Saddam Had WMD
2/24/2006
www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=20&artnum=1&issue=20060224
WMD: Now that Leno and Letterman have had their way with Vice President Cheney's hunting accident and the port controversy, maybe we can get back to something really important — like Saddam's WMD program.

Yes, the linchpin of opposition to the Iraq War — never really strong to begin with — has taken some real hits in recent weeks. And "Bush lied" — the anti-war mantra about the president, Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction — looks the most battered.

Inconveniently for critics of the war, Saddam made tapes in his version of the Oval Office. These tapes landed in the hands of American intelligence and were recently aired publicly.

The first 12 hours of the tapes — there are hundreds more waiting to be translated — are damning, to say the least. They show conclusively that Bush didn't lie when he cited Saddam's WMD plans as one of the big reasons for taking the dictator out.

Nobody disputes the tapes' authenticity. On them, Saddam talks openly of programs involving biological, chemical and, yes, nuclear weapons.

War foes have long asserted that Saddam halted his WMD programs in the wake of his defeat in the first Gulf War in 1991. Saddam's abandonment of WMD programs was confirmed by subsequent U.N. inspections.

Again, not true. In a tape dating to April 1995, Saddam and several aides discuss the fact that U.N. inspectors had found traces of Iraq's biological weapons program. On the tape, Hussein Kamel, Saddam's son-in-law, is heard gloating about fooling the inspectors.

"We did not reveal all that we have," he says. "Not the type of weapons, not the volume of the materials we imported, not the volume of the production we told them about, not the volume of use. None of this was correct."

There's more. Indeed, as late as 2000, Saddam can be heard in his office talking with Iraqi scientists about his ongoing plans to build a nuclear device. At one point, he discusses Iraq's plasma uranium program — something that was missed entirely by U.N. weapons inspectors combing Iraq for WMD.

This is particularly troubling, since it indicates an active, ongoing attempt by Saddam to build an Iraqi nuclear bomb.

"What was most disturbing," said John Tierney, the ex- FBI agent who translated the tapes, "was the fact that the individuals briefing Saddam were totally unknown to the U.N. Special Commission (or UNSCOM, the group set up to look into Iraq's WMD programs)."

Perhaps most chillingly, the tapes record Iraq Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz talking about how easy it would be to set off a WMD in Washington. The comments come shortly after Saddam muses about using "proxies" in a terror attack.

9-11, anyone?

In short, let us repeat: President Bush was right. We had to invade to disarm Saddam — otherwise, he would have completely reconstituted his chemical, nuclear and bio-weapons programs when inspectors left.

Saddam probably knew better than to use them himself against the U.S. But it's likely he wouldn't have hesitated giving one or more to terror groups with which he had routine contact.

Lest you think we're making the case entirely based on these tapes, let us assure you that other evidence — mounting by the day — points to the same conclusion.

We've been very impressed by the story told by Georges Sada, the former No. 2 in Iraq's air force. He has written a book, "Saddam's Secrets," that details how the Iraqi dictator used trucks, commercial jets and ships to remove his WMD from the country. At the time, the move went largely undetected, because Iraq pretended the massive movement of materiel was to help Syrian flood victims.

Nor is Sada alone. Ali Ibrahim, another of Saddam's former commanders, has largely corroborated Sada's story.

So how was Saddam able to use his "cheat and retreat" tactics without being found out? He had help, according to a former U.S. Defense Department official.

"The short answer to the question of where the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians went was that they went to Syria and Lebanon," said John Shaw, former deputy undersecretary of defense, in comments made at an intelligence summit Feb. 17-20 in Arlington, Va.

"They were moved by Russian Spetsnaz (special ops) units out of uniform that were specifically sent to Iraq to move the weaponry and eradicate any evidence of its existence," he said.

These are extraordinary developments. They deserve a full airing in the media, since they essentially validate part of Bush's casus belli for invading Iraq and deposing the murderous Saddam.

But once again, the mainstream media have dropped the ball. They seem more interested in Dick Cheney's marksmanship and American port management than in setting the record straight about one of the most important developments of our time.

That upsets the narrative that Bush lied, so MSM's reaction--------->

There's more. Indeed, as late as 2000, Saddam can be heard in his office talking with Iraqi scientists about his ongoing plans to build a nuclear device. At one point, he discusses Iraq's plasma uranium program — something that was missed entirely by U.N. weapons inspectors combing Iraq for WMD. This is particularly troubling, since it indicates an active, ongoing attempt by Saddam to build an Iraqi nuclear bomb. "What was most disturbing," said John Tierney, the ex- FBI agent who translated the tapes, "was the fact that the individuals briefing Saddam were totally unknown to the U.N. Special Commission (or UNSCOM, the group set up to look into Iraq's WMD programs)."

Another example of the UN in-action.

I heard hans blix admit that he had found violations but did not report them

The first 12 hours of the tapes — there are hundreds more waiting to be translated —

...and the sound of the media clamoring to get the rest of the tapes translated has been deafening...

Quoted: The first 12 hours of the tapes — there are hundreds more waiting to be translated — ...and the sound of the media clamoring to get the rest of the tapes translated has been deafening...

Yup, notice the date? Two weeks ago

He gassed thousands of Kurds back in 1988 and every fucking democrat in congress knows it. Every newsperson knows it too.

Quoted: He gassed thousands of Kurds back in 1988 and every fucking democrat in congress knows it. Every newsperson knows it too.

Except cnn, heh

Latest information is that Russian Spetnaz troops helped Iraq take the WMDs into Syria and Lebanon.  Russia supplied Iraq with most of it's WMDs.  They didn't want to get caught with egg on their face once the U.S. came in and aired all the Russian supplied WMDs for the world to see.  Word also is that the U.S. KNOWS about all this and is keeping quiet to save face for Russia, in the hopes of gaining their support in the War on Terrorism.

Quoted: There's more. Indeed, as late as 2000, Saddam can be heard in his office talking with Iraqi scientists about his ongoing plans to build a nuclear device. At one point, he discusses Iraq's plasma uranium program — something that was missed entirely by U.N. weapons inspectors combing Iraq for WMD. This is particularly troubling, since it indicates an active, ongoing attempt by Saddam to build an Iraqi nuclear bomb. "What was most disturbing," said John Tierney, the ex- FBI agent who translated the tapes, "was the fact that the individuals briefing Saddam were totally unknown to the U.N. Special Commission (or UNSCOM, the group set up to look into Iraq's WMD programs)." Another example of the UNaction.

Fixed it for ya...

Quoted: Latest information is that Russian Spetnaz troops helped Iraq take the WMDs into Syria and Lebanon.  Russia supplied Iraq with most of it's WMDs.  They didn't want to get caught with egg on their face once the U.S. came in and aired all the Russian supplied WMDs for the world to see.  Word also is that the U.S. KNOWS about all this and is keeping quiet to save face for Russia, in the hopes of gaining their support in the War on Terrorism.

Didn't russia just threaten us a couple of weeks ago over the iran "situation"?

Hussein Kamell ( saddams SIL) defected along with the other brother in law and gave all they knew to the west.  Upon being tricked into returning to Iraq they were both executed.  I dont know why this article lists anything they said on any tape as new news.  Who wrote this article?

I believe SH was trying to reconstitute and may have had small quantities of illegal weapons but we would have heard more were this truly earth shattering.  Liberal media or not!

Quoted: Hussein Kamell ( saddams SIL) defected along with the other brother in law and gave all they knew to the west.  Upon being tricked into returning to Iraq they were both executed.  I dont know why this article lists anything they said on any tape as new news.  Who wrote this article? I believe SH was trying to reconstitute and may have had small quantities of illegal weapons but we would have heard more were this truly earth shattering.  Liberal media or not!

So..........you are saying that investors.com made it up?

Quoted: Hussein Kamell ( saddams SIL) defected along with the other brother in law and gave all they knew to the west.  Upon being tricked into returning to Iraq they were both executed.  I dont know why this article lists anything they said on any tape as new news.  Who wrote this article? I believe SH was trying to reconstitute and may have had small quantities of illegal weapons but we would have heard more were this truly earth shattering.  Liberal media or not!

Oh yea sure we would have... you just saw it and attempted to blow it off without even considering the possibility.

Former Iraqi commanders confirmed the fact large amounts of WMD were there and were moved... blow that off.

Tag, you're it.

Now, come on, how dare you try to introduce truth into the liberal masturabatory fantasy of Bush lied, people died!

Hey the press has never had anything good to say about Bush why start now? Unlike Clinton who good do no wrong. Clinton was converted of perjury; come on you never heard the press going Clinton lied! I’m not a big Bush fan, but he’s better the Kerry, who debates for an hour on which side of the bed he’ll get up on. I just can’t stand the double standards that 99% of the press uses.

Quoted: That upsets the narrative that Bush lied, so MSM's reaction--------->

You got that right...

Did Bush have to invade Iraq to gain this 'evidence' or was he just hiding it for a rainy day?

Quoted: Did Bush have to invade Iraq to gain this 'evidence' or was he just hiding it for a rainy day?

He was probably counting on his nation and its media to stand behind him when he needed them... Unfortunately he was wrong.

The UN inspectors didn't help either. They didn't want this war, and they've skewed everything they could to make it look like we were simply aggressors for no good reason. Never mind how arrogant the UN inspectors were... Read some of the accounts from the inspectors... they'd show up at the front gate, get delayed, hear trucks rumbling out the back gate, and then get to "inspect" the facility. Of course they didn't find anything. It was moved to a different facility. Did they write it up that way? Nope.

Quoted: Quoted: Hussein Kamell ( saddams SIL) defected along with the other brother in law and gave all they knew to the west.  Upon being tricked into returning to Iraq they were both executed.  I dont know why this article lists anything they said on any tape as new news.  Who wrote this article? I believe SH was trying to reconstitute and may have had small quantities of illegal weapons but we would have heard more were this truly earth shattering.  Liberal media or not! Oh yea sure we would have... you just saw it and attempted to blow it off without even considering the possibility. Former Iraqi commanders confirmed the fact large amounts of WMD were there and were moved... blow that off.

I dont really understand what you are saying.  I am saying news of Saddams sons-in-law is not new news.  Thye've been dead for years (by SH own doing).  Why it was included in the article as some new evidence is strange considering the sons in law gave all this info to the west years ago.

I ask who wrote the article because it is standard practice to identify authors.  I'm not blowing anything off!

The Iraqi Generals may be correct but plenty have lied as well.  Who are we to believe?  Just because in Iraqi says something doesnt mean I believe it.  Folks need to quit holding out for some belief we went to war in Iraq because of some imminent threat.  There were plenty of other reasons to go!