U.S. Finds Suspected Iraq Chemical Plant

Associated Press ^ | March 23, 2003 | Matt Kelley

[AntiGuv]

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops have found a suspected chemical factory in Iraq and officials were trying to determine late Sunday whether it was involved in making chemical weapons, U.S. officials said.

The plant is near the city of An Najaf, which U.S. troops reached Sunday on a push to Baghdad, the officials said.

President Bush and other U.S. officials say ridding Saddam Hussein's regime of chemical and biological weapons is the main objective of the war.

Saddam's government denies it has any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or programs to produce them.

Asked at a news conference in Qatar Sunday about reports of the chemical plant, Lt. Gen. John Abizaid of U.S. Central Command declined comment. He said top Iraqi officers have been questioned about chemical weapons.

"We have an Iraqi general officer, two Iraqi general officers that we have taken prisoner, and they are providing us with information," Abizaid said.

If the plant is confirmed as a chemical weapons factory, it would be the first find by the U.S.-led invasion force validating U.S. allegations that Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.

Iraqi officials have insisted that they destroyed all of the chemical and biological weapons they made after the 1991 Persian Gulf War — a claim U.N. weapons inspectors have questioned.

U.N. weapons inspectors are not aware of any large-scale chemical sites which could be used to make chemical weapons in An Najaf, said Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the inspectors. However, there are many such dual-use sites in other parts of the country because of Iraq's petrochemical industry.

U.N. inspectors visited a cement plant in An Najaf earlier this year but did not report finding anything.

The U.S. military's discovery was first reported in the Jerusalem Post, which has a reporter traveling with the unit from the Army's 3rd Infantry Division which reached the chemical plant. The newspaper reported that about 30 Iraqi troops, including a general, surrendered at the plant.

[AntiGuv]

AP finally has a report..

[wretchard]

You've got to wonder why a General would command 30 troops, unless he's one of those administrative generals in charge of an R&D program.

[BamaFan69]

Again, in less tha 4 days US Forces have found more than the UN has ever found. Hello, Blix ??? Oh Hanns, WTF ???

[Natural Law]

Only someone at the general staff level would be entrusted with the security and operation of a Top Secret project like this.

[Steven W.]

It was under military control and, recall, Blixie was operating under the terms negotiated under Kofi Annon in 1998 & refused to take advantage of the broader accomodations specified in 1441 and thus never went to the military facilities that they moved stuff to from the palaces which the Iraqis then let Blixie search and declare them OK for.

[piasa]

Baby milk factories need at least one general, too, according to some. So there is nothing suspicious about a general in charge of a metal shop. ; )

[Red Dog #1]

I'm a little worried about this one. First I absolutely believe Iraq has WMDs. But why was the plant and staff just left there? They've known for several days we would be advancing in that general direction. Is there really no central authority left in Iraq, or are we about to get egg our face? Hopefully my imagination is just working too much.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[New Horizon]

Blix needs to answer for this.

[Zipporah]

WHERE IS THAT SLIMEBALL TOM DASCHLE.. WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO SAY?? THE DISGUSTING MAN.

[river rat]

Memo to CNN..

Please bring Blix and Scott Ritter on to explain how this isn't true...

Blix should then immediately return to Sweden and STFU..
Ritter is being paged at the Burger King by some little girl...he should hurry over there and expose himself.

We've always KNOWN he was a lying prick.

Semper Fi

[P.O.E.]

That cement plant could come in handy when we send in the Soprano division.

[Enlightiator]

And a poor report at that, none of the details as reported by the Jerusalem Post, by Caroline B. Glick who is covering the 3rd infantry: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/873084/posts

[KG Peiper]

Hey, didn't Hans Blix first play Sgt Schulz (on Hogans Heroes), before becoming a weapons inspector, "I SEE NOTHING!"

[Maceman]

Someone needs to tell the DU'ers that this story is about the Euphrates and not about De Nial!!!!!!

They are all praying this isn't true -- at least they would be, if their religion wasn't atheism!!!!

[marajade]

Haven't you heard? The inspectors have been there recently to inspect a cement factory and totally missed a 100 acre chemical plant... But the inspection program was working...

[marajade]

Even if it was true it wouldn't matter at all to them...

[William McKinley]

You don't think a general would be in charge of a cosmetics factory or a synthetic milk plant?

[Steven W.]

Remember that Saddam's regime is a stalinist empire. Everybody is trained to follow orders and the long history of torture & evil ensures nobody will be willing to take any initiative. These guys would never just close up shop and head to Baghdad without specific orders to do so. They may have been left frozen, not knowing what to do and scared to do anything but the status quo, whatever that was at the time (probably to stay in a secure mode attempting to protect & defend the facility).

[arkady_renko]

I agree. If it was a major Iraqi asset, wouldn't there be some Republican Gaurd troops surrounding it? Who knows - maybe things have fallen apart more than todays 'news' indicated.

A_R