U.S. Finds Suspected Iraq Chemical Plant

Associated Press ^ | March 23, 2003 | Matt Kelley

[AntiGuv]

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops have found a suspected chemical factory in Iraq and officials were trying to determine late Sunday whether it was involved in making chemical weapons, U.S. officials said.

The plant is near the city of An Najaf, which U.S. troops reached Sunday on a push to Baghdad, the officials said.

President Bush and other U.S. officials say ridding Saddam Hussein's regime of chemical and biological weapons is the main objective of the war.

Saddam's government denies it has any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or programs to produce them.

Asked at a news conference in Qatar Sunday about reports of the chemical plant, Lt. Gen. John Abizaid of U.S. Central Command declined comment. He said top Iraqi officers have been questioned about chemical weapons.

"We have an Iraqi general officer, two Iraqi general officers that we have taken prisoner, and they are providing us with information," Abizaid said.

If the plant is confirmed as a chemical weapons factory, it would be the first find by the U.S.-led invasion force validating U.S. allegations that Iraq still has weapons of mass destruction.

Iraqi officials have insisted that they destroyed all of the chemical and biological weapons they made after the 1991 Persian Gulf War — a claim U.N. weapons inspectors have questioned.

U.N. weapons inspectors are not aware of any large-scale chemical sites which could be used to make chemical weapons in An Najaf, said Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the inspectors. However, there are many such dual-use sites in other parts of the country because of Iraq's petrochemical industry.

U.N. inspectors visited a cement plant in An Najaf earlier this year but did not report finding anything.

The U.S. military's discovery was first reported in the Jerusalem Post, which has a reporter traveling with the unit from the Army's 3rd Infantry Division which reached the chemical plant. The newspaper reported that about 30 Iraqi troops, including a general, surrendered at the plant.

[The Great RJ]

Gee maybe the sign out front said "Baby Milk Plant" and that's why the UN inspectors missed it--I think the Iraqis had that sign left over from the last Gulf war.

[river rat]

The "inspectors" were never meant to find anything of significance..

The goal of the U.N. was to STALL and DELAY until the French, Germans, Russians and their allies the Islaminazis - could bring America to her knees with horrible acts of terrorism against us.

This war in Iraq should be thought of as...the beginning of WWIII.

This sides have been identified..
The enemy has "played their hands"..
Our friends have identified themselves...
WE SHOULD LONG REMEMBER THESE PAST FEW MONTHS......

Time to be strong and resolute.

Semper Fi

[bdeaner]

Ok, AP finally reporting! This is HUGE!

BUT: what indications are there that this factory was being used to manufacture chemical ?

Well, for one -- why else would it be guarded by the military and two generals? And why would it be camouflaged if it were not manufacturing chemical weapons?

Folks, this is great news, leaving egg on the faces of France, Germany, Russia and China, the Demonrats, the anti-war protestors . . . It will be fun to watch 'em all backpeddle like the cheese-eating surrender monkeys they are!

Finally some good news after a rough news day.

[BamaFan69]

Use Blix to test the chemicals on himself. If he dies they are real.

[Froggie]

"Hanz would have found it if given more time, likely around 2010".....J Chirac.

[GalvestonBeachcomber]

Another baby milk factory?

[BamaFan69]

I think 2010 is a little generous... Maybe if we send him to North Korea today, he could start looking for nukes...

[CurlyBill]

Anyone think that Tom Daschole will have an excuse for this? Will he accuse Bush of "planting" this? Will he follow the Baghdad line? Whose side is he on anyway?

[RKV]

"If the plant is confirmed as a chemical weapons factory..." That is not a very strong statement. I have followed this all day, from the Jerusalem Post to Fox and now to AP. Be careful not to read more into this than the facts allow. I do hope we nail down some chemical weapons facilities and personnel ASAP, but this is NOT conclusive yet. I hope we find them before some are used, which I think could happen in the next 24-48 hours, because of our proximity to the capital. I don't want our guys to get sucked in and then #$%^ on.

[this_ol_patriot]

FNC is backing down a bit on this now.

[KC_Conspirator]

Its a 100 acre baby milk plant.

[LaineyDee]

And why would it be camouflaged if it were not manufacturing chemical weapons?

Well.....since America is notorious for bombing aspirin and baby milk factories...plus an occasional Red Cross facility or two... they had no choice. /sarcasm