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I heard about this on NPR this morning. I havent checked out the news yet, but it should be interesting to see what is in this report.Quote:
Originally posted here by bballad
seems a real report is being presented in fornt of the house inteligence commite today, the findings of intensive US research in post war iraq, all of the WMD's where distroyed in 1991.
From what I saw, we knew in 91 that they distroyed virtualy all of the wmd's but the felling in the inteligance comunity was that thye woul rebuild the stock pile as soon as the sanctions where lifted. it also show that some of the ambiguaty as to where all the wmd's went was encuraged by the iraq's to try not to show weakness to the iranians.
too bad this issue wont come up friday.. (it shouldn't anyway)
It would be interesting to see the report outline on Yahoo. It's based on what the old Iraq regime says. They say the weapons were destroyed in 1991 in an effort to lift the sanctions. So either the United Nations is lying, or they are. Because the UN states on official record a different perspective.
In any circumstance they also state the plan was always to reinstate them (the WMD). Does anyone ever deny the fact that in 1991 Saddam dismantled a lot of weapons programs? Not at all.
/Edit
I've posted UN documentation here before but here is a little refresher of some UN events before Sadam tossed them all out. From the United Nations Archive on Iraq events.
And one of many kickers leading up to 1998:Quote:
Sep 1997 Iraq provides fifth Full, Final and Complete Disclosure for its prohibited biological weapons programme. An international panel of experts is convened in New York to discuss Iraq’s declaration. The panel unanimously finds Iraq’s declaration to be incomplete, inadequate and technically flawed.
13 Sep 1997 One of UNSCOM's personnel is manhandled by an Iraqi officer on board one of the Commission's helicopters while the inspector was attempting to take photographs of the unauthorized movement of Iraqi vehicles inside a site declared by Iraq to be "sensitive", that was designated for inspection. Two days later, Iraq again failed to freeze movement inside another "sensitive site" designated for inspection.
17 Sep 1997 The President of the Security Council makes a statement to the media, which, inter alia, deplores the incidents and urges Iraq to cooperate fully with UNSCOM.
17 Sep 1997 While seeking access to a site for inspection declared by Iraq to be "sensitive", UNSCOM inspectors witness and videotape the movement of files, the burning of documents and dumping of ash-filled waste cans into a nearby river .
Sep/Oct 1997 UNSCOM inspection teams are prevented from inspecting three sites designated for inspection, on the basis that the sites are "presidential sites", which Iraq claims are out of bounds to UNSCOM's inspectors.
So the United Nations destroys friggin NERVE gas that didn't exist. Slick... and it's 1997 BEFORE inspectors are kicked out for almost 5 years until the war was initiated in 2002.Quote:
Oct 1997 UNSCOM completes the destruction of additional, large quantities of chemical weapons related equipment and precursors chemicals. Iraq had previously denied that part of the equipment had been used for CW production. Only in May 1997, on the basis of UNSCOM's investigations, did Iraq admit that some of the equipment had indeed been used in the production of VX.
its really such a great pity that self interested partys in government are doing to our militarys ability to fight aggressors the same thing they did to our police forces ability to fight crime.
becase we dont have the kind or 'hard' evidence that would prove our intel as factual to a bunch of people that out to prove it wrong.... means saddam was telling the truth? what a crying, f@#$ing shame! If OBL is tried in this country he will be set free.
...fortunatly, the fat lady has yet to sing!
Here's a nice summary of the keypoints in the new report.
Thanks Negative, it's interesting to see someone say he was indeed interested in seeking Nuclear Weapons to oppose Iran and Isreal. I agree there was no direct threat to the US, and probably the EU but I don't agree that he wouldn't give them to the PLO or Hamas and their ilk. But that's a personal opinion. AND I still say, all he had to do was let inspectos in and open up his "palaces" for scrutinty. Hell the even the evil US military does/did it for INF inspections in Europe during the same time frame.
As a Euro, do you guys really want Iran and Iraq to have nukes? Especially those prone to rule in tyranny? I know I have asked that before along with the food for oil stuff. I know the answer already.... We support the removal, just not the way we went about it. :)
Tedob1: this report was generated by the cheif weapons inspector appointed by the president, its based on the research of a 1500 man staff a staff gathered by a bush appointy, if it was a partisan group at all it would be a conservative partisan group.
Its not that they faild to find hard evedence pointing towards wmd's its that they found a mountain of hard evedence showing that they didn't exist in iraq.
Look they interogated hussain and his former generals, they searched through the records, and they searched for weapon stokpiles....the wmd's haven't existed for over a decade, that is what they found...suck it up your boy lied to go to war.
And so did Kerry.
Then he changed his mind which is convenient when you are not the Commander.
So how does the Oil-for-Food program "allegations" factor into all of this?
IMHO If the, shall we call them cohorts in crime, that sat on the U.N. Security Council knew that Saddam did not have WMD's, would not these cohorts in crime have paraded the "proof of innocence" in fornt of the U.N., or convinced Saddam to allow inspections? It's real easy to throw out the "your boy lied to go to war" line, but you need to be prepared to call just about the entire world "Liars", because almost every nation on this planet was under the impression that Saddam did have WMDs.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6194795/
Quote:
NEW YORK - Vivid allegations of widespread corruption at the U.N. oil-for-food program by the top U.S. arms inspector have added credibility to accusations the United Nations looked the other way while Saddam Hussein’s government skimmed billions of dollars and offered kickbacks to European and Arab countries and officials.
The inspector’s report implicates the top U.N. official overseeing the $60 billion program, accusing him of accepting bribes in the form of vouchers for Iraqi oil sales, and details Iraqi manipulation to illegally enrich Saddam’s government and influence Security Council members.
The alleged schemes included an Iraqi system for allocating lucrative oil vouchers, which permitted recipients to purchase certain amounts of oil at a profit, according to the report issued Wednesday by Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group.
He said the Iraqi government manipulated the U.N. program from 1996 to 2003 in order to acquire billions of dollars in illicit gains and to import illegal goods, including parts for missile systems.