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

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.

Not sure if this one would be pulled by the Admin. FreepMail me if it is:

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): It is most ironical that at the one-third stage of the 30-year Vision 2020 enunciated by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia are facing the greatest test as to whether they are obsolete Barisan Nasional concepts which should be consigned to the dustbin of history as a result of the cynical and ruthless UMNO exploitation of the Suqiu issue.

Mahathir’s benign and benevolent reaction to the extremist 100 demands of the Federation of Peninsula Malay Students (GPMS), such as the post of the country's Prime Minister to be the exclusive rights of the Malays and to increase the Bumiputera quota in public and private institutions of higher learning (IPTA and IPTS) to 70 and 60 per cent respectively is in sharp contrast to his hysterical denunciation of Suqiu as equivalent to the communists of the past and Al-Mau’nah fanatics.

The question is why the 17-point Suqiu should suddenly become the "make or break" issue for Malaysian nation-building when it could even be "accepted in principle" by the Cabinet before the last general election - even if it was just to mislead and deceive the Chinese voters to support the Barisan Nasional?

Mahathir should explain how the 17-point Suqiu threated racial harmony in the country when its basic thrusts were to promote national unity; enforce genuine democracy; uphold human rights and justice; curb corruption; ensure a fair and equitable economic policy; review privatisation policy; uphold an enlightened, liberal and progressive education policy; promote cultural diversity; protect the environment; advance social, housing, workers’, women and indigenous people’s rights; restore confidence in the police force and a fair media.

UMNO Vice President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday urged leaders of all Chinese associations, including political parties, to advise Suqiu on the danger of breaking the social contract forged among the various races.

Suqiu had repeatedly explained that it had made no reference to Malay special rights, a fact admitted by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his parliamentary statement on Monday, but the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik seems to working at cross purpose, especially when he said yesterday that Suqiu "had chosen the wrong time to raise the issue of special rights and privileges of the Malays" and that the issue could be raised may be in 30 or 40 years’ time "when the Malays are economically successful".

Why is the MCA President highlighting that the Suqiu is raising the issue of Malay special rights when even the Prime Minister has conceded to the Suqiu explanation that Malay special rights were not specifically mentioned in the 17-point demands?

Putting aside the issue as to whether Liong Sik is right that the question of Malay special rights should be raised in the year 2030 or 2040 to discuss as to its future may be in 2070 or 2080, the question is what is the justification for the UMNO and the Barisan Nasional to launch a campaign to escalate ethnic tensions as the GPMS 100 Demands, if the government is sincere and committed to Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia concepts?

Cabinet Ministers should come to the forefront to stop elements behind the GPMS from playing with fire with the nation-building process purely for political purposes - as it is not only Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia which would be destroyed in the process, the whole credibility and legitimacy of the Barisan Nasional government would be damaged beyond repair.

I got chills reading this article. Sounds almost like they want to do ethnic cleansing. Ever see their skyline? WTC memories....

>>>>He also called on Malaysians to fight corruption and abuse of trust besides respecting property and abandoning the notion that the Government owed the people a living to achieve the Vision 2020 concept.

Pointing out several examples which indicated that Malaysia was a case of a country "having First World infrastructure and Third World mentality," he said this "ugly Malaysian" mentality affected not just the public and private sectors, but society in general.

Forthright in pointing out the weaknesses of Malaysians, Abdullah repeatedly stressed that there was no room for wishful thinking or complacency.

He said the people should compete and work hard if the country was to realise the Vision 2020 concept.

"In the public sector, it manifests itself in layers of bureaucracy that impede effective delivery. In the private sector, it is evident in low service levels and the lack of global best practices. Socially, we lack the quality of civic virtue — an indispensable value that ensures shared responsibility for our community," he told a rapt audience on his first day as Acting Prime Minister at a talk organised by the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre.

He also took part in a lengthy question and answer session with some 500 participants after presenting his keynote address entitled Competing for Tomorrow. He touched on a variety of issues, but focused mainly on changing the Malaysian mentality which, he said, if allowed to be afflicted with the malaise, could jeopardise the country's future.

Abdullah listed several reasons why the country still had some way to go in meeting international standards.

"In a prestigious ranking of service for Asian hotels, only one Malaysian hotel makes the list out of 56 selected. If you operate a hotel in Malaysia, you need some 64 separate approvals every year from multiple agencies. Surely this can be streamlined? "We are also aware of excruciating delays at the land office with six months or more being the norm for a simple approval for the transfer of land. You can imagine what that does to the liquidity of private assets." Where loan documentation was concerned, he said it sometimes took months, when international benchmarks were measured in days.

"These are some of the unseen costs of the Malaysian economy that a new Cabinet committee on competitiveness which I chair will focus on rectifying." Abdullah listed three key concerns that must be addressed in order that the Vision 2020 concept did not remain an elusive dream.

"The first that comes to my mind is corruption and the abuse of trust. This happens both in the public and private sectors and is perpetrated by Malaysians of all races. Malaysia has among the most stringent anti-corruption laws and codes for corporate governance, but creating a tough framework is not sufficient if we are unable to empower legislation with enforcement." The other key concerns, he said, were respecting property and a need to abandon the notion that the Government owed the people a living.

"There is no doubt that socio-economic policy must continue to focus on correcting historical economic imbalances along racial lines. However, as we endeavour to create a competitive economy, we must reassess the manner in which re-distributive justice is carried out.

"A more competitive economy cannot afford to continue to absorb unproductive economic rents. Hence, we must now make sure that re-distributive justice is carried out on the basis of identifying genuine need and that opportunities are given to those with value-added potential." Abdullah also pledged to continue realising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad's vision, especially changing the mindset, attitude and mentality of Malaysians.

Saying there was no need to "dream another dream", he added that this was because building a better Malaysia meant being "better Malaysians".

He said the people would not be able to usher in the future that was envisioned if a "better Malaysia" could not be realised.

"Dr Mahathir's vision has become my vision and the vision of all Malaysians. I have been increasingly asked the same question by journalists, fund managers, political analysts and others interested in the future of Malaysia. They ask me what my vision is for Malaysia and I have always given the same answer — my vision for Malaysia is Vision 2020 that was articulated by the Prime Minister in 1991.

"It pushes our country towards development and prosperity, yet calls for advancement to be tempered by justice, values and compassion." Among those present were the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah, an Oxonian; captains of industry; representatives from nongovernmental organisations and members of the diplomatic corps.

New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd group editor-in-chief Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, who is also Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia president, presented a welcome address where he introduced the Acting Prime Minister as a distinguished scholar of Islam, who went into the civil service before reaching great heights in politics and the Government.

"We are contemporaries and I know Pak Lah (as Abdullah is fondly called) well. He has never lost his moderate ways and impeccable manner." Approached later, the NSTP group editor-in-chief was confident that the Malays would be able to change their mindset, but that it would take time.

"I am not so worried about the Malaysian Chinese and Indians because they tend to respond more aggressively. The Malays must realise that time does not wait for anyone. If we do not change, we will be left behind."

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