it, those peolple, that nation....". But I still hold my theory.
The American anti-capitalists have even more to gain than Pig Ladin. They gain control of the nation, and therefore the world, or so they think!.
FWIW, Tariq, my 7-year old comes up with better lines than you do when trying to cover up his little no-no's...you DORK.
a bit farther down you will find:
Ath-Thawra, mouthpiece of Iraq's ruling Baath Party, said earlier Tuesday that "all evidence" points to the United States as being "the source of the anthrax."
...
Ath-Thawra said the "American authorities do not wish to kill Americans, but are seeking to spread a scare around the world to reach their objectives."
The United States "wants to show that its security services have succeeded in uncovering an alleged biological attack in order to make everyone forget its defeat and inability to detect the September 11 attacks on time or to find concrete proof about the perpetrators."
Sp, it is a quote, but not directly from Saddam, rather from his official party rag.
Diogenesis, please elaborate . . .
Who is this ''Dr. Germ''?
"Anthrax exists in many, many countries, including the United States," added the Iraqi official,
REWORDED - "Anthrax exists in many countries, just not in ours..."
Not.
(hint)...
Right after the war, we remarketed it as "Sterno".
This statement reads exactly like the game plan that Bin Laden would have outlined.
1. Hit targets before detection.
2. Cover all tracks that would lead to sources.
Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say that Iraq was at the planning table.
Deep penetration.
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.