CNN TV: Allies May Have Found Chemical Weapons at Terrorist Camp

CNN (on air) ^ | 04/01/2003 | TonyInOhio

[TonyInOhio]

CNN TV has reported this morning that Allied forces "may have found chemical weapons at Ansar al Islam camp in Northern Iraq".

The Agonist weblog comments on hearing the same:

Allied forces may have found chemical weapons at a camp of the radical Islamist group, Ansar al Islam, in northern Iraq, reported CNN on April 1.

National Review Online has a similar tease:

ANSLAR AL ISLAM & WMD [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
CNN On Air is reporting suspected chemcial/bioweapon evidence found at the camp seized over the weekend.

[Cold Heat]

They will fight us forever. I think it probably would have been better to have let them fight amongst themselves.

Good Grief Man! That is just the point!

They are now and they have not been fighting each other, they have, through the daily preaching of their jihadist mullahs and their islamic leaders been shifting their anger to us!!!!!!

They use our support of Israel to re-direct the hatred away from their raunchy government and toward us.

Do I need to go through the historical proof by re-stating the long chain of events, culminating with 9/11/2001 in order to open your eyes?

We will no doubt be fighting this war for a long time. Not just Afghanistan and Iraq, but we have forces in the Philippines now and we will likely take on Syria, who's invasion of Lebanon and the bombing of the barracks many years ago signified the beginnings of this long and sordid tale.

Hell no, it is not the end of the conflict, but it is just the beginning! Get used to it! We will kick all their goat stinking asses if need be.

Our children and our children's children will finish the job. This will definitely last for more than a generation.

[FBD]

"We've prevented him from entering it for 12 years."

Not according to "Saddam's Bombmaker", by Dr. Hamza. Dr. Hamza escaped through northern Iraq, which he relates in his book. He describes the journey, in which he avoided Iraqi soldiers stationed in the north.

I understand by your bio on your home page, that you were in intelligence.

With all due respect, FRiend, I will take Dr Hamza's word over yours, as to whether Saddam had any control, or influence in the north. FRegards

[jwalburg]

Oops.

[The Other Harry]

Please excuse that crappy spelling in my last. I know better

Don't ever worry about your spelling when you talk with me. I try to spell correctly, but it doesn't always come out that way.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Because both of those enemies were deadly enemies of the US long before the long overdue invasion.

[js1138]

With all due respect, FRiend, I will take Dr Hamza's word over yours, as to whether Saddam had any control, or influence in the north. FRegards

No fly doesn't mean no control. Else Iraq would have split into three countries.

[elfman2]

" Oh I see .... there was a rule that said he couldn't go into that territory....."

If you want to call enforced no fly zones "rules", be my guest.

[justshutupandtakeit]

This group fought the Kurds at the behest of Saddam for years. It was there with his approval and probably at his request. Kurds have not been free of the terror of Saddam and have been fighting with his forces which until the bombing drove them out.

You are dreaming if you do not understand this group is tightly connected to Saddam on many levels.

[RonF]

The Al-Ansar camp was up in the north mountains in the Kurdish area. So, no, he didn't have any control up there. No more than the Pakistanis have any control on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. In fact, no central government since (and including) Alexander the Great has had control up there.

[RonF]

I'm waiting to see what the Iraqi soldiers with chem suits unloading 50 gallon drums amounts to. Actual chemical warfare agents would rapidly degrade out in the open if poured out onto the ground. Biological agents would disperse with the wind/sandstorms to all corners of the country.

If the drums are left intact, or wired up, it may be that he intends to try to explode them once the Americans move that far.

Or, the drums could be filled with water, simply to raise the suspicion of biological/chemical agents present and to make the Americans needlessly wear their MOPP suits.

[RonF]

If he wants the benefits of the sovereignity argument to hide behind when commiting attrocities then he must accept the obligations that occur because of his soveriegnity. You can't let him have it both ways. The obligations come with the benefits.

Except you're forgetting the "no-fly" zone. We have prevented Saddam from exercising sovereign authority in that area for 12 years.

[elfman2]

"He describes the journey, in which he avoided Iraqi soldiers stationed in the north."

Yet he has lost control of large portions of the north. My background gives me little insight, just stories that I've read and documentaries regarding the Kurds. The no fly zone and political pressures have resulted in a definite demarcation past which the regime apparently decided that it's not to their present advantage to take control. There's make shift border control on each side along the major highways. A thriving Kurdish economy and military has existed on the other side for years. There was a story posted here a few day prior to the war in which a Kurdish woman attempting to cross back into the northern territory was set afire by that border patrol for refusing to pledge allegiance to Saddam.

There's no conflict AFAIK between what you read of Hamza's, and what I'm telling you. I don't know if there are pockets of Saddam's forces within this Kurdish region, or even if that's the area in which he made his escape. All I know is that a large Kurdish area is definitely not under Saddam's control. Therefore, without knowing the details, one can't present any WMD at the Ansar al Islam camp as the irrefutable proof of Saddam's WMD program that we will eventually find.

[VRWC_minion]

Except you're forgetting the "no-fly" zone. We have prevented Saddam from exercising sovereign authority in that area for 12 years.

Does this mean Saddam couldn't send his army there ?

[VRWC_minion]

The guy has armies of secret police and terrorists to hunt down anyone who opposes him and their families, yet he has no control or knowledge whatsoever of the huge terrorist training camps (for Islamists that allegedly HATE him) throughout his country.

Works for me :)

[justshutupandtakeit]

The camp shows a link between terrorism and Saddam. One of the links.

Reporters in the North have recently shown the degree to which Saddam's mortars and artillary have been used to attack the Kurds particulary the Kurds attempting to attack these killers.

Iraqi deserters have been fleeing to the Kurdish lines as well. Iraqi army units have been within this territory and harassing the towns and cities there with rifle, mortar and artillary fire.

[VRWC_minion]

By opening this particular can of worms, we have have given them a reason to align themselves with each other.

No one can be this naive. If the amount of hatred that both have for us before this month isn't enough to create a common bond then nothing else will.

[algol]

Except you're forgetting the "no-fly" zone. We have prevented Saddam from exercising sovereign authority in that area for 12 years.

All of human history, up until sometime last century, has shown that you don't need to fly to be able to exercise sovereign authority.

Enforcement in the no-fly zone has only been against Iraqi aircraft and anti-aircraft facilities. Otherwise we could have just lined up our troops at the no-fly boundaries before the invasion.

[k2blader]

... defer the war until the assembling of greater international consensus ...

Would you please elaborate. Are 49 countries not enough?

[Almondjoy]

Hmmm.. maybe you forgot to look at a map but the terror camp was in Kurdish controlled area.. maybe by your definition we are bombing the wrong people?

At any rate before people flame me for saying I'm anti war or something I'm all for the war. We are in Iraq for more than just chemical weapons. It's a man on a mission to destroy us.. dominate the middle east and rape torture and pillage anything that gets in the way of that goal. There are 25 million reasons to be there.. chemical weapons in a terrorist camp with or without his permission is irrevelant.

[elfman2]

"The camp shows a link between terrorism and Saddam. One of the links. "

That adds nothing to your assertion. I said that it's not the irrefutable proof that the world will eventually see, and I've backed it up with clear reasoning. I don't know why you think you need to argue with me. All you did was repeat yourself.