Posted on 02/18/2003 4:47:00 PM PST by knak
Three giant cargo ships are being tracked by US and British intelligence on suspicion that they might be carrying Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.
Each with a deadweight of 35,000 to 40,000 tonnes, the ships have been sailing around the world's oceans for the past three months while maintaining radio silence in clear violation of international maritime law, say authoritative shipping industry sources.
The vessels left port in late November, just a few days after UN weapons inspectors led by Hans Blix began their search for the alleged Iraqi arsenal on their return to the country.
Uncovering such a deadly cargo on board would give George Bush and Tony Blair the much sought-after "smoking gun" needed to justify an attack on Saddam Hussein's regime, in the face of massive public opposition to war.
The ships were chartered by a shipping agent based in Egypt and are flying under the flags of three different countries. The continued radio silence since they left port, in addition to the captains' failure to provide information on their cargoes or their destinations, is a clear breach of international maritime laws.
The vessels are thought to have spent much of their time in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, berthing at sea when they need to collect supplies of fuel and food. They have berthed in a handful of Arab countries, including Yemen.
American and British military forces are believed to be reluctant to stop and search the vessels for fear that any intervention might result in them being scuttled. If they were carrying chemical and biological weapons, or fissile nuclear material, and they were to be sunk at sea, the environmental damage could be catastrophic.
Washington and London might also want to orchestrate any raids so that they can present the ships as "evidence" that President Saddam is engaged in "material breach" of UN resolutions. This could provide the trigger for military strikes. While security sources in London last night were unable to provide information on any surveillance operation, the movement of the three ships is the source of growing concern among maritime and intelligence experts.
A shipping industry source told The Independent: "If Iraq does have weapons of mass destruction, then a very large part of its capability could be afloat on the high seas right now. These ships have maintained radio silence for long periods and, for a considerable time, they have been steaming around in ever-decreasing circles."
The ships are thought to have set sail from a country other than Iraq to avoid running the gauntlet of Western naval vessels patrolling the Gulf. Defence experts believe that, if they are carrying weapons of mass destruction, these could have been smuggled out through Syria or Jordan.
Despite hundreds of searches by UN inspectors, no evidence has yet been found of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes. A succession of "dossiers" presented by Downing Street has been criticised for providing inaccurate information, with the most recent one subject to ridicule because a student's 11-year-old doctoral thesis was being passed off as current intelligence. There was a further setback for Washington and London when the accuracy of satellite photographs shown to the United Nations by Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, purporting to show Iraqi officials moving incriminating evidence from a suspected site, was questioned by Hans Blix.
Mr Blix said: "The reported movement of munitions at the site could just as easily have been a routine activity as a movement of proscribed munitions in anticipation of an imminent inspection."
Attempts to link the Iraqi regime to al-Qa'ida and other Islamist groups have also been met with scepticism. The UN says, though, that Iraq has failed to account for 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents from the war against Iran; to reveal the whereabouts of 6,500 missing chemical rockets; to produce evidence it has destroyed 8,500 litres of anthrax; and to account for 380 rocket engines smuggled into Iraq with chemicals used for missile propellants and control systems.
Intelligence reports, and some Iraqi defectors, have maintained that incriminating material and documents relating to weapons of mass destruction have been buried in remote parts of the country and have also been hidden in a variety of locations including homes of officials and scientists, as well as mosques. There have also been claims that chemical and biological products have been smuggled into Syria.
I don't know. We've got three ships sailing around, violating of international maritime law. They had to figure they would be noticed. How much enviro damage can they do? I think smallpox and the chemicals would be toast. I know anthrax spores to be a tad hearty, but months in salt water, so diluted, I don't see how blowing them to smithereens would be a big deal.
Best make sure of their 'location' if near 'good guys'!
Also,......Uh,......Exactly, which WAY the WIND is blowing!
:-(
Now heres where my paranoia comes into play. "....the environmental damage could be catastrophic."
Do you believe the news source? From what I've read about these agents, I don't.
Even if I'm wrong, I can't believe the loss of life from blowing them out of the water 1000 miles from shore would be anywhere close to the loss if they get into anyone's port.
Better yet, lets put a few of our cuban visitors on some Zodiac rubber rafts and do a USS Cole on them.
We have apparently been tracking these people for some time.
My thought is that the Royal Navy, perhaps the Royal Australian Navy, and ourselves have been passively tracking these vessels with JSTARS aircraft and attack submarines.
If these guys are flying the Jolly Roger, so to speak, you want to vaporize them as quickly as possible if they have WMD charges on them.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Duh - Cairo is well inland. How about Port Said?
Three miles for law enforcement, and twelve miles out for commerce (fishing, oil drilling, etc.)
***NEWS.INDEPENDENT.co.uk: "TRINIDADIAN ISLAMIC GROUP THREATENS TO USE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS" by Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The reporters for the Trinidad Express talked to a man who said he was a chemical engineer who had received explosives training in the United States. They were shown various materials and told they could be used to manufacture a form of nerve gas as well as toxins strong enough to poison the island's water supply. An expert from the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute watched video footage of the reporting trip and said the man in the lab "sounded as though he knows what he is talking about and what he intends to do". It is not clear who the Islamic group is, although it is likely to be related to Jamaat al-Muslimeen, a radical sect that launched an unsuccessful coup attempt in Trinidad and Tobago in 1990. The group told the Trinidad Express it sympathised with Osama bin Laden and the Bali bombers, and harboured ambitions to stage an Islamic revolution on the island, even though Muslims make up only 6 per cent of the local population.") (January 30, 2003)
TRINIDAD EXPRESS.com: "MIRROR UNDER SIEGE" (ARTICLE SNIPPETS: "Police and soldiers yesterday stormed the Barataria offices of the Mirror newspaper after four members of the Waajihatal Islamiyyah held staff members hostage while demanding a retraction for a front page story. The incident occurred at 3.15 p.m. after the men entered the newsroom having told the security guard that they wanted to speak to the editor. The four were led by Umar Abdullah, the man identified as a "terrorist" in reports by foreign intelligence." ... "Abdullah shot into the headlines last December when the Sunday Express reported that US and British intelligence reports had identified him as a terrorist. It said that his group has amassed weapons and was involved in secret military training in several locations in the country. He was described as a South-based radical Muslim who wants to establish an Islamic state here. Abdullah also publishes a monthly newsletter condemning US and British activities in the Middle East, Afghanistan and other parts of the Muslim world.") (February 7, 2003)
stepping back in time...An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a BBC article dated July 28, 2002: "CARIBBEAN COUP ATTEMPT REMEMBERED" (BBC ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The crisis began with the blowing up of the police headquarters building in the capital, Port of Spain. After that, groups of young Muslimeen, armed with AK47's, swarmed into the parliament building, known as the Red House, and Trinidad and Tobago Television, TTT. Muslimeen leader, Yasin Abu Bakr, a former Trinidadian policeman, called for public support. Instead Trinidadians stayed home and watched as the six-day drama was reported on local and regional radio and then picked up by the international media.") (August 29, 2002)
stepping back in time...GASandOIL.com - ALEXANDER'S GAS & OIL CONNECTIONS: "ARREST OF TRINIDADIAN MAN UNCOVERS POSSIBLE PLOT FOR COUP ATTEMPT" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "23-06-01 The arrest of a Trinidadian man by federal agents has uncovered a possible plot to overthrow the government of Trinidad and Tobago using weapons purchased in South Florida, according to US authorities and Trinidadian officials. Keith Andre Glaude was arrested in a sting operation three weeks ago in Broward County after he allegedly tried to buy high-powered weapons for use by a militant Muslim group in Trinidad, leading agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to believe he was part of a potential plot to provoke an insurrection. "These are not hunting-type rifles," said Eduardo Halley, a spokesman for the ATF. "These are not weapons you buy for sport." Glaude's cas "is a matter of national security," said Hylton Guy, the islands' police commissioner. The case evolved over a year of cat-and-mouse manoeuvres between Glaude and his contacts in Trinidad, on the one hand, and an ATF agent in South Florida. It culminated three weeks ago in a sting operation, as Glaude was about to drive off with 70 submachine guns and 10 silencers in the back of his van.") (July 31, 2001)
WHITEHOUSE.gov: "STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH" (SPEECH SNIPPET: "Tonight I have a message for the men and women who will keep the peace, members of the American Armed Forces: Many of you are assembling in or near the Middle East, and some crucial hours may lay ahead. In those hours, the success of our cause will depend on you. Your training has prepared you. Your honor will guide you. You believe in America, and America believes in you. Sending Americans into battle is the most profound decision a President can make. The technologies of war have changed; the risks and suffering of war have not. For the brave Americans who bear the risk, no victory is free from sorrow. This nation fights reluctantly, because we know the cost and we dread the days of mourning that always come. We seek peace. We strive for peace. And sometimes peace must be defended. A future lived at the mercy of terrible threats is no peace at all. If war is forced upon us, we will fight in a just cause and by just means -- sparing, in every way we can, the innocent. And if war is forced upon us, we will fight with the full force and might of the United States military -- and we will prevail.") (January 28, 2003)
FOX NEWS.com: "POWELL: 'SADDAM SHOULD TELL THE TRUTH -- NOW'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "DAVOS, Switzerland -- There is a relationship between Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and terrorism, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday, warning that without strong international action, Iraq could use its lethal weapons or share its technology with terrorists.") (January 26, 2003)
***NewsMax.com: "CLINTON AND CHINA ARMED IRAQ" by Charles R. Smith (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Thanks to Bill Clinton and his Defense Secretary William Perry, the Chinese army's Electronics Design Bureau modified the American fiber-optic communication system, changing it into the Tiger Song secure air-defense system. The Chinese army then exported the newly modified system to Iraq. Today, Tiger Song stands ready to kill U.S. pilots. Thank you, Bill Clinton and William Perry, for your services to the Chinese People's Liberation Army and to the Iraqi armed forces that now protect Saddam Hussein.") (013003)
***FOX NEWS.com (AP): "FBI SEARCHES FOR IRAQI SPIES, TERROR CELLS IN U.S." (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON - The FBI is questioning as many as 50,000 Iraqis living in the United States in a search for potential terrorist cells, spies or people who might provide information helpful to a U.S. war effort.") (012403)
***BBC NEWS: "FBI 'SEEKS 3,000 MISSING IRAQIS' (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "It is feared some could be connected with extremist groups or be agents of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, unnamed officials told the newspaper. "We don't really know how big the problem is or how big the threat might be, but the possibility is real," a senior US counter-terrorism official said. Those missing are among 50,000 Iraqi immigrants the FBI wants to interview as the US threatens military action against Baghdad.") (012703)
NY POST.com: "IRAQ ADMITS IT'S ON THE BRINK OF CREATING NUKES" by Vincent Morris (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "A top adviser to Saddam Hussein admitted yesterday that Iraq is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. "We have the complete documentation, from design to all the other things," Lt. Gen. Amir al-Saadi told reporters in Baghdad. "We haven't reached the final assembly of a bomb nor tested it."") (120902) *Note: Url has expired.
***BBC NEWS: "NEW IRAQ DOCUMENT FIND ALARMS UN" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The head of the United Nations atomic agency has voiced concern about documents apparently relating to nuclear technology which were found in an Iraqi scientist's home. The documents, numbering 3,000 pages, appear to focus on laser enrichment - a way to modify uranium for use in nuclear weapons - and were taken from the home of physicist Faleh Hassan on Thursday.") (011803)
NATIONAL POST.com: "POLICE SUSPECT CANADIANS IN IRAQI SMUGGLING" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Two Canadians suspected of trying to smuggle eight Iraqis into the United States were deported to Toronto on Friday after being held in Jamaica for four days. A Jamaican official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Ali Hussein Dalloul, 29, and Mazin Odish, 26, both of Windsor, Ont., may have been trying to smuggle the Iraqis into Canada or the United States via Cuba, Jamaica and Belize, using false travel documents. No one has been charged with a crime.") (February 17, 2003)
***An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding an CHANNEL5BELIZE.com article: "10 IRAQIS DETAINED IN JAMAICA WERE HEADED TO BELIZE" (CHANNEL5BELIZE.com ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Jamaican police are remaining tight-lipped about the status of ten Iraqis who are being held in Montego Bay. The men arrived in the resort town on Sunday and were in transit on route to Belize. They flew into Jamaica on a flight from Cuba before becoming stranded after their flight to Belize from Jamaica was cancelled.") (February 13, 2003)
***MIAMI.com - THE MIAMI HERALD: "FOUR CUBAN BORDER GUARDS ARRIVE IN KEYS UNDETECTED" by Jennifer Babson (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "KEY WEST - Four armed defectors from Cuba's border guard, clad in green camouflage and black boots, walked onto Key West's main drag after arriving undetected early Friday -- the same day that the U.S. attorney general put the nation on a heightened state of terrorist alert. The men tied their 30-foot go-fast boat behind the Hyatt Key West Resort and Marina, stashing it within a short distance of the Coast Guard station, which failed to spot their 4 a.m. arrival. Police found two AK-47s and eight magazines of ammunition inside the Cigarette speedboat. The incident occurred six days after five Cuban fishermen in a large rickety boat landed on U.S. Naval property close to a cruise ship.") (February 8, 2003)
YEMEN --- I wonder what Yemen knows about the "cargo" and the "ships." Any human cargo of interest traveling on board? Well, anyway, we'll see what develops....
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