Disease is Bush ploy, says Baghdad

telegraph uk ^ | 24/10/2001 | Anton La Guardia

[classygreeneyedblonde]

IRAQ accused President Bush's government of spreading anthrax as a pretext to widen its bombing campaign.

As American officials suggested Iraq as a possible source of bio-terrorism, Baghdad newspapers printed denials that the country had anything to do with letters and packages containing anthrax spores.

It is a joke," said Al-Thawra, the mouthpiece of the ruling Ba'ath Party. "All evidence and details prove that the United States is the source of the anthrax. This anthrax has been prepared in American laboratories and the packages have been sent from inside the United States - and this incriminates the American authorities

American authorities do not wish to kill Americans but are seeking to spread a scare around the world." The paper added that the aim was to create suspicion around countries listed by America as sponsors of terrorism "in order to commit aggression against them".

Iraq has sent mixed signals about the September 11 attacks. At first President Saddam Hussein gloated. Later, as some senior American officials signalled that the war against terrorism could be extended to Iraq and other countries, he kept a lower profile.

In an e-mail to an American citizen at the weekend, he sent a personal message of condolence over the deaths at the World Trade Centre. But he said he would not say the same to the government.

This week Iraq has criticised the bombing as a repetition of the 1979 Soviet invasion. Washington and London have said that there is no evidence pointing to Iraq's involvement in the New York and Washington attacks or the anthrax cases.

Western officials have said that Iraq is working on a biological weapons programme, but no biological agents have ever been found. Iraq has not re-admitted United Nations weapons inspectors since they left in 1999.

[classygreeneyedblonde]

we know its you iraq

[habs4ever]

They hear footsteps..or more likely, B-52 engines...

[rolling_stone]

They also claim their Iraqui agent didn't meet with ATTA in Czech....guess they didn't think they would get caught...I would love to see pics of Atta and the Iraqui...

[Liberal Classic]

Oh, and Israel perpetrated the suicide attacks on the WTC and Pentagon, too?

Riiiight.

[Richard Axtell]

It is the CIA that has, up til now, surpressed evidence, pushed a non-existant "right wing" terrorist source as the mailers, and debunked any suggested links between the Anthrax scare and Iraq. Just like an Iraqi, bite the hand that is trying to let you off the hook. But the evidence mounts, and before long, only Iraqis will believe their disinformation campaigns. Not only is there more and more evidence, (Bentonite, etc) of Iraqi sourcing of the Anthrax, there is evidence that the Anthrax attack campaign began before 11th of September, which would link Iraq and Saddam with Bin Laden. Warm up them '52s, boys... we got deliveries to make.

[jb54tx]

nuke Bagdad!

[classygreeneyedblonde]

we should have done that 10 yrs ago

[mountaineer]

Al-Thawra's stupid comments are all I need to say, "Let the bombing of Bagdhad begin!!" Take that, Al.

[CathyRyan]

iraq is so full of sh!t

[Republican Wildcat]

Such stringent denials and ludicrous conspiracy theory seems to cast an even darker shadow of suspicion over them...

[TheDon]

Me thinks thou dost protest too much...

[classygreeneyedblonde]

I think he is very nervous..