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.

[The Great Satan]

Still clinging to the rogue scientist nonsense, Henry? You came to the wrong place. Everybody on this board ditched that months ago -- even John H K barely posts any more. Time has passed you by, I'm afraid.

[justa-hairyape]

Of course he had anthrax back then. We gave the stuff to him. It was that 'an enemy of our enemey is our friend', nonesense. I never bought the line that the US military mistakenly blew up chemical weapons artiliery shells. He used WMD on our troops. Thats why our vets have Gulf War Syndrom and thats why our military is now taking him out. Perhaps you dont realize that in the first strike scenario there is an acceptable loss ratio. When war breaks out its mainly up to us to protect the homefront and our own buts. If you think thats too tough for the typical american, imagine what life would be like if you were an Israeli citizen.

[The Great Satan]

Gulf War Syndrome is a myth. We did not give Saddam his WMD, that's bullsh*t. This has nothing to do with troops. Saddam's WMD are like our WMD. They are designed to facilitate the mass slaughter of civilians. End of story.

[niman]

Time has passed you by, I'm afraid.

Mort, batting .500 isn't bad. Right on latter, wrong on former.

[niman]

Pretty much everyone accepts my theory now

Who else besides Mort, Morton K Ballard, Clinton is a Rapist, and The Great Satan?

[The Great Satan]

Okay, any votes for Henry Niman's "rogue scientist" theory here? Any takers?

[The Great Satan]

Any of you believe that the anthrax came from anywhere but Iraq? Any of you believe that the anthrax came from a a rogue US military scientist? Apart from niman, I mean?

[The Great Satan]

Any takers for the "rogue US government scientist theory" here, except for niman?

[The Great Satan]

Do you have any supporters here, niman? How many names do you want to ping?

[Shermy]

Of course he had anthrax back then. We gave the stuff to him

That's been played up as a big deal - but isn't. Common for trading it among universities, especially veternarian schools. It's used for study and making animal vaccines.

[okie01]

Out of interest, what evidence -- circumstantial and otherwise -- supports the "rogue scientist" theory?

Assertions attributed to Barbara Hatch Rosenberg don't count.

[The Great Satan]

Can someone help niman out? He's been a big proponent of the theory that the anthrax came from a US government scientist, and not from Saddam Hussein. I'm trying to find him a supporter, because he seems to be drastically outnumbered these days. Just trying to salve his ego a bit. But, it's really hard to find anybody who takes the "rogue scientist" story seriously these days. Won't one of you please take poor niman under your wing and give him some verbal encouragement?

[okie01]

"Of course he had anthrax back then. We gave the stuff to him. It was that 'an enemy of our enemey is our friend', nonesense."

Hardly. Sharing of various animal pathogens (like anthrax) between the USDA, our vet med schools and foreign agricultural colleges was commonplace.

And there is an enormous difference between providing samples of b. anthracis and creating a weaponized version. It's equivalent to the difference between selling somebody scrap iron and their using it to construct a battleship.

[The Great Satan]

Okay, we have a natural phenomenom here today. Henry Niman, arch proponent of the theory that the anthrax letters sent after of 9/11 were the work of a US government conspiracy, is here looking for support. Normally, he spends his time in mutual mental masturbation with a small coterie of like-minded individuals on a private, subscription-only forum, discussing "Greendale School," miraculous anthrax-sniffing bloodhounds, and 35As. But, nobody takes them seriously anymore, so he's ventured out of his little hole to take on the world. I'm trying to find him some supporters here. Do we have any takers for the theory that the anthrax letters were actually a US-sponsored terrorist attack on itself?

[co-jones]

Outnumbered? I DON'T THINK SO.

Oh, by the way, I thought you were Morton D. Ballard not Morton K.... Which is it?

Or, are are you including BOTH Mortons in that growing list of your converts?

And, not to pry, but could you tell us just how many of your Saddam-did-it "converts" are actually you?
Just curious.

[Miss Marple]

The only possibility I can think of is that there might (and I stress the word "might) be a scientist who worked in collusion with foreign agents, either unwittingly or for financial gain.

The main operators, even in that case, would be the foreign agents.

[The Great Satan]

Woo-hoo! We found one niman supporter. That's impressive...

[co-jones]

Thank you Thank you but YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING, YET!

[Travis McGee]

I agree with it. The 3 gram anthrax "attack" was a deniable warning shot from a government.

Iraq.

[Travis McGee]

He's not me. I am me. And I agree with TGS.