White House promises 'smoking gun intelligence'

The Daily Telegraph ^ | January 16, 2003 | Toby Harnden

[MadIvan]

White House officials have reassured Republicans by signalling that America and Britain are prepared to release powerful intelligence evidence to cement the case for war against Iraq.

Andy Card, the White House chief of staff, and Karl Rove, President George W Bush's chief political strategist, have each indicated privately that the administration has proof that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Card received blunt warnings from conservative Republican senators last week that Mr Bush had to produce a much more concrete case for war if he hoped to keep public support.

Senator Kit Bond of Missouri said more information should be released and asked: "What is the connection between Iraq and al-Qa'eda?" According to sources at the private meeting, Mr Card is understood to have urged him: "Don't worry."

Mr Rove is believed to have used similar language during private briefings to politicians in Washington.

He strongly suggested that the Bush administration already possesses a piece of intelligence from the CIA or MI6 that would amount to the "smoking gun" critics are calling for.

[Howlin]

You, too. See above!

[okie01]

"Well, if that's all we legally need to press 'start', then splendid, but I'm a bit under-whelmed.

"At least it should be small-pox in the flask, or ricin."

Really? Even though it would mean that Saddam has already attacked the U.S. directly and was therefore complicit in the 9/11 WTC attacks, as well?

That's not enough?

[Wolfstar]

Tonight on Greta Van Sustern's show, a gentleman by the name of Richard Spertzel was on. He was introduced as a "former UN weapons inspector." He made a remarkable statement that he believes the anthrax used in the 2001 attacks came from Iraq. To the best of my recollection, this is the first time someone with first-hand, authoritative knowledge of Iraq's bioweapons capabilities has publicly linked the anthrax attacks with Iraq.

A quick Google search of his name produced the following:

RICHARD O. SPERTZEL, VMD Ph.D.
FORMER HEAD OF BIOLOGY SECTION, UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION ON IRAQ

LINK TO: Mr. Spertzel's statement before the House Committee on International Relations, 12/5/01.

LINK TO: Mr. Spertzel's statement before the House Armed Services Committee, 9/10/02

[Howlin]

Mark it down: I will have a LIVE THREAD up EARLY that day.

[El Gato]

I only hope the Tribunal provides ample seating around the gallows for the families of the people's he's murdered over the years

You'd have to hold it in The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I don't think it would be big enough, it only seats 250,000.

[Torie]

One reason not to release the smoking gun is that the Blix team might be taken hostage. It should be done when they are all out of the country celebrating Easter (Passover, Spring break, whatever) or something. Just a thought.

[Howlin]

You are correct; that is the first time those words have been spoken on live TV.

[Howlin]

Martin Luther King's birthday? :-)

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks for the eyewitness reporting.

[El Gato]

Indeed. SOTU speech would be good, but maybe he's waiting until the infector detector inspectors report that there is NO smoking gun, and then voilå

Their report is due on the 27th, the day before teh SOTU speach. :)

[hellinahandcart]

LOL.....it's always about YOU, isn't it? :-)

Open your eyes. The signs are everywhere. ;D

[Torie]

One test of effective leadership is for one of reasonable but not spectacular intelligence to be able to effectively recruit and herd geniuses or near geniuses, or the merely very smart.

[El Gato]

I do think that once this info is released, then the bombs start dropping probably in a matter of days It's less than 3 days from the SOTU speech to the new moon on the first. Works out kinda nice don't you think?

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[okie01]

Spertzel is prominently quoted in FBI theory on anthrax doubted (state source probable), Washington Post

[Samurai_Jack]

Remember this one?
Hijacker given anthrax flask by Iraqi agent, from the London Times, October 27, 2001.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



AMAZING Look at the date that this was posted... 10/01

To: Fulbright

I'm hoping that the drill goes like this:

Focus on Afghanistan and Al Queda. Hold Coalition #1 together for the years it takes to see the Taliban thrown down, AL Queda broken up, etc. A stable Afghanistan installed so we don't have to go back in a few more years.

Meanwhile, use the threat of "You're next" against Sudan, Lebanon and Iran to get what agreements/concessions/intelligence/support we can from them. Simultaneously, begin rebuilding the CIA's human assets in these countries.

When Afghanistan is done, decide what to do next. We may be able to fight in the shadows completely via new CIA assets, Delta Force raids, etc. Or we may try to build Coalition #2 to openly take on, say, Iraq.

The important thing is to focus and buckle down. If we get all worked up about Iraq and the pressure builds to openly attack them now, we're sunk. If Pakistan actually turns on us, we will be unable to defeat the Taliban. It'll be another Vietnam, except that it's a thousand-mile border instead of a Ho Chi Min trail and those sending in the supplies and giving sanctuary have nuclear weapons.

6 posted on 10/27/2001 10:42 PM PDT by the Wayne


Doesnt this sound familiar?? Somebody needs to change his screen name to nostrilFREEPINdamous!

[El Gato]

And I believe it's going to involve HUGE charts, map, and a pointer, do you?

That's old fashioned. How a about a giant projection disply and the CinC operting the cursor from a laptop? :)

[txhurl]

I'm talking about world opinion, not mine. I want to see SH go bye-bye if only because he's ugly.

I just wanted the smoking gun to be something so overwhelming that the world media wouldn't dare demand that war be iced while we get the video tape validated by Sheryl Crow or something.

[lds23]

the news that he's been totally exposed as a liar and an anti-American!

He's already been so exposed. Unfortunately, there are many who are happy to go right along with him (and the behind-the-scenes Clintonistas), because they think they can get a better deal from the "system" that they can from the traditional ideals that created the wealth and security our country has to offer.

How to get them to see and embrace the truth, and abandon Democrats, is a question I've been wrestling with.

The almost 50/50 deal we saw in the 2000 Presidential election and that we have now in the new Congress are a little too close for comfort.

[Miss Marple]

I will donate gazillions of dollars to the RNC if some of the evidence includes proof of the Clintons' complicity in (choose one) OKC, Palestinian terrorism, Iraqi WMD purchases, or al Qaeda funding.

Hopefully with video and sound.