Rice: No Evidence Iraq Moved WMD to Syria

Guardian ^ | January 9, 2004 | Guardian

[ejdrapes]

Rice: No Evidence Iraq Moved WMD to Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States has no credible evidence that Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria early last year before the U.S.-led war that drove Saddam Hussein from power, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Friday.

Rice said, ``Any indication that something like that happened would be a very serious matter.

``But I want to be very clear: we don't, at this point, have any indications that I would consider credible and firm that that has taken place, but we will tie down every lead,'' she said at a White House briefing about Bush's trip Monday to a hemispheric summit in Mexico.

In nine months, arms control experts in Iraq have failed to find a single item from a long list of weapons of mass destruction. The Bush administration cited an alleged weapons stockpile in Iraq as a primary reason for launching the war against Saddam's government.

``We're going to follow every lead on what may have happened here,'' Rice said. ``I don't think we are at the point that we can make a judgment on this issue. There hasn't been any hard evidence that such a thing happened.

``But obviously we're going to follow up every lead,'' she said, ``and it would be a serious problem if that, in fact, did happen.''

Rice said the United States talks with Syria about a number of issues, ``including the borders with Iraq and what may have happened in the past there and what may be continuing to happen there.'' Mainly, she said, the United States opposes Syria's support for terrorism, particularly its support for anti-Palestinian groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

[mylife]

Syria gets a pass. For Now.
We cant wrestle the entire word at once.

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[RLK]

Translation: Arguments for WMD were a ploy useful to manipulate the American people at the time.

[AngieGOP]

But, but Clinton, the greatest president ever (sarcasm on) says Iraq did have WMD. Who's zoomin who?

[doug from upland]

That's your translation. Most of us believe that the president was right when he said we can't wait until the threat is imminent.

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? "WE" may not have credible evidence .. but I understand Israel does have satelite photos of huge trucks moving from Iraq into Lebanon and Syria just before the war started. That's not proof it was WMD .. just that it could be a possibility.

Sooooo .. she's not lying .. just telling what she knows.

[gcruse]

Report: U.S suspects Iraqi WMD in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley

[AAABEST]

We could take this regime out in about 10 minutes if we wanted to.

Give them a simple choice. Keep your filty hands off Israel or we'll kill every royal we can find and turn all of your palaces into rubble and ash... then leave.

No nation building, just harsh lessons.

[CyberAnt]

"Bekaa Valley"

Hmmmm? I'm going to have to do some research on that .. do you know how close that valley is to Damascus ..?? Just curious.

[gcruse]

No, I don't. But the article title notwithstanding, it ain't in Lebanon. :)

[CyberAnt]

It's supposed to be near Beirut .. which is in Lebanon. Hmmmm? more study is required.

[section9]

One of the things you don't want to do in an election year is to tie the President down to a 100% version of what is actually going on. Of course Al Qaeda and Saddam had a relationship, but that relationship is still being fleshed out by our researchers, although Stephen Hayes has done an admirable job in his "Case Closed" series.

Natch, the Israelis may (and probably do) have evidence that Saddam spirited away some of the nasty stuff (along with bullion, in all probability) to his Ba'athist buddy in Damascus. But for us to act on it at this time would expose our reliance on Israeli intelligence, something we are loathe to do.

Of course, I'm not surprised at the Guardian's headline. Asshats always move in packs.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[gcruse]

I thought it was in Syria. Oh, well. Thank god for war, or I'd learn no geography at all.

[CyberAnt]

LOL! I know what you mean. These countries change names so often you can't keep track anyway.

[Burkeman1]

So let's tally this up should we not?

The adminstration either claimed or strongly hinted at an Iraqi link to 9/11 before the war. Last month Bush himself denied this link but was sure of the Iraqi link to AQ in general. Then just last week Powell said there was no hard evidence of any substantial links of Iraq to AQ but that he "Believes" there was one. Ohh- I "believe" in the tooth fairy myself. Drip, drip, drip- the truth comes out in bits and pieces (remind you of another recent administration?)

Then we have the WMDS. Before the war Iraq had "drones" that could spray our cities, an advanced nuke program and was "months" away from getting "The bomb". They had tons of gas, chemical, and bio, and long range missles. Labs and production facilities. Rumsfeld said that he knew where the WMD's were just before the war! But after a billion dollars and 8 months of searching with nearly all Iraqi top dogs in custody- we have parts of a centrifuge buired in a back yard for ten years- no programs that even be called substantive- and not even so much as one shell containing one ounce of chem or bio agent. The team looking for these "WMDS" is packing up to come home. Oh- I forgot- they found a test tube with bochilism in one guys fridge and some bags of beans.

Now even the most partisan, coolaid drinking, WMD Deadender, Bushbot should have a small portion deep in their war fevered minds that is ringing a tiny alram bell by now.

At the very least- all should be extremely concerned about the the quality and effectiveness of our intelligence agencies.

[RLK]

Now even the most partisan, coolaid drinking, WMD Deadender, Bushbot should have a small portion deep in their war fevered minds that is ringing a tiny alram bell by now.

---------------------------

It won't happen. They have become irrevocably committed and contrary evidence threatens them and causes them to redouble their efforts to defend the position, even as it changes and contradicts itself month by month.

[Lance Romance]

There's a Massachusetts conservative for you. Soft andSquishy in the Middle. Bill Weld redux.

a no point did the Administration hint at a link between Al Quaeda and Hussein, that's pure fantasy.

You've spent too much time in Kennedy country.

[txhurl]

You charming guy. If the admin absolutely needed to find WMD in Iraq, it would have by now.

WMD will be found when necessary.

Ya know, mass graves containing, so far, 300K plus dead Iraqis.... are these graves not proof to you of WEAPONS of MASS destruction? What do you need to quit being a SH-lover? That he tortured the palace cats?

[Burkeman1]

Spare the regional barbs. I actually happen to be very interested in Southern history and heritage and becoming an adimirer. I suspect I am a great deal more conservative than you believe.

If you want me to seriously reply to your post about why I think the administration encouraged belief in an Iraqi link to 9/11 I will do so honestly and openly and without ad hominems and I won't question your motives. I was the reader of a certain thread that was pulled the other day that did somewhat suggest to me your level of Christian humility and compassion however and I am not encouraged.