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.

[marajade]

Yeah I heard... they are replacing the missiles with older engines before destroying them that way they can keep the newer engines to use in more missiles which Blix keeps saying they aren't building...

I don't who stated it today, another freeper, but I don't know whether to laugh or to cry is surely applicable...

[TheSpottedOwl]

All I can say is shitcan the UN, and ship the hippies out of the USA. Yeah, I'll wake up tomorrow :)

[Sparky760]

Every American should be watching the show on the history channel right now about Saddam and his chemical and biological weapons

[Dolphy]

Thank you for posting these things. They are very interesting and have got me thinking.

[Mo1]

What does NOW have to saw about this


Iraqi border guards set fire to Kurdish woman
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/860213/posts

[malakhi]

Try 2-digit, lol!

Oh, sure, rub it in! ;o)

[Spunky]

MonroeDNA signed up 1997-11-28.

What a great day you registered on. My birthday!

Also my Grandpa's last name is Munro.

[Dolphy]

What a farce, it's like theater of the absurd. There is absolutely no way that adults could present these facts in the fashion France, Germany and Russia do. They are active particpants in this fraud.

[malakhi]

Check this out -- Iraq is removing engines from the missiles before they are destroyed!

There was an article posted about this on Friday.

US Intel: Iraq Switched Engines in [Al Samoud] Missiles it Destroyed

[MonroeDNA]

Aww...shucks! And thanks. Trust me--you are highly respected here, and I (for one) find myself nodding my head in agreement a lot when you post.

Luck of the draw regarding the number. Plenty here have higher, but were here long before me. Deadline for signing up (for continueing posting priveledges was December 1, 1997, if I recall.

We here tend to be independent thinkers, and many chose not to sign up, on principle, then couldn't stand not posting and signed up. :)

[marajade]

And its apparent to me they don't care... Isn't that sad?

[Dolphy]

Sad it is, but it's also enraging. There would be absolutely nothing going on in Iraq if not for our troops lined up at their border. These are the same troops that may pay a price for these idiots causing a long delay that has allowed Saddam to better prepare for war.

[MonroeDNA]

I kinda regretted posting it after I did. Cheap bragging rights, that's all. Truth is, I find folks like you to be some of the best posters here. I enjoy kicking back and learning.

Perhaps you might agree that even some super-newbies here are doing a great job carrying out our tradition.

The tradition of being the brightest, most free-thinking, best informed website on the net. Notice we made the top 1000 sites visited on the net? We're even breaking into the media, being quoted. JimRob's little site, born of frustration, is becoming a world power. He is changing the world, literally.

BTW, I love your posts. :)

Best regards,

[malakhi]

Perhaps you might agree that even some super-newbies here are doing a great job carrying out our tradition.

Yes, I agree.

BTW, I love your posts. :)

Aw, shucks. ;o)

[PhiKapMom]

Thank you much!

[MonroeDNA]

Hi Spunky, I signed up the day before my b-day. :) Love your profile; never forget those firefighters who died because of ESA.

My Great-great-grandfather's family name was Monroe. Several variants on the name. Originally Munro, I believe, from Scottland, came here around 1740.

One Monroe daughter married an Adams. Had my Grandma; she was DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). I hope I can live up, but I know I fall short.

Too much here, Freepmail me. :)

Blix is a liar!!!!! Howlin rules!!!! Blix and the UN should move to France!

[PhiKapMom]

I agree 100% with what you have just said! I find what Blix has done reprehensible. I think he should join the human shields in Iraq!

[bart99]

The complete extermination of Israel is a stated Iraqi policy, as it is with several other Arab nations. Until this is reolved, forget the Palestinian/Israel problem. Palestine and Israel could make peace, but then the Iraqs and others of the Arab world would still use weapons of mass destruction at their first opportunity to eliminate the state of Israel.

[bart99]

NOW is too busy trying to figure out how to boycott the Master's Golf Tournament. Do you really think they care about woen's issues outside the USA? They are old-guard USA feminists, who still focus on equality of pay and opportunities. But..... give the evidence of genital mutilations in a foreign country or other atrocities, and they become very quiet.