Iraqi drone 'could drop chemicals on troops' (See Para #2 of story -- MUST READ)

London Times ^ | 8 March 2003 | James Bone

[PhiKapMom]

March 08, 2003

Iraqi drone 'could drop chemicals on troops'
From James Bone in New York

A REPORT declassified by the United Nations yesterday contained a hidden bombshell with the revelation that inspectors have recently discovered an undeclared Iraqi drone with a wingspan of 7.45m, suggesting an illegal range that could threaten Iraq’s neighbours with chemical and biological weapons.

US officials were outraged that Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector, did not inform the Security Council about the drone, or remotely piloted vehicle, in his oral presentation to Foreign Ministers and tried to bury it in a 173-page single-spaced report distributed later in the day. The omission raised serious questions about Dr Blix’s objectivity.

“Recent inspections have also revealed the existence of a drone with a wingspan of 7.45m that has not been declared by Iraq,” the report said. “Officials at the inspection site stated that the drone had been test-flown. Further investigation is required to establish the actual specifications and capabilities of these RPV drones . . . (they) are restricted by the same UN rules as missiles, which limit their range to 150km (92.6 miles).

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, told the Security Council in February that Washington had evidence that Iraq had test-flown a drone in a race-track pattern for 500km non-stop.

In another section of the declassified report, the inspectors give warning that Iraq still has spraying devices and drop tanks that could be used in dispersing chemical and biological agents from aircraft. “A large number of drop tanks of various types, both imported and locally manufactured, are available and could be modified,” it says.

The paper, obtained by The Times, details the possible chemical and biological arsenal that British and US Forces could face in an invasion of Iraq. The paper suggests that Iraq has huge stockpiles of anthrax, may be developing long-range missiles and could possess chemical and biological R400 aerial bombs and Scud missiles, and even smallpox.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, told his fellow Security Council Foreign Ministers that the document was a“chilling read”.

General Powell resorted to reading passages from the paper out loud in the Council chamber. He pointed out that it chronicled nearly 30 times when Iraq had failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate its claims, and 17 instances when inspectors uncovered evidence that contradicted those claims. But his draft copy, dating from a meeting of the inspectors’ advisory board last week, did not contain the crucial passage about the new drone.

The decision by Dr Blix to declassify the internal report marks the first time the UN has made public its suspicions about Iraq’s banned weapons programmes, rather than what it has been able to actually confirm. “Unmovic has credible information that the total quantity of biological warfare agent in bombs, warheads and in bulk at the time of the Gulf War was 7,000 litres more than declared by Iraq. This additional agent was most likely all anthrax,” it says.

The report says there is “credible information” indicating that 21,000 litres of biological warfare agent, including some 10,000 litres of anthrax, was stored in bulk at locations around the country during the war and was never destroyed.

The paper, a collection of 29 “clusters” of questions for Iraq, offers some reassurance about Iraq’s missing botulinum toxin, which Unmovic believed is “unlikely to retain much, if any, of its potency” if it has been stockpiled since 1991.

[malakhi]

Actually the Number One Man, signed up on 11-28-97

Yes, but FR existed prior to that time. 11/28/97 is when they instituted the registration system. Before then, you just entered any old name and posted.

[Calpernia]

Back in 2/5....that a publicly stated concern. We have unconfirmed information that was done.

[deport]

Yes they can be stripped down and moved.... but for the US why not use small planes with tank and nozzles or crop dusters... much easier I'd think...

[easonc52]

I'm not saying much as I'm new here; only fly the American flag as I am (I guess that might only apply to Americans), and believe in the best interests for the world.

[Ethyl]

I came on tonight to check my email and see what the latest was. I haven't left my computer since -- first RNC and then I hear the reports about the drones!

What about the RNC???

[Victoria Delsoul]

Blix is an absolute disgraced and should be fired along with anyone who knew he did this!

Agreed.

[marajade]

I think the US knows they will try that... I thought since 9/11 intel was watching even the smallest of air fields and checking all who had permits for pesticide spraying via airplanes?

[marajade]

I think Howlin is right... the ones Powell spoke about were smaller drones and these are bigger drones... Blix tried to discredit Powell about the smaller ones and now this... Can you believe it?

[PhiKapMom]

RNC had a research paper I posted on here tonight about Clinton and the economy.

[Howlin]

This is the drone Powell spoke of on 2/5.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/860184/posts?page=122#122

[woodyinscc]

You are absolutely right Howlin!

Drudge had it as a siren 2 or 3 wks ago!

IIRC 25m wing span drone able to fly hundreds
of miles

[Dolphy]

Personally I am completely confused by who saw what when. But to me the point is that we and the Brits have put a lot of information out there based on our intelligence. Blix and his sidekick have consistently looked to refute our claims, and call our intelligence bad or made up. This provides material for the Chris Matthews of the world to argue to dispute the basis of our cause for war even though the Security Council on the whole has no such dispute about Saddam's weapons.

As the President said, there was a single question to be answered by Blix on Friday. Instead he contributed to confusion, and discredited us.

[Howlin]

Nobody lurks for 8 years without posting. Nobody.

I registerd on June 20, 1998 and I didn't feel anybody lurking then.......LOL.

[PhiKapMom]

Not to mention Free Republic wasn't here 8 years ago. Guess you did what I did!

[wendellscout]

And I thought I was the only confused one! It's comforting to see some similar thinking....

[Rocky]

"What was post #8?"

For the record, post #8 was a copy of the following article. I assume it was pulled because we are not supposed to copy entire articles in our posts on Free Republic. Other posts in this thread have already clarified that the point isn't that we were unaware of the existence of drones, but that Blix said that our claims were untrue, and then tried to hide the fact that he was wrong.

Iraqi Drones May Target U.S. Cities

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,79472,00.html

[woodyinscc]

25 feet not meters

[Howlin]

We'll never make it through the war unless we get a flowchart!

[Howlin]

For the record, post #8 was a copy of the following article. I assume it was pulled because we are not supposed to copy entire articles in our posts on Free Republic

Not really true; only LA Times and Washington Post, Newsweek.

[Howlin]

BTW, all its posts were pulled evidently.