As a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and as a registered member of the Republican party who voted for George Bush in the last presidential election, I have to admit to a certain trepidation and uncertainty when I was asked by Labour MPs to participate in the massive anti-war rally in London on September 28.
In my way of thinking, mass demonstrations, regardless of the righteousness of the cause, were the theatre of the political left, and not something with which I should be associated. I was proven wrong on all counts. The outpouring of democratic will that occurred on that day came not only from the left, but from across the breadth of mainstream British society. It sent a message to a Blair government that had grown increasingly isolated from public opinion: UK support for an American unilateral war on Iraq would not be tolerated. That message met a response a few days later from the Labour party at its annual conference in Blackpool. Democracy in action is a wonderful thing.
Across the Atlantic, in the United States, a debate is about to begin in the US Congress over the granting of sweeping war powers that would enable President Bush to wage war against Iraq, even if such action were unilateral and lacking in authority from the United Nations.
To many Americans, myself included, the granting of such powers represents a breach of constitutional responsibility on the part of Congress, which alone under the constitution of the United States is authorised to declare war. There is at least one US senator - Robert Byrd of West Virginia - who recognises this, and has indicated his willingness to launch a filibuster of the debate. Senator Byrd is famous for carrying a copy of the US constitution in his breast pocket, and pulling it out on the floor of the Senate to remind fellow senators what American democracy is founded on. One man fighting in defence of the basic foundation of American society. Where are the large-scale US demonstrations in support of this struggle? Where are the voices of outrage over what amounts to a frontal assault on the constitution of the United States? Democracy silenced is awful.
The constitution has always guided me in my actions as an American citizen. It establishes the US as a nation of laws, and sets high standards for the ideals we Americans strive to achieve as a nation. As an officer of Marines, I took an oath to defend the US constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is an oath I take very seriously and I am willing to give my life in defence of this document - something I demonstrated during my time in uniform, including service in Operation Desert Storm.
I am no pacifist, but I am opposed to President Bush's rush towards war with Iraq this time around. As signatories to the UN charter, Americans have agreed to abide by a body of international law that explicitly governs the conditions under which nations may go to war. All require authority of the security council, either through an invocation of article 51 (self defence), or a resolution passed under chapter seven of the charter (collective security).
President Bush's case for war simply has not been demonstrated to meet any of these criteria. The president repeatedly announced that Iraq has failed to comply with its obligation to disarm, and as such poses a threat to international peace and security. The president declared that Iraq must allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq, without conditions, with unfettered access to all sites. Iraq's failure to allow inspectors to return to work since their withdrawal in December 1998 has prompted fear in many circles (recently demonstrated by the UK government's dossier on Iraqi weapons programs) that Iraq has taken advantage of the intervening time to reconstitute its weapons of mass destruction programs dismantled under UN supervision. With no inspectors in Iraq, it was impossible to know for certain what the regime of Saddam Hussein was up to; and, given Iraq's past record of deceit over these weapons, the US and others were justified in presuming ill intent.
But now Iraq has agreed to allow the inspectors to return, unconditionally, and to be held accountable to the rule of law as set forth in existing security council resolutions governing Iraq's disarmament. The opportunity finally exists to bring clarity to years of speculation about the potential threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, as well as an opportunity to resolve this ongoing crisis of international law peacefully.
B ut President Bush refuses to take "yes" for an answer. The Bush administration's actions lay bare the mythology that this war is being fought over any threat posed by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. It has made it clear that its objective is the elimination of Saddam Hussein. And this is where I have a fundamental problem. The UN charter prohibits regime removal. The US constitution states that international agreements entered into by the United States carry the force of law. The US has signed the UN charter. Regime removal is not only a violation of international law, it is unconstitutional.
There is a way to deal with the need to change a regime deemed to be a risk to international peace and security, and that is through the UN. If President Bush truly wanted to seek regime removal in Baghdad, then he would push for an indictment of Saddam Hussein and his senior leadership in the international court for crimes against humanity, something that should not prove hard to do, given the record of the Butcher of Baghdad (and something other members of the UN would clearly support as an alternative to war). But seeking judgment through the international court requires a recognition by the US of the primacy of international law, something the Bush administration has been loath to do.
The fact of the matter is this crisis between Iraq and the US goes beyond even the issue of regime removal. It represents the first case study of the implementation of a new US national security strategy, published last month, which sets forth a doctrine of unilateralism that capitalises on American military and economic might to maintain the US as the sole superpower, to impose our will on the rest of the world, even through pre-emptive military action. This strategy is a rejection of multilateralism, a turning away from the concepts of international law.
This new Bush doctrine of American unilateralism reeks of imperial power, the very power against which Ameri cans fought a revolution more than 200 years ago. The streets of Washington DC are empty of demonstrators protesting at this frontal assault on American democracy. Will the streets of London be filled again with protesters against this assault on the rule of international law? I certainly hope so, because the people of Britain could lead by example, sending a clear signal to fellow practitioners of democracy in America that when it comes to determining what actions a government takes in the name of the people, the will of the people cannot, and will not, be ignored.
Scott Ritter was a UN weapons inspector in Iraq in 1991-98 and chief of the concealment investigations team. His interview with William Rivers Pitt forms the core of War on Iraq (Profile Books)
I wonder if Ritter is concerned over what American force will find when they do go into Iraq? Maybe he really doesn't want us to learn what Saddam has had for quite a while!
Ritter's boss, Richard(?) Butler, said Ritter is a liar. I have seen no reason to think he is wrong.
1995 : (IRAQ BIOWARFARE TESTS) "Unscom inspectors also came up with evidence suggesting that Iraq carried out biological weapons tests on human beings in 1995." - "Ritter: Baghdad 'possesses three nuclear bombs,'" by Christopher Walker, Times of London, 9/10/98
JULY 1995 : (IRAQ ADMITS ITS PROGRESS IN BIOWEAPONS DEVELOPMENT) Iraq admits to have made substantial progress in its biological weapons programme, making just under 30,000 litres of biological agents and filled munitions. This included 19,000 litres of Botulinium, 8,400 liters of antrax and 2,000 liters of aflatoxin (causes cancer over the long haul) and clostridium- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
AUGUST 1995 : (IRAQ ADMITS IT HAS PRODUCED BIOLOGICAL BOMBS) Iraq admits to having produced 191 biological bombs, of which 25 were missile warheads which had been loaded with anthrax, botulinum and aflatoxin for use in the Gulf war.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
AUGUST 1995 : (SADDAM HUSSEIN'S SON-IN-LAW DEFECTS TO US) Saddam’s son-in-law, Lt General Hussain Kamil, defected to the US from Iraq. He had been placed in charge of the WMD programme and provided substantial evidence.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
AUGUST 1995 : (IRAQ ADMITS TO DIVERTING NUCLEAR FUEL TO WEAPONS LABS) Faced with Lt. General Kamil's defection to the US, Iraq then admitted to starting its attempts at a fast-track nuclear programme, which involved diverting nuclear fuel from power stations to the weapons laboratories- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
SEPTEMBER ?, 1995 : (IRAQ ADMITS AIRCRAFT TESTING OF BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS) Iraq admits two projects to testing the delivery of biological weapons through Mirage F-1 and MiG-21 aircraft.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
1996 : (BIOWEAPONS, IRAQ) UN Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) inspectors destroy some Iraqi biological weapons.
1996 : (RUSSIA, DIRTY BOMB LEFT BY CHECHENS) Chechen rebels left a device in Izmailovo park in Moscow in 1996 to prove they could detonate a dirty bomb if they wanted to," said Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Authority. The Moscow device was a deadly mixture of caesium-137, one of the by-products of nuclear fission, strapped to sticks of dynamite.
FEBRUARY 1996 : (HILLARY CLINTON HOSTS MUSLIM EID-AL-FITR DINNER AT WHITE HOUSE) First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton hosted an Eid-al-Fitr White House dinner which she proclaimed "an American event" both "historic and overdue." Two-hundred Muslim men, women, and children attended the dinner to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The Eid dinner represented the first time in American history that a First Lady played hostess to a Muslim celebration, and Muslims considered the event a significant public relations victory. "We have asked [other administrations] before for recognition of the Eid, but our request always went unanswered," said Khaled Saffuri of the American Muslim Council which sponsored an iftar (daily breaking of the fast) dinner with four U.S. congressmen during the month of fasting. Mrs. Clinton's widely publicized trips to the Muslim world, including Pakistan, Turkey and Bosnia, have also won approval from American Muslims. "Regardless of whether you agree with Clinton or not, you have to admit he has given Muslims more respect than they have ever received from a president," states Saffuri. The recognition American Muslims have received from the Clinton administration stands in stark contrast to the Bush and Reagan administrations' condemnations of Islamic fundamentalism, which Muslims say triggered an anti-Muslim backlash.
MARCH 20, 1996 : (IRAQ VIOLATES UNFETTERED ACCESS AGREEMENT) UNSCOM reports Iraqi resistance, violating the “unfettered access” agreement.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
JULY 1998 : (IRAQ CONFISCATES UNSCOM DOCUMENTS) Iraq confiscated documents from UNSCOM weapons inspectors documents suggesting that it overstated by 6,000 the number of bombs it had used in its war with Iran. It allowed inspectors to make notes, but kept the original document, infuriating the UN and the US. This event triggered what was to become Operation Desert Fox.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
MARCH 1997 : (BIN LADEN, DECLARATION OF JIHAD AGAINST THE US) CNN interviewed bin Laden. He said, in part, "We declared a jihad against the United States because it is unjust, criminal, and tyrannical." Without directly taking credit for the actions, he mentioned the 1995 killing of 7 US troops in Riyadh and the 1996 killing of 19 US troops in Dharan as examples of the jihad In interviews broadcast on US television in 1997 and 1998 Osama bin Laden referred to the terrorists who carried out the earlier attack on the world Trade Center in 1993 as "role models." He went on to exhort his followers "to take the fighting to America."
JULY 1997 : (NY CITY SUBWAY PLOT, PALESTINIAN GHAZI IBRAHIM ABU MEZER, PAKISTANI) Two Palestinians and a Pakistani are arrested on a tipoff to New York City police and are found to have suicide bombs and a note indicating they intend a terrorist attack in the city's subways.
OCTOBER 23, 1997 - APRIL 1998 : (UN SUSPENDS SANCTIONS REVIEWS) After more than a year of Iraqi interference, the UN suspends sanctions reviews until April 98.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
OCTOBER 29, 1997 : (IRAQ BANS AMERICANS FROM INSPECTIONS) Iraq bans Americans in UNSCOM from making any inspections.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
NOVEMBER 13, 1997 : (IRAQ EXPELS UNSCOM AMERICANS) Iraq expels Americans working for UNSCOM- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
NOVEMBER 14, 1997 : (US HOUSE PASSES MOTION BACKING UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ) US House of Representatives passes motion backing unilateral US military action against Iraq, but only as a last resort.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
DEC. 15-16, 1997 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Senator Torricelli travels through South Korea with Mr. Chang's employee.
DEC. 19, 1997 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang donates $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
JANUARY 2, 1998 : (IRAQ, ATTACK ON UNSCOM INSPECTORS) Rocket attack on the headquarters of the UNSCOM inspectors in Baghdad; it did not cause damage because the rocket did not explode. No 'group' claimed responsibility for the attacks. (*My note: Maybe because Husein ordered it?)
FEBRUARY 1998 : (BIN LADEN'S INTERNATIONAL FRONT & FATWA, AL-GAMA'AT AL-ISLAMIYYA, EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD, HARAKAT UL-ANSAR) Bin Laden announced the creation of an "international front” against the US. According to a document obtained by the PBS program "Frontline," bin Laden "regards an anti-American alliance with Iran and China as something to be considered.” Bin Laden announces the front as the "World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders." The Front included the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Harakat ul-Ansar (Johnnie Taliban's group), and two other groups. The Front declared its intention to attack Americans and our allies, including civilians, anywhere in the world. By at least February 1998, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad had effectively merged with al Qaeda and joined with al Qa'ida in targeting American civilians. Osama bin LAden issued and signed a 'fatwa' which included a decree to all Muslims:
"...the killing of Americans and their civilian and military allies is a religious duty for each and every Muslim to be carried out in whichever country they are until Al Aqsa mosque has been liberated from their grasp and until their armies have left Muslim lands."
In the same 'fatwa' he called on Muslim scholars and their leaders and their youths to :
"...launch an attack on the American soldiers of Satan."
and concluded:
"We- with god's help - call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill Americans and plunder their money whenever and wherever they find it. We also call on Muslims... to launch the raid on Satan's US troops and the devil's supporters allying with them, and to displace those who are behind them."
When asked in 1998 about obtaining chemical or nuclear weapons he said:
"acquiring such weapons for the defense of Muslims (was) a religious duty"
In an interview aired on Al Jazira (Doha, Qatar) television, he stated:
"Our enemy is every American male, whether he is directly fighting us or paying taxes."
FEBRUARY 14, 1998 : (UK, IRAQ) Robin Cook, then UK Foreign Secretary, first uses the phrase “doing nothing is not an option” with Iraq. This was to become UK government’s position until August 2002.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
1998 (early):(UNSCOM, KOFIS DEAL WIRTH IRAQ) In an effort to keep the operation afloat and avoid another war in Iraq, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan cut a deal with Baghdad in early 1998 restricting inspectors' access to eight so-called presidential sites encompassing a total of 12 square miles.The United States and the rest of the Security Council endorsed the plan but, within weeks, the inspectors said they were finding very little other than frustration. After months of cat-and-mouse games, Saddam sent the entire team packing in November 1998.
FEBRUARY 23, 1998 : (IRAQ OFFERS ACCESS TO 8 SITES) Iraq offers access to eight “Presidential sites” in Iraq, in a compromise deal. (as usual, it's a bum deal) - Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
FEB. 26, 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI, IRAQ) Mr. Chang meets at Old Executive Offfice Building with Bruce Riedel, senior director of the National Security Council for Near East and South Asian Affairs, to discuss his proposal for a dialogue between the United States and Iraq.
MARCH 2, 1998 : (UNSC BLOWS SMOKE) UN Security Council seeks to bolster compromise by passing a unanimous resolution (1154) saying that Iraq’s failure to comply with UN sanctions will have the “most severe consequences”- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
1998 summer : (UNSCOM, IRAQ) Effective inspections were essentially over, and the talents of a first-rate team of international arms experts put on hold. - "Years have been lost, and it isn't all Saddam's fault - The undoing of arms inspections in Iraq," by Barbara Crossette, International Herald Tribune , October 1, 2002
MAY 1998 : (IRAQ OBTAINS KIDNEY MACHINES TO GET PRECISION SWITCHES) Iraq ordered six “lithotripter” machines, saying they would be used to treat kidney stones. Each machine contains a high-precision electronic switch which triggers atomic bombs. It ordered six extra switches.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
MAY 1998 : (IRAQ, CYNTHIA MCKINNEY, KHALED ELGINDY, AAI, IRAQ TRIP) Khaled Elgindy joins a delegation of Arab-American activists on a humanitarian mission to Iraq and to observe the effects of sanctions first hand. Khaled previously served as Press Secretary to Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), who at the time became the first member of Congress to oppose military action against Iraq and has since called for the lifting of sanctions against the Iraqi people. Khaled Elgindy is in 2002, the National Coordinator for Political Action at the Arab American Institute in Washington, DC. Khaled represents AAI on a number of national coalitions, including the National Iraq Network, and is responsible for mobilizing Arab-American action on various legislative issues.e has a master's degree from Georgetown University's school of foreign service and a bachelor's degree in Poli-Sci from Indiana U. May be relative of Amr I. ``Tony'' Elgindy, arrested on charges related to stock dealing around 9/11/2002
JUNE 1998 : (AAADC, AAI, KHALED ELGINDY, CONYERS, IRAQ) The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee sponsors a congressional briefing to publicize the letter. Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit spoke at the briefing and described the deplorable health conditions he found during his recent visit to Iraq. In July, the Arab American Institute (AAI) sponsored a similar congressional briefing, at which Khaled Elgindy of the AAI showed slides of his visit to Iraq and Carl LeVan of Representative Conyers’ office described the letter in detail and urged the staff members in attendance to encourage their congressmen to sign on. LeVan said that the letter will probably not be sent until October, so as to get as many signatures as possible. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/695883/posts?page=70
JUNE 9, 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang and Audrey Yu attend state dinner for President Kim Dae Jung of South Korea.
JUNE 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang donates $50,000 to the Democratic National Committee and $50,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
JULY 12, 1998 : (N. KOREAN FROGMAN FOUND DEAD) One North Korean frogman found dead on a beach at Donghae on South Korea's east coast. http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/29/korea.navy.timeline.reut/
JULY 14, 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang attends White House movie nightwith President Clinton.
JUNE 22, 1998 : (NORTH KOREA COMMANDOES CAUGHT BY SOUTH KOREA) Nine North Korean commandos found dead aboard a mini-sub caught in fishing nets, off Sokcho on the east coat of South Korea. http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/29/korea.navy.timeline.reut/
SUMMER 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Terry McAuliffe, President Clinton's friend and chief fund-raiser, signs a one-year contract to work for Mr. Chang as a consultant.
AUGUST 5, 1998 : (UNSCOM, IRAQ BALKS) Iraq has refused since August 5 to work with the UN Special Commission (Unscom) set up to ensure that it dismantles any weapons of mass destruction in its possession. Baghdad has demanded that the UN body be re-structured, its alleged US influence reduced, and its headquarters moved from New York to Europe. - "Ritter: Baghdad 'possesses three nuclear bombs,'" by Christopher Walker, Times of London, 9/10/98
AUGUST 5, 1998 : (IRAQ BARS UNSCOM INSPECTIONS OF NEW FACILITIES) Iraq says it will no longer allow UNSCOM to inspect new facilities- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
AUGUST 7, 1998 : (KENYA, US EMBASSY BOMBING, ASSAM, AL'OWALI, AL QAEDA, EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD) Assam, a Saudi national and al-Qaida operative, drove the Toyota truck (with a large bomb in back) to the US embassy in Nairobi. Also in the truck was Mohamed Rashed Daoud Al 'Owali, another Saudi who by his own confession was an al-Qaida operative, who from about 1996 had been trained in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan in explosives, hijacking, kidknapping, assasination and intelligence techniques. With Usama bin Laden's express permission, he fought alongside the Taleban in Afghanistan. As the truck approached the US embassy, Al 'Owali got out and threw a stun grenade at a security guard. Assam drove the truck up to the rear of the embassy, got out, and then detonated the bomb, which demolished a multi-storey secretarial college and severely damaged the US embassy and the Cooperative Bank building. The bomb killed 213 people and injured 4500. Assam was killed in the explosion.
AUGUST 7, 1998 : (TANZANIA. US EMBASSY BOMBING ) In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at about the same time as the bombing at the US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, operatives of al-Qaida detonated a bomb at the US embassy, killing 11 people. The al-Qaida operatives involved included Mustafa Mohamed Fadhil and Khaflan Khamis Mohamed. The bomb was carried in a Nissan Atlas truck, which Ahmed Khfaklan Ghailani and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, two al-Qaida operatives, had purchased in July 1998 in Dar es Salaam. Khaflan Khamis Mohamed was arrested for the bombing. He admitted membership in al-Qaida and implicated other members of al-Qaida in the bombing.
AUGUST 14, 1998 : (US SENATE DECLARES IRAQ IS IN BREACH) US Senate passes a motion declaring Iraq to be in “material breach” of its obligations.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
AUGUST 26, 1998 : (UNSCOM INSPECTOR RITTER RESIGNS) According to Mr Schiff's report on the claims by Mr Ritter, the longest-serving American weapons inspector, Unscom knows where the three nearly complete nuclear bombs are hidden. The UN team is also said by Mr Ritter to have information on the method used to conceal the bombs, the units and officers responsible for guarding them, and the types of vehicle employed to transport them in the game of cat and mouse between Saddam and the UN experts. Mr Ritter claimed that, despite the information available, no order was given to the team to conduct a surprise inspection of the site. He claimed that the Security Council and the Clinton Administration had blocked the work of the inspectors just as they were "on the doorstep" of uncovering Iraq's hidden non-conventional weapons of mass destruction. His revelation about the existence of the three bombs has again heightened tensions in the Middle East and raised the stakes in any new confrontation between Iraq and the West. Israel has long believed that it would be the first target of any Iraqi nuclear strike. - "Ritter: Baghdad 'possesses three nuclear bombs,'" by Christopher Walker, Times of London, 9/10/98
SEPTEMBER 1998 : (CLINTON, BIN LADEN) The NY Times reports that advisers provided Clinton with evidence that "bin Laden is looking to obtain weapons of mass destruction and chemical weapons to use against US installations."
SEPTEMBER 3, 1998 : (IRAQ, SCOTT RITTER COMMITTEE TESTIMONY) Ritter was invited to testify at a joint hearing of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees on September 3, 1998. Strom Thurmond, the South Carolina Republican, introduced Ritter as "a tough and demanding inspector" and a "dedicated American." Ritter wasted no time in offering his assessment of the continuing threat: "Iraq has not been disarmed." The United States, he claimed, had deliberately thwarted the U.N. inspections for fear of a confrontation with Iraq. He ripped the administration for its refusal to back up the inspections process with a legitimate use of force, including, but not limited to, removing Saddam Hussein's regime. http://www.theweeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/000/524dplvk.asp
SEPTEMBER 10, 1998 : (UNSCOM INSPECTOR RITTER, IRAQ, NUKES) Iraq is hiding three technologically complete nuclear bombs and is lacking only fissionable materials to make them operational. This is the view of Scott Ritter, the United Nations arms inspector who resigned on August 26. Mr Ritter made his claim at a recent meeting of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. It was published for the first time yesterday by Zeev Schiff, military editor of Haaretz, the Tel Aviv daily. Haaretz quoted Mr Ritter as revealing that proof also existed that Iraq had been manufacturing chemical weapons outside its borders since the Gulf War. He said that Unscom wanted to pursue this lead in Sudan, but its mandate limited its activities to Iraq. - "Ritter: Baghdad 'possesses three nuclear bombs,'" by Christopher Walker, Times of London, 9/10/98
SEPT. 18, 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang gives $50,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
SEPT. 20, 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang meets in New York with Col. Jack Pritchard, a National Security Council senior ofcial for Asian affairs, to discuss policy ideas related to North Korea.
OCTOBER 1998 : (COLUMBIA, VENEZUELA, FARC, TERROR INTERNATIONAL, EGYPTIAN TERRORIST, AAL) Interpol arrested Egyptian extremist Mohamed Enid Abdel Aal, in Bogota, Colombia. Abdel Aal, a leader of one of the most dangerous of the Islamist terrorist organizations, told authorities under questioning that "he planned to stay in Colombia for a few days and then head to Venezuela over land.” (El Nuevo Herald, Sept. 16, 2001) There is additional information that indicates that the Colombian territory under FARC control has become a haven for Terror International. Argentine journalist Julio Cirino, an expert on international terrorism, has written about the existence of a logistical support base "in a small city near the Colombian border with Venezuela,” where "Middle Eastern types” receive fake Colombian passports and move on to other unspecified destinations.
OCTOBER 31, 1998 : (IRAQ BANS ALL UNSCOM ACTIVITIES) Iraq bans all remaining UNSCOM activities- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
NOVEMBER 1998 (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang has pizza with President Clinton at Hyatt hotel in Seoul, South Korea.
NOVEMBER 14, 1998 : (CLINTON DELAYS STRIKES) Clinton delays his planned strikes on Iraq by 24 hours, in hope of lastminute deal.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
NOVEMBER 15, 1998 : (IRAQ AGREES TO RESCIND BAN ON UNSCOM) A deal is delivered, as Iraq agrees to rescind its ban on UNSCOM activities. Diffuses crisis.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
NOVEMBER 1998 : (UNSCOM TOSSED) Iraq sent inspectors packing.
NOVEMBER 20, 1998 : (NORTH KOREAN VESSEL ENTERS SOUTH KOREAN WATERS) The South Korean navy fires warning shots before chasing a North Korean spy vessel back across the maritime border near Kanghwa-do, northwest of the capital Seoul. http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/29/korea.navy.timeline.reut/
DECEMBER 1998 : (IRAQ, UNSCOM DISMANTLES GERMAN CENTRIFUGE INSTALLATION) The Times of London interview with Hamza notes another possible clue tog the nature of Brazil-Iraq relations in the early 1980s. Before leaving Iraq in 1998 -- just days before U.S.-led air strikes -- U.N. weapons inspectors had dismantled an illegally imported German centrifuge installation that had been used to refine progressively natural or low-enriched uranium until it became suitable for weapons, the Times reported. - "Brazil uranium sales to Iraq stir debate ," by Carmen Gentile, United Press International 9/25/02
DECEMBER 1998 : (UNSCOM FACES YET MORE IRAQI NONCOMPLIANCE) Then, after a brief return to Baghdad, the inspectors reported Iraqi noncompliance and left the country in December 1998 ahead of punishing U.S. and British airstrikes. Since then, many former inspectors have maintained that the only way to disarm Iraq would be to reinstate some of the inspectors' earlier freedoms.
DECEMBER 15, 1998 : (UNSCOM WITHDRAWS DUE TO IRAQI NONCOMPLIANCE) UNSCOM weapons inspectors withdraw from Iraq, saying Saddam has not delivered the unfettered access he promised, rendering the team unable to perform their mission.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
1998 : (UNSCOM DISBANDED) The UN team known as UNSCOM was set up in 1991 and was constantly hindered in its work until it was disbanded in 1998, on the eve of a bombing campaign by the United States and Britain. - Agence France-Presse Two weeks would be enough to begin Iraq inspections- Blix
DECEMBER 16, 1998 : (OPERATION DESERT FOX BEGINS) Operation Desert Fox begins. US and UK launch 415 cruise missiles and 200 bombs at 50 Iraqi locations. It was, however, a flop (The Center for Strategic and International Studies has described Desert Fox as “a near total failure.” Its full report is entitled “If We Fight Iraq,” revised 28 June 2002). Only ten targets were destroyed and 18 severely damaged. US says it killed 1,400 Iraqi troops. Baghdad says 62.- Iraq - Scotsman says Saddam has weapons to wipe out world's population, nuclear bomb within 3 years "The Scotsman dossier - SPECIAL REPORT ON IRAQ" by Fraser Nelson, Westminster Editor
DECEMBER 18, 1998 : (SOUTH KOREA SINKS NORTH KOREAN SPY SUB) The South Korean navy sinks submersible North Korean spy vessel, with one frogman found dead in the Sea of Japan east of the Korean peninsula. http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/29/korea.navy.timeline.reut/
DECEMBER 19, 1998 : (CHANG, DNC, MCAULIFFE, TORICELLI) Mr. Chang attends holiday dinner at the White House with 465 other guests.
1998 (near year's end) : (AFGHANISTAN, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY, HIJAZI, MET WITH BIN LADEN IN KANDAHAR ) The source added that Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which has now effectively merged with al-Qaeda, maintained regular contacts with Iraq for many years. He confirmed the claims first made by the Iraqi National Congress - that towards the end of 1998, Farouk Hijazi, Iraq's ambassador to Turkey and a key member of the Mukhabarat leadership - went to Kandahar in Afghanistan, where he met bin Laden.
DECEMBER 23 +/-, 1998 : (BIN LADEN TIME INTERVIEW, FATWA, SOMALIA) Usama Bin Laden was asked by Time magazine whether he was responsible fo rthe August 1998 attacks. He replied:
"The International Islamic Jihad Front for the Jihad against the US and Israel has, by the grace of God, issued a crystal clear fatwah calling on the Islamic nation to carry on Jihad aimed at liberating the holy sites. the nation of Mohammed has responded to this appeal. If intigation for jihad against the Jews and the Americans... is considered to be a crime, then let history be a witness that I am a criminal. Our job is to instigate and, by the grace of God, we did that, and certain people responded tot his instigation."
He was asked if he knew the attackers:
"...those who risked their lives to earn the pleasure of God are real men. They managed to rid the Islamic nation of disgrace. We hold them in the highest esteem. "
And what the US could expect of him:
"...any thief or criminal who enters another country to steal should expect to be exposed to murder at any time... The US knows that I have attacked it, by the grace of God, for more than ten years now... God knows that we have been pleased by the killing of American soldiers (in Somalia in 1993.) This was achieved by the grace of God and the efforts of the mujahadeen... Hostility towards America is a religious duty and we hope to be rewarded for it by God. I am confident that Muslims will be able to end the legend of the so-called superpower that is America. "
Excellent book about what's going on, September 25, 2002