Iraqi mobile labs nothing to do with germ warfare, report finds

The Observer (U.K.) ^ | 06/15/03 | Peter Beaumont, Antony Barnett and Gaby Hinsliff

[Pokey78]

An official British investigation into two trailers found in northern Iraq has concluded they are not mobile germ warfare labs, as was claimed by Tony Blair and President George Bush, but were for the production of hydrogen to fill artillery balloons, as the Iraqis have continued to insist. The conclusion by biological weapons experts working for the British Government is an embarrassment for the Prime Minister, who has claimed that the discovery of the labs proved that Iraq retained weapons of mass destruction and justified the case for going to war against Saddam Hussein.

Instead, a British scientist and biological weapons expert, who has examined the trailers in Iraq, told The Observer last week: 'They are not mobile germ warfare laboratories. You could not use them for making biological weapons. They do not even look like them. They are exactly what the Iraqis said they were - facilities for the production of hydrogen gas to fill balloons.'

The conclusion of the investigation ordered by the British Government - and revealed by The Observer last week - is hugely embarrassing for Blair, who had used the discovery of the alleged mobile labs as part of his efforts to silence criticism over the failure of Britain and the US to find any weapons of mass destruction since the invasion of Iraq.

The row is expected to be re-ignited this week with Robin Cook and Clare Short, the two Cabinet Ministers who resigned over the war, both due to give evidence to a House of Commons inquiry into whether intelligence was manipulated in the run-up to the war. It will be the first time that both have been grilled by their peers on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee over what the Cabinet was told in the run-up to the war.

MPs will be keen to explore Cook's explanation when he resigned that, while he believed Iraq did have some WMD capability, he did not believe it was weaponised.

The Prime Minister and his director of strategy and communications, Alastair Campbell, are expected to decline invitations to appear. While MPs could attempt to force them, this is now thought unlikely to happen.

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, is expected to give evidence the week after.

The revelation that the mobile labs were to produce hydrogen for artillery balloons will also cause discomfort for the British authorities because the Iraqi army's original system was sold to it by the British company, Marconi Command & Control.

[ijcr]

Height, as the balloon expands the Helium would leak out through the rubber and the optimum height of around 11 kms would not be achieved. For low level, ie blimps and dirigibles Helium is fine but for serious Met work it's good ole Hydrogen.

The Hydrogen generators sold to Iraq with the AMETS were
mounted on a two wheel trailers and were about 12foot long and 6foot high. Manufactured by Johnson and Matthey PLC, London.They were outfitted with four harvesting/storage cylinders mounted horizontally two per side. These cylinders were half the trailer.

The Amets systems employed by the Iraqi Army suffered from the problem of utilising an x-band radar that locked onto
a mesh target suspended from the balloon.Remember to get the wind speeds and directions required, the flight has to get up to a height of at least 5kms and the distance covered by the rig could be as far as 50kms.

During the first Gulf war the result of such a long radar transmission was a beam riding anti radiation missile from a coalition aircraft.In fact the claims of allied airstikes on some anti aircraft radar positions were actually stikes on Met stations.

The most logical question these Gruniad reporters have not asked yet is :- Where are the Artillery Met systems that require the hydrogen?

Let me add an e-mail that I have recieved from the Observer.

As one of the reporters on the story, I thought I'd respond.

What we understand - and we have had this confirmed from very senior sources - is that the mobile labs were almost certainly used for producing hydrogen. It is believed that is highly likely that this hydrogen would have been used for artillery balloons, although there could have been other uses for it.

It is known that Iraq had a system of using such balloons because Marconi
Command & Control sold them one in 1987. This was confirmed by a spokesman from AMS.

The actual trucks and equipment used to produce the hydrogen were not British, but Iraqi.

The point is that while it might be likely that the Iraqis did have some mobile BW facilities, these truck-trailers were probably not part of any such facility.

Keep in touch

Antony Barnett

[piasa]

Not to mention repainting and disinfecting them.

Must have perfectly sterile conditions for filling balloons, don'tchaknow.

[lowbridge]

Height, as the balloon expands the Helium would leak out through the rubber and the optimum height of around 11 kms would not be achieved. For low level, ie blimps and dirigibles Helium is fine but for serious Met work it's good ole Hydrogen.

But can you inhale it to make your voice sound squeaky?

[Nebr FAL owner]

My money is bet on the expert being a BS artist modern artillery works day or night good weather or sh*tty & you don't need weather balloons to tell you if its raining outside.

[templar]

My money is bet on the expert being a BS artist modern artillery works day or night ...

I think that Saddam had antique WWII type of artillery. Even his most advanced anti aircraft stuff was obsolete combloc equipment. And I doubt he had GPS or Satellite access for targeting anything he had that was more modern.

[ijcr]

No, but the 3:1 Distilled water/Methanol fuel mixture cut with orange juice produces blinding headaches, a freezing of the vocal chords, and seriously impaired judgement.

[lowbridge]

No, but the 3:1 Distilled water/Methanol fuel mixture cut with orange juice produces blinding headaches, a freezing of the vocal chords, and seriously impaired judgement.

The line forms behind me.

[Cachelot]

The Hydrogen generators sold to Iraq with the AMETS were mounted on a two wheel trailers and were about 12foot long and 6foot high.

I seem to remember that the trailers found were a lot bigger. And also different from each other, ie. not two of the same kind.

[Cachelot]

A bit bigger than 12 feet long and 6 feet high, I think.

[Jackson Brown]

Yep -- you would think so. Actually hope is the word. But the reality is a "whole 'nuther thang".

What does "examine" really mean in this article?

Since they made NO references to ANTHING specific about these two, for all anyone knows, the Observer relied on what they "were told" by these unnamed people's after they "examined" photos/descriptions or parts of reports by others...?

Don't under estimate these rags and their use of "got to" people used to push their agendas.

NOTHING in the article indicates that these were in person -- US/UK sanctioned examinations. Believe me, if this was such a thing it would have been in the headline.

[templar]

NOTHING in the article indicates that these were in person -- US/UK sanctioned examinations. Believe me, if this was such a thing it would have been in the headline.

My Microbiologist friend (ther are a number of micro labs in this area) says it would take a reasonably competent microbiologist about ten minutes to determine if the trailers were capable of biowarfare use. If they actually were, I would think we would be hearing it 24/7 on every meida the gov could give releases to. The fact that we have had them for a significant amount of time and haven't been able to make a pronouncement that they were indeed bioweapon labs indicates that they are not. Either that or we have no microbiologists or biowarefare experts available to look at the things: you choose which is more probable.

It's time to face the truth. Bush lied about Iraqi WMD's for reasons we will probably never know (money and power undoubtably play a role though). Iraq, if they had anything at all (of which there is no indication to date), most certainly had nothing that presented the threat to us that we were led to believe they did by Bush. They certainly didn't have the numbers and capabilities we were constantly assured they had and were preparing to use against us (all those 230 or so sites we claimed they had WMD's at have proven innocent). We attacked a nation that was in no way provoking an attack, or threatening us, based on lies. This is not good.