Ritter in Japan Drumming up Anti-US Sentiment

As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell prepared to present evidence to the U.N. Security Council on allegations Iraq has weapons of mass destruction Wednesday, a former chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq slammed U.S. moves to attack Iraq and warned of serious repercussions for Japan if an attack goes ahead.

Scott Ritter, 42, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, said that there was no evidence that Iraq had acquired weapons of mass destruction since 1998, when the earlier team of U.N. inspectors he led left Iraq, and that the best way to guarantee that Iraq disarms is to give the latest team of inspectors time to do their work.

Ritter, a former U.S. marine who took part in 52 weapons inspections in Iraq between 1991 and 1998--leading 14 of them--accused the United States of breaking international law by seeking a regime change in Iraq.

"I didn't take an oath to obey the (U.S.) president blindly. That's what a good German did in the 1940s," he said, denying that his campaign to "wage peace" is unpatriotic.

Ritter also argued that North Korea will not sit back while the United States removes Saddam Hussein's regime and then turns its attention to North Korea, which along with Iran, makes up U.S. President George W. Bush's "axis of evil."

The ramification of U.S. policy toward Iraq is that North Korea may launch preemptive strikes on Japan, he added.

Ritter called on Japanese to "get engaged. What's happening in the Middle East does have an impact on Japan.

"The Japanese should never underestimate the impact they can have on the United States, by standing up and saying no. The American public will pay heed to that, and the one way to stop this war is for Bush to wake up one morning and find that by going to war he's a one-term president."

Subject: All Queda Interview.... Scary?

> The following interview was conducted by a reporter
> for the Al-Jazeera network with the third-in-command
> of the Al Queda organization, Mr. Mohammed
> Al-Asuquf.
> Al-Asuquf's background is impressive; a doctorate
> in physics and masters in international economics.
> In
> the interview, he talks of Al Queda's plans with
> total
> detachment, with deep knowledge and an unshakeable
> commitment to his cause. This interview was sent to
> Abel-Bari Atwan, chief editor of Al Quds, an
> Arabic-language newspaper published in London, but
> was
> never printed, due to its highly revealing
> [inflammatory?]contents. A copy of the interview
> came
> to Foz-do-Iguacu, and was translated into Portuguese
> by a university professor in the city's Arab
> community. This is probably the only existing
> version
> of this interview not in Arabic.
>
> Al-Jazeera: What is the objective of the Al Queda
> network?
> Al-Asuquf: To destroy the Great Satan, that is, the
> United States and Israel.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Why?
> Al-Asuquf: The USA over the past 60 years has been
> impregnating [infecting] the world with its
> arrogance,
> greed and malfeasance.
> It is the incarnation of all that is evil. The
> people
> of this planet don't deserve this torture.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Isn't this view somewhat one-sided?
> Al-Asuquf: No; one only has to observe recent
> events.
> The disrespect of the Kyoto treaty; the case of the
> Permanent Court of International Justice, their
> inaction with regards to our Palestinian brothers;
> the
> financial greed and absurd speculations in Third
> World
> countries; the complete indifference to other
> oppressed people and countless other situations
> which
> all of the world's leaders well know. And on top of
> all that, the Bush doctrine of "shoot first and ask
> questions later." This is an unacceptable abuse and
> will therefore have very grave consequences.
>
> Al-Jazeera: But the isn't the development and
> influence of America the fruit of its own
> competence?
> Al-Asuquf: Competence in extortion, competence in
> subjugation, competence in lying. After the Second
> World War, the USA was the only industrialized
> country
> with its manufacturing infrastructure intact.
> Loaning
> money like a good loan shark, it ended up becoming a
> very rich and powerful country; however, its greed
> remained undiminished.
> Today, Americans live like Maharajas [King], wasting
> more than any other people, spending more than 880
> billion per year just on gambling. They've lost any
> notion of spiritualityand live in constant sin. With
> each passing day the USA demonstrates that it
> doesn't
> know how to live with other peoples; for this, it
> deserves destruction.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Wouldn't it be easier to simply
> assassinate
> President George Bush?
> Al-Asuquf: In the first place, it would do no good,
> other than turning him into a martyr. When you face
> a
> powerful enemy, the best strategy is not to kill
> him,
> but to make him lose his leadership due to his
> incompetence, and let him live to watch this unfold.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Does the Al Queda network have the
> military capacity to make war on the United States?
> Al-Asuquf: If we analyze history, we will see that
> all
> great wars, before they were started, were based on
> previously established concepts [of war].
> But if we observe well, we will see that these
> concepts and strategies came to nothing, since a new
> type of war was ultimately waged. An example is the
> construction of the Maginot line by the French
> before
> the First World War, which, in reality proved to be
> completely useless against the invading forces.
> Aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and spy
> satellites will be useless in the next war.
>
> Al-Jazeera: American authorities hold more than
> 1,000
> people suspected of terrorism since September 11th.
> Won't this compromise Al Queda's plans?
> Al-Asuquf: Of those imprisoned, perhaps 20 to 30
> percent belong to Al Queda. Moreover, they are from
> the second echelon. We have more than 500 members of
> the first echelon and 800 from the second, inside
> the
> United States.
>
> Al-Jazeera: What do you mean by first and second
> echelons?
> Al-Asuquf: In the first echelon are Al Queda members
> who have been in the United States for more than 10
> years, many married with children. They have
> detailed
> knowledge of our plans and are just waiting for a
> phone call. They are also known as "sleepers." Those
> of the second echelon have arrived in the last five
> years and have no idea of plans.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Are even those who are married, with
> children, ready to die with their families?
> Al-Asuquf: Yes. All of them are ready to die. Long
> live
> September 11th..
>
> Al-Jazeera: What was September 11th to Al Queda's
> overall plans?
> Al-Asuquf: As a general step, it was just the
> beginning. It was a way of calling the world's
> attention to what is still to come.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How many members does Al Queda have?
> Al-Asuquf: In the first echelon, about 5,000; in the
> second, about 20,000, all over the world.
>
> Al-Jazeera: In the detention camp at Guantanamo, are
> there any members of the first echelon?
> Al-Asuquf: No, in fact, many of those there are not
> even Al Queda members.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How does Al Queda intend to destroy the
> most powerful nation in history?
> Al-Asuquf: It's a question of logistics. Using its
> own
> poison, that is, attacking the heart of what they
> consider the most important thing in the world:
> money.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How so?
> Al-Asuquf: The American economy is an economy of
> false
> appearances. There is no real economic ballast to
> the
> American economy. The American GDP of is something
> around 810 trillion, of which just 1 percent
> represents agriculture, and just 24 percent
> represents
> industry. Therefore, 75 percent of the American GDP
> is
> service and most of this is financial speculation.
> For those who understand economics, and it appears
> that the American Secretary of the Treasury, Paul
> O'Neil, doesn't or doesn't see it, it's enough to
> say
> that the USA acts like a huge "dot-com," and
> dollars,
> strictly speaking, are its shares.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Can you explain that?
> Al-Asuquf: The value of a company's shares is
> directly
> proportional to the profitability of the enterprise.
> When a business is just a service provider and
> doesn't
> produce any durable goods, the value of its shares
> depends on its credibility. Which is to say that if
> the credibility of the USA were shaken, its shares
> (the dollar) would fall with incredible rapidity and
> the entire American economy would begin to collapse.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How can you be so sure of this?
> Al-Asuquf: On a smaller scale, it's exactly what
> large
> financial groups do to the countries of the third
> world
> to reap profits in one month that Swiss banks
> couldn't
> get in four or five years.
>
> Al-Jazeera: So how will Al Queda shock the American
> economy to this point?
> Al-Asuquf: By provoking a deficit of between 850 and
> 870 trillion dollars, the equivalent of the United
> States' GDP for five to seven years.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How will this be done?
> Al-Asuquf: With the destruction of the seven largest
> American cities, along with other measures.
>
> Al-Jazeera: By what means will this be done?
> Al-Asuquf: Using atomic bombs.
>
> Al-Jazeera: With all of the security in the USA,
> how,
> hypothetically, will these bombs be smuggled onto
> American soil?
> Al-Asuquf: They won't be smuggled in, they're
> already
> there.
>
> Al-Jazeera: What are you saying?
> Al-Asuquf: There are already seven nuclear devices
> on
> American soil which were put in place before
> September
> 11th and are ready to be detonated.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How did they get in to the USA?
> Al-Asuquf: Before September 11, American security
> was
> a
> fiasco, and even after, were it necessary, we could
> manage to smuggle bombs into the United States. They
> entered through seaports, as normal cargo.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How is that possible?
> Al-Asuquf: A nuclear device is no bigger than a
> refrigerator; therefore, it can be easily
> camouflaged
> as one. Millions of cargo containers arrive in
> seaports each day, and no matter how efficient
> security is, it's impossible to check, search
> through
> and examine each container.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Where did these atomic bombs come from?
> Al-Asuquf: They were purchased on the black market.
>
> Al-Jazeera: From whom?
> Al-Asuquf: We bought five from the defunct Soviet
> Union and two more from Pakistan.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How is it possible to buy an atomic
> bomb?
> Isn't theresecurity?
> Al-Asuquf: Before 1989 it was practically
> impossible,
> however after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the
> Russian
> army began a process of self destruction, and some
> high generals began to lose their privileges,and
> therefore, highly susceptible to corruption. Even
> General Lebeb, now deceased, and Hans Blix, the head
> of the arms inspection commission of the United
> Nations, have stated this, notwithstanding denials
> by
> Russian Defense Minister Seguey Ivanov.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How much does a nuclear bomb cost?
> Al-Asuquf: Somewhere around 8200 million.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How did Al Queda get this money?
> Al-Asuquf: We have numerous sponsors.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Who are they?
> Al-Asuquf: There are a number of countries which
> support us, and also numerous wealthy individuals.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Are all of these countries Arab?
> Al-Asuquf: No, there are some European countries as
> well which have an interest in the fall of the USA.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Who are these wealthy individuals?
> Al-Asuquf: People who are also tired of watching the
> USA suck the wealth out of the rest of the world.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Is Saddam Hussein one of them?
> Al-Asuquf: You could say that he's just one of the
> collaborators, through Abdul Tawab Mullah Hawaish,
> his
> vice-prime minister and the person responsible for
> Iraq's arms program.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Are these atomic bombs powerful ones?
> Al-Asuquf: The five Russian devices are from the old
> T-3 missiles, also known as RD-107s, and their
> potency
> is
> something around 100 kilotons each, that is, 5 times
> as powerful as the Hiroshima bomb. The Pakistani
> bombs
> are less powerful, somewhere around 10 kilotons.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Can't the bombs be detected and disarmed
> by
> American authorities?
> Al-Asuquf: No, in spite of their age they've
> undergone
> modernization and are well hidden. Even if they
> were
> found, they have autodetonation provisions should
> anything get close to them. Even electromagnetic
> pulses
> would be incapable of deactivating them.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Don't they emit radiation? Can't they be
> detected?
> Al-Asuquf: No. They are wrapped in thick leaden
> cases.
>
> Al-Jazeera: A suspected Pakistani ship was recently
> searched and all that was found were lead bars. Does
> this have anything to do with the bombs?
>
> Al-Asuquf: Yes, however that lead was just an extra
> layer, and was not essentially necessary.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How will the bombs be detonated?
> Al-Asuquf: There are numerous methods, a cell-phone
> call, radio frequency, seismic shocks or by timer.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Once detonated, how many deaths will be
> caused by these bombs?
> Al-Asuquf: It depends, since our plans are very
> malleable.
>
> Al-Jazeera: So what is the entire plan?
> Al-Asuquf: The beginning will be the detonation of a
> nuclear device, which will cause the death of
> between
> 800 thousand and and one million peopleand create
> chaos on a scale never seen before. During this
> chaos,
> two or three cropsprayers that are now dismantled
> and
> stored in granaries [silos?] close to little-used
> highways in the countryside will take off on suicide
> missions to spray two or three large American cities
> with smallpox. That means that once the smallpox has
> been identified, all airports and seaports will be
> closed by quarantine. Land borders will likewise be
> shut down. Not one airplane, ship or vehicle will
> enter
> or leave the United States. This will cause total
> chaos. White House Press secretary Ari Fleischman
> will
> be very busy.
>
> Al-Jazeera: But the American government has
> guaranteed
> that within five days it could produce enough
> smallpox
> vaccine to inoculate the entire population.
> Al-Asuquf: There will be simultaneous suicide
> attacks
> against the vaccine production plants.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Which will be the first city?
> Al-Asuquf: The first city will be that in which
> optimal
> conditions present themselves, for example, clear
> skies, and winds of eight miles-per-hour or less in
> the direction of the country's center so that
> radioactive dust can contaminate the maximum
> possible
> area.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Will this attack annihilate the USA?
> Al-Asuquf: No. But the process will have begun. Who
> will buy food products from the United States
> knowing
> they may have been contaminated by radiation? Who
> will
> travel to the United States knowing the possibility
> of contracting smallpox? Who will continue to invest
> in
> American institutions? Just as with the World Trade
> Center, it will be simply a question of time before
> the entire economic structure collapses and turns to
> dust. If our objectives are reached with one bomb
> and
> the smallpox, probably we'll save the lives of
> others,
> however that's risky [unlikely?], and it's probable
> that six more bombs will be detonated, one per week,
> and other attacks with chemical weapons will be
> carried out.
>
> Al-Jazeera: How many innocent people will die?
> Al-Asuquf: According to estimates made by me and
> Ayman
> Al-Zawahiro, somewhere around 15 million due to the
> atomic bombs and their radiation. Of those exposed
> to
> smallpox, 25 percent will die, approximately five
> million, and many more due to the ensuing chaos and
> disorder.
>
> Al-Jazeera: What about the American military
> response?
> Al-Asuquf: There will practically be none. Even if
> five or ten cities were chosen at random to be
> destroyed, that would still be a small price to pay.
> The problem is the economic despair will be so great
> that even economizing by not using arms
> unnecessarily
> will occur, since the liquidity of American goods
> will
> be almost zero and at that point the United States
> will
> make more selling its Nimitz-class aircraft
> carriers,
> which cost about five billion dollars, to Turkey or
> Italy for one billion dollars, since the country
> will
> so urgently need to recapitalize, though it will be
> too
> late. Moreover, how will the morale of American
> soldiers be knowing that their entire families have
> died and their country no longer exists. Fight
> for what?
>
> Al-Jazeera: And won't the global economy also be
> ruined?
> Al-Asuquf: In the beginning it will be very
> difficult;
> a serious economic crisis will ensue. However,
> without
> the United States, the world will soon arise in a
> more
> just and fraternal manner.
>
> Al-Jazeera: And Israel?
> Al-Asuquf: As they say... it will be dessert.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Does bin Laden's spokesman, Sulaiman Abu
> Gheith, know that you are giving this interview?
> Al-Asuquf: It was he and bin Laden who suggested I
> give it.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Osama bin Laden is still alive?
> Al-Asuquf: He is quite healthy, alongside his
> commanders Mohammed Atef and Khalid Shaik Mohammed
> and
> Mullah Omar.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Aren't you fearful that Al Queda's plans
> will be discovered?
> Al-Asuquf: The plan is already in its countdown, and
> nothing can stop it.
>
> Al-Jazeera: Not even if the United States asks
> forgiveness and changes its attitudes?
> Al-Asuquf: That won't happen, and even if it did,
> it's
> too late.
>
> Al-Jazeera: When will the attack begin?
> Al-Asuquf: I can't reveal that. Allah Akbar.
>
>

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