U.S. Faced with Iraqi Complicity in Attack

Middle East News Line ^ | 10.29.01 | Middle East News Line

[grimalkin]

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Bush administration is reluctantly facing mounting evidence that Iraq was involved in both the Islamic suicide attacks on New York and Washington as well as the anthrax outbreak in the United States.

U.S. government sources said an investigation of the anthrax attacks against Congress has pointed to evidence that Iraq could have been responsible. They said that Iraq is the only country that produces agents found on some of the letters.

The sources told the ABC television network that the anthrax found in a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was laced with bentonite. Iraq is the only country which produces the agent.

"It means to me that Iraq becomes the prime suspect as the source of the anthrax used in these letters," former U.N. weapons inspector Timothy Trevan said.

The White House, however, has refrained from blaming Iraq for the attacks. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Iraqi agents might not have sent the letters.

Evidence of Iraqi involvement in the suicide attacks on New York and Washington also increased over the weekend. U.S. officials have confirmed reports that the suspected organizer of the suicide squads, Mohammed Ata, met an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Officials are now investigating suspicions that Ata was given anthrax samples by the Iraqi agent. They said authorities are also probing links between Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden and extreme right-wing groups in the United States.

[GuillermoX]

I think the WH and the Media are praying that the anthrax attacks are the result of "right wing" extremists.

[AgThorn]

Evidence of Iraqi involvement in the suicide attacks on New York and Washington also increased over the weekend. U.S. officials have confirmed reports that the suspected organizer of the suicide squads, Mohammed Ata, met an Iraqi intelligence agent in Prague before the Sept. 11 attacks.

these "reports" have been out for about a month. Did it take that long to "confirm" or are we just getting around to realizing what the media has already reported a month ago?

[grimalkin]

I have no idea, but it's frustrating.

[AmericaUnited]

I thought bentonite was a type of clay ?

[terilyn]

I have another theory, maybe hair-brained, but here goes.

The U.S. knows that Iraq is behind the Anthrax attacks. To publicly acknowledge it would mean that they have to immediately take difinitive action or risk looking like wimps. Either our military is so torn down after eight years of Clinton, or they're carefully getting their ducks in a row before confirming what we all suspect. No sense warning the enemy that we're coming before we're ready to do it right. I don't honestly know if we're capable of staging two wars at one time right now.

I do know that Great Britain has been hesitant to support this war if it expands to Iraq. I have also read today that the FBI is finally testing Atta's apartment, car, etc. for anthrax. The U.S. may want absolute proof to share with our allies before throwing out difinitive statements of blame.

[fatrat]

i don't know if it is still being used now but when i worked as a firefighter for the california division of forestry in 1961 we regularly mixed bentonite with water in large vats at airports and kept it on hand at all times. they had bi-wing planes which would load this stuff and drop it on forest fires as needed. it was a pretty pink color.

[justa-hairyape]

I agree with your assessment. Unfortunately I believe that these factors are leading the US into mistaken applications of our military force. It would be folly to get US troops involved in a ground campaign within Afghanistan with winter almost here. Those Afghani mountains are worthless pieces of dirt. Other factors with our mistake application of force are the biowarfare attacks currently occurring WITHIN the US, which may be supported or sponsered by Saddam Hussien.

If US troops get involved on the ground, the best place to apply that force now would be in Iraq capturing Saddam Hussien for his biological warfare crimes against humanity.

[fatrat]

1) bentonite. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. ...An absorbent aluminum silicate clay formed from volcanic ash and used in various adhesives, cements, and ceramic fillers. After Benton Formation (formerly Fort Benton...

[hsszionist]

Alright Dubya, is time to walk the talk yet?

[AmericaUnited]

So why is only Iraq capable of having this stuff ?

[fatrat]

"I have also read today that the FBI is finally testing Atta's apartment, car, etc. for anthrax. The U.S. may want absolute proof to share with our allies before throwing out difinitive statements of blame."

you mean they have only been on this case for 2 weeks and they are already this far along. wow, they sure move quick don't they? i am impressed.

[fatrat]

they are certainly not the only ones capable of having it, i think that they are the only ones that are known to have used it to enhance the properties of their anthrax spores. but who knows, i hear so much bullshit that is contradicted by the next government official that appears as a talking head.

[doosee]

Bentonite is commonly used by well drillers to seal wells and by farmers to seal ponds. It is more water proof than clay and is an extremely fine chalkly powder when not mixed with moisture. You and me can buy it anywhere. $7 per 50 pound sack. Found in Wyoming, Texas and a few other states naturally.

[VaBthang4]

I agree...

No doubt that if Iraq is behind this...then G. W. will be forced to go to the United Nations and present the Proof.

I am wondering if the intent is to beat down the Taliban enough so that the UN can take Afghanistan off of our hands and then we can turn to Iraq.

I have no doubt that we can handle Iraq and any other middle Eastern country that lines up with them but I dont think Saddam will make the mistake of allowing us to build ourselves up again.

This is no doubt a dicey situation that has to be prepped behind the scenes diplomatically.

Of course I would rather just see us invade Iraq and tell everyone else to kiss our *** but you and I both know that wont happen.

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

"So why is only Iraq capable of having this stuff ?"

Very few countries are known to have "weaponized" anthrax. These include the U.S., the Soviet Union, and Iraq. I beleive what is meant by saying that only Iraq produced the form of anthrax found in the Daschle letter is that a) it was the Ames strain and b) it was aerosolized with Bentonite. Both of these are fingerprints, if you will, to the Iraqi anthrax program.

[Sueann]

"The White House, however, has refrained from blaming Iraq for the attacks. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Iraqi agents might not have sent the letters"

What does it matter if Iraqi agents sent the letters - whoever sent the letters had to get the stuff from Iraq. Soooo, they are implicated by the bentonite - not the fact they sent the letters.

IMHO Ari has been soft-peddling this because facing Iraq again means another front to have war - and we are not prepared to do that yet. I wonder if they are just stalling until they get the new units armed and ready??

[dalebert]

I think Dubya is walking the talk. Looks like they are starting at the outside and working their way in. Saddam is making defensive noise now. He knows what is comming. It might be that he is the main mogul in a coalition of terrorist that involves a lot of things. Drugs,money laundering, bio terror, weapons ect. Wouldn't the best thing be to start picking off all the smaller members first.Kind of like cutting off his arms and legs first.I know one thing. You have to be meaner than your enemy to win.

[wastoute]

Ya'know there is one way to really warm winter mountains right up. We could even make them fairly glow. It would be summer in Trashcanistan for weeks.

[wastoute]

I grew up in New Mexico. I learned there that when you want to kill a snake you cut it's head off.