IRAQ REMOVES ENGINES FROM DESTROYED AL SAMOUDS

middle east newsline ^ | 3/9/03

[knak]

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- U.S. intelligence has concluded that Iraq deceived the United Nations in its current effort to destroy the Al Samoud missile.

U.S. officials said the regime of President Saddam Hussein has not destroyed any Al Samoud missile deployed in forward bases in southern Iraq. Instead, they said, Iraq has brought out missiles from military warehouses and replaced the engines with those from the Soviet-origin SA-2 surface-to-air missile, developed in the 1950s.

"From recent intelligence, we know that the Iraqi regime intends to declare and destroy only a portion of its banned Al Samoud inventory and that it has, in fact, ordered the continued production of the missiles that you see being destroyed," U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday. "Iraq has brought its machinery that produces such missiles out into the daylight for all to see. But we have intelligence that says, at the very same time, it has also begun to hide machinery it can use to convert other kinds of engines to power Al Samouds."

Iraq has declared that it has 100 Al Samoud missiles, half of them deployed by the military. So far, the UN Monitoring,Verification, and Inspection Commission reports that 34 such missiles have been destroyed.

[Howlin]

Iraqis, who once enjoyed wealth from a booming oil economy, have been reduced to penury with a large proportion of the country's 25 million people suffering from malnutrition.

He makes 40 million dollars A DAY from oil.

[lorrainer]

Blix was working FOR Saddam.

I think old Hans-Off was Rittered by Saddam in some manner. How else would you get a person to act this way, if not by blackmail?

[Cold Heat]

What bugs me, is these limits that were set. 150km for drones, 93mi for rockets, etc,etc,etc.......

Did this SOB not loose the damn war?

What a bunch of crap!

[Cold Heat]

I think old Hans-Off was Rittered by Saddam in some manner.

According to people who have worked with him, he is a true pacifist, and a exceedingly nice gentleman who never rocks the boat.

[Indy Pendance]

I haven't been able to find it. I don't think it's out yet.

[lorrainer]

I think old Hans-Off was Rittered by Saddam in some manner.

According to people who have worked with him, he is a true pacifist, and a exceedingly nice gentleman who never rocks the boat.

I was suggesting that his obvious refusal to act without any regard for his job requirements suggests to me he is being blackmailed in some manner. I can't think of any other explanation. Please let me know where I'm wrong. ;o)

[kcvl]

3/9/2003

---

Blix report ruined US dreams


8:10:31 AM
Tehran, March 9 - US chair in the Security Council Friday night was the stage of a performance of failed pipe dreams after chief UN inspector Hans Blix and his colleague Muhammad Al-Beradaei tipped nothing of a defiant Iraq in their reports to the counci l.

The United States had been eying a report which would no more put off its plans for war on Iraq and would provide the ground for issueance of an eventual permission on the matter; But Hans Blix underscored more time for inspections and put a positive gloss on destroying Iraqi Al-Samoud missiles. Like a hopeful Blix, Muhammad Al-Beradaei, who currently holds a major say on nuclear energy issues, dozed the US warfare blaze and said no efforts has been made since 1990 on the part of Iraqi regime to impo rt MWD-potential uranium.

The session caught the White House offguard and foiled its attempt to prove an Iraqi violation of the resolution number 1441. It also carved a more rugged route before Washington for pushing through a second resolution, embeded with a stipulation of ap plying force against Baghdad.

Washington needs the approval of a whole security council if going to see a second resolution passed, thing appearing unlikely, at least with the status quo in the body.

Doesn't it proppel the US to speak of going it alone and assail Iraq with no UN permission in hand?


http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=175235&n=5

[timestax]

You mean they fooled Hans? Why, that's hard to believe!

DITTO !!

[Robert_Paulson2]

fooled hans??? Hell no!

HE probably told them how to make it LOOK like they were destroying their missiles and said: "look boys, if you do it like this, I can cover for you for another week or two... so you can get those anthrax warheads installed and deployed against the americans and the brits...

Reinstalling the junk engines was probably Kofi's idea however.

[AFPhys]

no... not possible... can't fool mr.ignorance_s_blix

[AFPhys]

Why are we all sitting her laughing (if you're like me, I'm just shaking my head!)

Gotta laugh... this has become such a comedic affair... it really merits the destruction of the UN. (Oh, I so hope they don't pass any resolution... but whatever, it doesn't really matter any more... they are dead, dead, dead)

[Petronski]

They crushed the fuselages and kept the engines? And Blixy bought it?

[maestro]

U.S. officials said the regime of President Saddam Hussein has not destroyed any Al Samoud missile deployed in forward bases in southern Iraq. Instead, they said, Iraq has brought out missiles from military warehouses and replaced the engines with those from the Soviet-origin SA-2 surface-to-air missile, developed in the 1950s.

Countdown to "Go".......Tick-Tick-Tick.................Ticking!!!

[laz17]

I wouldn't be surprised if Hans was in on it from the get go.

You bet he was. Blix is bought and paid for. This was confirmed for me when the al Samoud issue first came up. When Saddam first refused to destroy them, and Blix ordered him to do so, I knew the whole thing was a show set up by Saddam and the UN. That entire week, with Saddam refusing and Blix ordering him, was so scripted it was pathetically predictable. I knew it would end with Saddam grudgingly relenting and Blix announcing progress.

Blix is NOT finding things on his own by accident or otherwise, and Saddam is NOT letting him find things to lead him astray. The whole thing is a mutual arrangement between Saddam and the UN. They work it out between them for Saddam to reveal something, then Blix "finds" it, then Saddam balks, then Blix says "Hand it over", then Saddam eventually does, then Blix says, "We're making progress". Scripted every single step of the way, and everyone at the UN knows it.

People used to think Saddam was fooling Blix. No, he's not. Blix is part of the charade, playing his part just as much as Saddam. The only ones being fooled are the people in the audience who fall for this cynical farce.

[laz17]

I don't think the U.N. flunkies have believed a single thing that the U.S. has presented in the way of evidence.

Oh, they believe it. It's just that their mission is to deny it and keep the evidence from seeing the light of day.

We really should stop looking at Blix as an incompetent buffoon. As witty as the line "Ignorance is Blix" is, it's now painfully obvious that it's not apropos. Blix is corrupt and criminal, and he knows precisely what he's doing. It's not a case of Saddam leading the hapless Blix on a wild goose chase or of Blix not seeing through Saddam's little games. Both are cooperating in this charade. It takes two to tango.

[anniegetyourgun]

I'll bet Blix is a nice man. The kind of man who would attempt to cover up what Saddam will use against his people and our troops. The kind of man who wants peace at the price of the pain and suffering of others. The kind of man who knows what Saddam is capable of, and doesn't really care. Real nice.

[Maelstrom]

Quote it for the masses Indy!

[Indiana Girl]

It's like a really bad movie that never ends.

[George W. Bush]

"Silly rabbit. Blix are for kids."

Really really stupid kids.

[kanawa]

"To date, 34 Al Samoud 2 missiles, including 4 training missiles, 2 combat warheads, 1 launcher and 5 engines have been destroyed under UNMOVIC supervision. "

Hmmm.......34 missiles......5 engines