Iraq takes delivery of powder used in chemical arms

Iraq imported up to 25 metric tons last month of a powder that is a crucial ingredient to such "dusty" weapons.

We have "dusty" weapons as well. ...They can turn whole countries to dust in a few short minutes. Saddam might get to see them first hand.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

FOX NEWS.com:"STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO AL QAEDA WARNS OF MORE ATTACKS ON NEW YORK, WASHINGTON" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A statement attributed to Al Qaeda threatened more attacks in New York and Washington unless America stops supporting Israel and converts to Islam, an Arab TV reporter who received the unsigned document said Saturday.")(111602)

NY POST.com: "APPLE ON GUARD FOR CAR BOMBS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "And a major focus of the NYPD's attention is the possible use of car or truck bombs by al Qaeda operatives and their sympathizers, sources said.") (111602)

TIMES ONLINE.co.uk: "'AL-QAEDA MAN' HELD FOR HOTEL CAR BOMB PLOT" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The CIA is questioning a leading al-Qaeda fundraiser arrested in Kuwait, whom they accuse of plotting a car bomb at a hotel in Yemen used by American military personnel. Intelligence sources say that Mohsen al-Fadhli, who has been moved to a secret location, has also confessed to funding last month's attack on a French oil tanker off the Yemeni coast.") (111802)

CANADA.com (THE DAILY TELEGRAPH and files from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS): "AL-QAIDA VIDEO PUTS HOTELS ON ALERT English Speaking Terrorists Trained to Execute Guests" (111702)

SMH.com.au (THE SUN-HERALD): "TERRORIST PLANNED ATTACK ON NUCLEAR WARHEAD STOCKPILE" (ARTICLE NOTE: The "Al-Qaeda terrorist" is identified as "Tunisian Nizar Trabelsi, 31, a former professional footballer in the German league.") (111702)

***WTOP.com News (AP): "FBI WARNS OF 'SPECTACULAR ATTACKS'" (111502)

***WHITE HOUSE.gov - News Release: "DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY DISCUSSES THREAT LEVEL" (EXCEPRT FROM PRESS BRIEFING: While there is no plan at this time to raise the threat level, we do remain concerned about recent intelligence reporting, as well as the audio tape received earlier this week, no matter whose voice it is that is on that audio tape. Because of this concern, federal agencies are taking a variety of additional steps to ramp up our protection and prevention measures, as well as communicating with state and local law enforcement and the private sector to inform them of our assessment of the latest information. If you'll recall, in early October, there was a release of tapes recorded by bin Laden, as well as Zawahiri, and increased intelligence reporting against our critical infrastructure, transportation systems, and the American people and our friends and allies. That led us to issue several public warnings about the heightened possibility of either a large-scale or several small-scale attacks on the United States at home or against our interests abroad. At that time, we began a coordinated effort among all levels of the government and the private sector to reduce our vulnerability and increase our preparedness levels, based on the new threat information. And that information has not stopped and will be ongoing for the foreseeable future.") (Click here to view entire transcript.) (November 14, 2002)

***U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: "WORLDWIDE CAUTION" (110602)

BBC NEWS: "IRAQIS 'INFILTRATED UK GERM LABS'" (111602)

TIMES ONLINE.co.uk: "SADDAM PAYS GADDAFI $3 BILLION TO GIVE HIS FAMILY SAFE HAVEN IN LIBYA" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Word of Saddam's deal with the Libyan leader has emerged from diplomatic sources in Tripoli following a visit to the Libyan capital on September 8 by General Ali Hasan al-Majid, a cousin and trusted member of Saddam's clan. General al-Majid is known by the Kurds of northern Iraq as "Chemical Ali" because he was in charge of the Iraqi forces which launched a chemical weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988. He was also initially the "Governor" of Kuwait after Iraq's invasion of the Gulf state in August 1990, and is now one of the Baath Party regional command leaders. He is believed to have travelled to Tripoli to deliver a personal missive from Saddam to the Libyan leader, confirming the arrangements for his family.") (111602)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "BAGHDAD INCREASES RANGE OF SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES" by Bill Gertz (111502)

FOX NEWS.com: "RAW DATA: IRAQ'S LETTER TO U.N." (111302)

FOX NEWS.com: "IRAQ STOCKPILING GAS ANTIDOTE" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The fate of 31,600 chemical munitions, 550 mustard gas bombs and 4,000 tons of chemical precursors remain unknown, according to Congressional Research Services. In fact, the primary remaining chemical weapons questions center on the VX nerve agent, which atropine can be used to counter. By 1995, UNSCOM uncovered enough evidence to force Iraq to admit to producing about 4 tons of VX, but UNSCOM thought the country had imported enough material to actually produce 200 tons of VX, according to CRS.") (111202)

YAHOO! News Coverage: "IRAQ"

"BLOODY FRIDAY - CHEMICAL MASSACRE OF THE PEOPLE OF HALABJA BY THE IRAQI REGIME MARCH 1988" (ALERT: This BLOODY FRIDAY site should not be viewed by children.)

FREEREPUBLIC.com - Search Term for News Discussion Threads: "SADDAM"

CNN.com: "NUCLEAR WEAPONS: WHO HAS WHAT"

An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com of a HAARETZ DAILY.com article by Yossi Melman: "VIRTUAL SOLDIERS IN A HOLY WAR" (111102)

MENA REPORT.com: "U.S. SUPERCOMPUTERS FIRM MOVES TO DUBAI MEDIA CITY" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) has moved to a new office at the Dubai Media City (DMC) premises. The change in SGI's location is accompanied by a change in the management team. Gilbert Soufan has assumed the role of Country Manager for the Middle East and Africa. Philippe Guardia has been appointed Country Manager for Saudi Arabia. "The SGI Super Computers that are installed in this region are rated among the most powerful supercomputers in the world,” said Soufan. "The majority of Oil companies, TV stations and Visual Simulation integrators rely almost exclusively on our technology to solve their toughest problems."") (110402)

Iraq told the United Nations the powder was destined for a pharmaceutical company.

Hmmmmm .. Hey Koffee .. care to explain why you let this happen and why you are always a fool

Saddam should look closely at this photo. It's of an MX missile's 10 MIRVs (Multiple Independently-targeted Re-entry Vehicles), and one such missile could destroy 10 different Iraqi targets (including cities). Just one. Saddam might want to think twice about using WMD against us.

If we nuke em there will be no one there to use the chemical weapons. And we can blame the nuclear blasts on them and say it must have been a nuke they were developing that accidentally went off. MUAHAHAHAHAHA

That picture makes me want to ask for a tax increase on myself so we can build some more. Brings a tear to my eyes. Sniff....Sniff....I am replacing the bimbo of the week photo on my desktop with this photo.

See also Saddam Abused His Last Chance, Clinton -clear and present danger to safety of people everywhere 1998 - The left claims Bush only cares about oil, looks like the left only cares about politics and not lives...

Yep, it's from our friends the germans

SOB's

For Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America: Degussa AG Technical Service Aerosil Rodenbacher Chaussee 4 P.O.Box 1345 D-63403 Hanau-Wolfgang Germany Tel. + 49 6181 59 3936 Fax + 49 6181 59 4489 E-mail: Technical.Service.Aerosil@degussa.com

The fumed silicon dioxide mentioned here (as a key ingredient of dusty VX) is the same substance that some have speculated was added to the mailed anthrax to weaponize it. See this Washington Post article from Oct. 28, 2002.

I have some bad news for you, my friend. Not only are we not building any more MX's, but Dubya has plans to get rid of all 50 we currrently have. It's by far our biggest, most accurate, and highest yielding ICBM, but it's considered "too devisive" by the current (and former) administration. Well, if we're going to get rid of them, we might as well shoot 'em off. But that would involve utterly annihilating 500 separate targets, and I'm pretty sure Iraq doesn't have close to that many nuke-worthy locations.

I will hold out hope it is all a psyop ploy and that by getting rid of the 50 we currently have he secretly means that we are getting 500 better ones... :)

Laser technology could be right around the corner, so perhaps we'll keep the MX until that day comes. And of course, we also currently have 500 Minuteman III ICBMs (totaling 1500 warheads) and 408 SLBMs (totaling 3,456 warheads). ...so we're still well armed.

Keep in mind that thermo-nuclear technology just turned 50 years old on October 31st. I think it's a plausible assumption that we've got something even more strategically effective now.

Also remember that the Administration stated it was looking into intercontinental "kinetic weapons", an ICBM that would carry a large mass as the warhead that is not explosive, but that has the ability to be recalled.

Don't forget gravity bombs and cruise missiles, the third arm of the nuclear triad.

I think it's a plausible assumption that we've got something even more strategically effective now.

I agree...it's quite plausible. I'll admit that the MX holds a bit of sentimental value to me (strange as that may sound). I connect its deployment with my favorite President (Ronald Reagan), and with the time in my life I was just starting to get into politics. Reagan's push for the MX also played no small part in bankrupting the Soviet Union and ending the Cold War.

Im thinking the Iraqi citizens are in more danger from whats burried around their cities and environs..than U.S. muntions..allthough U.S. muntions will undoubtadly release them.
The stockpiles of ..whatever..with the Republican Guard..or tucked away in lower levels of buildings may in the end wind up contaminating Iraq for decades.
This would verify the U.S.'s claim of Iraq possessing WMD..in the end,the Iraqi citizens would pay for Saddams denials....with their lives.

Munitions..Munitions....its late, and time to pack it in when proof reading fails...giggle

I guess I'm getting tired to, cause I didn't catch your spelling error either until you pointed it out. Oh well, I agree with what you wrote anyway. But it's hard to say exactly how and where Saddam has hidden his stockpile. I've read that his hole bio/chem arsenal could be packed into an area the size of a large living room, and if that's true, and he's hidden them well, we'll have a near impossible time finding them...and even destroying them with standard munitions. My guess is that they're buried deep under mosques.