Posted on 08/25/2003 12:12:28 PM PDT by RoughDobermann
U.S. intelligence suspects Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have finally been located.
Unfortunately, getting to them will be nearly impossible for the United States and its allies, because the containers with the strategic materials are not in Iraq.
Instead they are located in Lebanon's heavily-fortified Bekaa Valley, swarming with Iranian and Syrian forces, and Hizbullah and ex-Iraqi agents, Geostrategy-Direct.com will report in tomorrow's new weekly edition.
U.S. intelligence first identified a stream of tractor-trailer trucks moving from Iraq to Syria to Lebaon in January 2003. The significance of this sighting did not register on the CIA at the time.
U.S. intelligence sources believe the area contains extended-range Scud-based missiles and parts for chemical and biological warheads.
Mutually-lucrative Iraqi-Syrian arms transactions are nothing new. Firas Tlas, son of Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlas, has been the key to Syria's rogue alliance with Iraq. He and Assad made hundreds of millions of dollars selling weapons, oil and drugs to and from Iraq, according to the May 13, 2003 edition of Geostrategy-Direct.com.
The CIA now believes a multi-million dollar deal between Iraq and Syria provided for the hiding and safekeeping of Saddam's strategic weapons.
Not surprisingly, U.S. inquiries in Beirut and Syria are being met with little substantive response, U.S. officials said.
Yep, I think this will last a generation but maybe not. This "vital time" refers to a state of war and a state of maybe siege as there are forces about who wish to kill us, fly our planes into big buildings, bomb people around the globe
Well considering that this 'threat' will be there twenty years from now just as today, I take it you consider the next twenty five years to be 'vital'. So we're not going to be able to criticize the national government for the next twenty years? Unless a Democrat is in office? That it?
I am beginning to think of Islamo fascist addicted to bombing. I have yet to see anything they do that is helpful. Even the fascists in Italy ran the trains on time. Even the fascists in spain sort of kept a clean country. Even the Singapore government doesn't allow smoking and depositing butts on the street.
And so now we compare evils. Evil is evil, plain and simple. Mind you this has nothing to do with your argument and doesn't support your position but I enjoy to see where the political views of someone that is going to rant about nothing in general comes from.
So it is vital now that we eliminate them and if it takes a generation to do so, well so be it. The world will be better. And all the rest is white noise and fear.
Ah, genocide, the cry of those in the 'right'. Get rid of them all!! Forget trying to actually carry on a conversation. I'm sure the Bible said to destroy your adversary instead of agreeing with them... (Mind you I think they're a bit on the kook side as well, but I'm not advocating complete destruction of an entire civilization)
We would all just like to read our paper, drink our Lattes, visit our children and friends, have dates, play tennis, go fishing, etc. But it just won't be that way for a while.
May not for you, but it will for me. I like fishing. And your statement doesn't agree with the President and AG Ashcroft. They 'told' us to go about our lives. Or were they not talking about fishing?
And carping and referring to the President is such a derisive way, "The great W", wont really strengthen us for what may come
Word of note to cajungirl. He's a politician. It doesn't matter what party, he's still a politician. Granted he may be more moral than Clinton, but at the rate the money's being spent tied in with the foreign policy, I can't call him conservative. At least not in the truest sense
But my dear young man, you need to grow up and not be so scared of the future. We will all face it together, some at more risk than us.
I'm not scared. I don't think Allah Akhbar is coming to get me, and if I am attacked I will more than happily defend myself. Mind you, my choice of weapons is slowly being taken away from me considering the President plans to joyfully sign the AWB, but I'll still defend myself.
Thanks, you bring up an interesting point in this and it is a valid point that does concern me. I do believe with you there is a need to establish a more stable form of government there
Syria has alot of **Good Cards to play...don't they.
Past decade has Syria build deep layered missile complexes ..some are inside Mountains with role out launch bays.
SCUD C/D..although it is a dressed up WW-2 V2..it can loft Bio/chem warheads...Syria could make things grevous for Israel in a war..but they would still get the living **** kicked out of them.
From what I have been able to glean on the intel...Syria is going to play 'Stubborn Mule' with Washington...get all they can out of it.
One article noticed from 2001..and believe to be the crux of the gaming by Syria...has some to do with Egypt.
Both nations are not signatory to anything as far as missiles and WMD.
Egypt wants to keep its missiles..and a low profile.
They are afraid..if Syria caves to U.S. pressure..thier Missile program will collapse too.
Syria fears same the other direction.
Syria also has a stubborn stance on Golan..they desire the U.S. to make sttlement with them and Israel before the Palie issue is settled..their terms are stubborn too.
So..alot of gaming..threat language..lying..etc.
Syria's Scud series will see its re-supply and update reality ended in regards to North Korea...unless Syria R and D's things they will have trouble just maintaining their missile force..let alone advancing its abilites.
Washington is putting the squeeze on Tehran too ..by cutting off the N.K. supply pipeline..even though Irans missile program is frought with launch explosions..stage seperation explosions..guidance failure...explosions : ).
So as missiles go..**Hamdi's having a rough time of it. : )
anyways..here is a past Debka article:
Washington to Syria: Hand over Saddams WMD First
DEBKAfile Special Report
April 21, 2003, 12:43 PM (GMT+02:00)
Sunday, April 20, Damascus surrendered a top official of the Saddam Husseins regime, one of the eight granted sanctuary (as listed by DEBKAfile last Friday, April 18), Republican Guards secretary Kemal Mustafa al Tikriti, who is married to Saddams youngest daughter. The Syrians pushed him across the border to Iraq where he surrendered to US forces.
This was Syrian president Bashar Assads first response to the newly-delivered US ultimatum: deliver Iraqs WMD and regime leaders or face military action. President George W. Bush noted with satisfaction that Syria was beginning to understand the message. But, according to DEBKAfiles Washington sources, the handover of all the high-ranking Iraqi fugitives sheltering in Syria will not satisfy the US government or get it off the Assad governments back. The US ultimatum to Damascus consists of three demands, to be followed in the same order:
First ,give up the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam has secretly hidden in Syria.
Second , return to Iraq all the officials of the Saddam regime granted asylum.
Last Friday, DEBKAfile listed the top eight as being: former vice president Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri, Saddams bureau chief Abd Hamoud, Baath party boss Aziz Salah, special security service chief Hanni Tefalah, Republican Guards Secretary Kemal Mustafa, Republican Guards Commander Seif A-Din Suleih, Iraqi Intelligence Commander Taher Jaloul and Special Republican Guards commander, Gen. Barzan Suleiman Tikriti.
Kemal Mustafa was handed over Sunday.
Third ,disband the command structures of the Hizballah, Hamas, Jihad Islami and other Palestinian terrorist groups operating out of Lebanon and Damascus and give their leaders into American hands.
Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and other Arab emissaries, diplomatic and covert, who called on the Syrian president on Sunday laid stress on the first of the three demands as paramount. They warned him that Bush and his team will not rest as long as Syria withholds the evidence to show the world that America fought a just war against Iraq. The evidence that Saddam developed weapons of mass destruction is hidden in Syria. Washington may hold back a few days but, ultimately, Assad will not be allowed to dictate the way the war ends by denying the United States the primary fruits of victory and not just over Saddam and his regime. Exposure of his banned arsenal will show up the error of those opposed the war, the United Nations, France, Germany, Russia and international anti-war opinion.
The Syrian rulers responded initially to the triple demand by an offer to gradually turn over the eight Iraqi leaders. He denied knowledge of any weapons of mass destruction hidden in Syria but promised to check again. In confidence, he told his close aides, according to DEBKAfiles intelligence sources, that baring a single Iraqi unconventional weapon to the Americans would be suicidal for him, whether personally or as an Arab leader. He dare not stand out as the first and only Arab leader to surrender an Islamic weapon of mass destruction to the United States. As for the terrorist groups that Syria sponsors and hosts, Assad declared firmly that he will always regard them as freedom fighters not terrorists.
These maneuvers were the Syrian presidents way of defusing the bomb Washington had laid at his feet by breaking it down into components. It is hard to imagine Washington letting him get away with this tactic. DEBKAfiles Washington and Middle East sources all agree that, while welcoming the handover of Saddams list of eight, the Bush administration will not relent on its first and primary demand for the forbidden weapons arsenal. If Syria fails to hand it over voluntarily, the United States will take forcible action to recover it from its hiding place.
Maybe you have not seen the following thread...
Spy chief reveals '20 minute' warning
I've also never seen or heard a precise definition of the term "weapons of mass destruction". It's a nice vague scary term that means whatever they want it to mean.
That is because the term is so vague, there are many dual use chemicals that can be classified as WMD, it just depends on how they are used. More info...
Almost all components and supplies used in weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes are dual-use. For example, any major petrochemical or biotech industry, as well as public health organisations, will have legitimate need for most materials and equipment required to manufacture chemical and biological weapons. Without UN weapons inspectors it is very difficult therefore to be sure about the true nature of many of Iraqs facilities.
For example, Iraq has built a large new chemical complex, Project Baiji, in the desert in north west Iraq at al-Sharqat . . . This site is a formeruranium enrichment facility which was damaged during the Gulf War and rendered harmless under supervision of the IAEA. Part of the site has been rebuilt, with work starting in 1992, as a chemical production complex. Despite the site being far away from populated areas it is surrounded by a high wall with watch towers and guarded by armed guards. Intelligence reports indicate that it will produce nitric acid which can be used in explosives, missile fuel and in the purification of uranium.
I don't know why we do, but it is a bad habit and we had better get out of it, before we end up in a war with Iran ... due to incontravertable evidence that President Khatami is the glutton type who has boxes of candy hidden under his bed. On current performance, any excuse will do, it seems to me.
National Security? We have a strong reason to believe that the WMD's are in the Bekaa, Assad knows we know, now they are playing a game of chicken. Just a guess
Nam Vet
Yeah, why should the CIA have found a huge convoy of trucks leading out of Iraq in the months leading up to the war the slightest bit suspicious? / sarc
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.