Blix says Iraq refusing U2 spy flights

HA'ARETZ ^ | January 20th, 2003

[Mossad1967]

Top UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said on Monday Iraq had refused to allow reconnaissance flights by U2 aircraft over its territory to aid inspectors in their search for any weapons of mass destruction...

[Blood of Tyrants]

I hadn't thought of that.

[Poohbah]

I don't think they mount the external weapons per START limits on total loadouts.

Also, that many external carriage weapons do ghastly things to the aerodynamics, and the B-1 is already borderline to begin with (way too many compromises to reach its intended speed/weapons carriage criteria--the thing's pretty short-legged, and external ordnance makes the problem worse).

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Mixer]

Agreed. Iraq is in no position to ofject to ANYTHING!

The funniest thing is that we can do it without them knowing yet we still ask (giving them full chance to comply)and they still reject. You would think they would know better by now and just say go ahead knowing full well that the options if they say no are....

1) We do it anyway

2) They are in Breach

3) All of the above

[Crusher138]

A friend of mine related a story regarding the UK asking the US what the heck left Edwards AFB at Mach 5+.

Seems we hadn't told our friends across the water about Aurora. Seems they hadn't told us they were keeping a watch on Edwards.

The whole thing was a tempest until someone realized (or was told) that they shouldn't be talking about this at all.

From that point on the Brits, when asked about their inquiry, said "What Inquiery?"

[ImphClinton]

A Predator can stay over the same area for hours. It can even fire upon targets. Satalites are either too high or only over an area every so often. They are also hindered by clouds.

I believe the U2 is wrong it is Predators we wanted flying over Iraq. This way we could keep our eyes on a building that we were going to inspect and catch them removing everything from it. Then we could follow to where they took it.

[dighton]

Nope. Not us. Unh-unh. No way. Not a thing. Nosireee.

Exactly. Even if we *did* have this non-existent item, it would clearly violate Iraq's 1,550 kt. speed limit.

[Carry_Okie]

No U2s? Then B2s fulla "them toos."

[Poohbah]

I have this vision of a Nevada State Police trooper outside Groom Lake, with an Aurora landed on the Extraterrestrial Highway. "4,000 MPH through a 65 MPH zone. Boy, yo's in a heap of trouble!"

[Dan(9698)]

>>>. . .I suspect that any attempt to shoot down a U-2 would be met by some resistance, to put it mildly.

They have tried several times. They can't do it or they would have.

When I was in the Army they would tell us when and on what track a U2 was passing overhead. We could hardly track them let alone try to shoot one down.

They fly in excess of 70,000 feet.

Russia tried for years before they shot one down.

[Poohbah]

IIRC, they also managed to bag two MiG-19s in the process :o)

[Mr. K]

That is a mistake that idiot Carter made- he cut down funding for surveilance flights because 'we have satellites'...

The only problem is that satellites cannot see throug clouds, and fly a predictable pattern- the spy planes let you go under cloud cover and go whenever and wherever you need...

This is one of the fatal flaws that Carter and Clinton made, that will take us 20-40 years to recover from.

[pepsionice]

The aircraft design itself is 1950s...its the 'packages' that reflect technology of today. And its absolutely true that the aircraft can be defeated easily...so you don't fly this thing in hostile areas unless you have adequate fighter support, or a free ticket from the Iraqis to fly.

[RoughDobermann]

Whats Aurora?

1. A town in Colorado.
2. The shortened version of Aurora Borealis
3. The popular name for the SR-71's hypothetical replacement

[ImphClinton]

Great Article

[PhiKapMom]

Thought we already had Predators flying over Iraq but we also wanted some manned aircraft there! Correct me if I am wrong!

[jbstrick]

"Iraq will not allow U2 overflights because it might give them The Edge.... "

Then I guess we will have to give them a Bloody Sunday

[ImphClinton]

Bush will change this attitude again just as he did to get the resolution. I imagine that by the end of the month we will have all or nearly all countries on board.

Frances president at a 4 AM EST press conference said he had his Army on alert to be ready to go into Iraq. He made it terribly obvious he never wanted to do this though as that would be a failure. In his opinion all things can be solved by diplomacy. Did France learn nothing by WW1 and WW2?

[RoughDobermann]

Then I guess we will have to give them a Bloody Sunday

Indeed, perhaps War will suffice. By unleashing the Rattle and Hum, the Unforgettable Fire will surely follow, causing the Iraqis to cower Under A Blood Red Sky. Perhaps our boys' battle cry should be, "Achtung Baby!" :-)

[ImphClinton]

No doubt they can.

Iraq shot down one of our Predators. I know Blix was supposed to ask Iraq to stop trying this. I am prety sure Blix wanted control of a Predator or two to gather inteligence.

I believe the Predator can do most of what we would want done. The Iraquis have no chance of shoting down a U2 so why ask permission except to get another refusal.