Posted on 07/20/2004 11:14:11 PM PDT by propertius
Edited on 07/21/2004 11:16:05 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Update from Wash Times: A U.S. military spokesman in Tikrit told United Press International that the report was untrue. "Nothing's been found. The report is not factual," said Master Sgt. Robert Cowens, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division... A spokesman with Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's office told UPI that the report concerning the alleged missiles and warheads emerged "while gathering information for Saddam Hussein's tribunal" during the interrogation of a captured former official of Saddam's regime.
Al Sabah, the Iraqi newspaper funded by the Coalition Provisional Authority, reports on its front page this morning that a former senior Ba'ath party activist has led coalition troops to three nuclear warheads hidden in a bunker.
Will post translation when we have it.
To: All
Here is story in full:
Headline: Khidhur (or Khidhir) al-Douri, back from the dead, reveals three nuclear missiles
Sources in the Interior ministry and the National Security Advisor's Office refused to comment on news reports that three missiles with nuclear warheads had been seized during the arrest of Khidhur al-Douri, the former Ba'ath party member.
Iraqi political sources, who requested anonimity, inisisted that Iraqi security authorities arrested al-Douri and seized the missiles.
The same sources told al-Sabah that al-Douri, who held meany Ba'ath party positions during the former regime, was falsely pronounced dead on its demise. Forged death certificates had been circulated.
He was arrested in an area between Oja and al-Dour, in Salahidine province.
The same sources said three missiles were found with nuclear heads attached in a tunnel six metres underground.
A cement layer six metres thick had been built over the tunnel to hide it from scientific ray detection that could detect the radiation emitted by the nuclear heads.
The tunnel leading to the three missiles is connected to a small hole that opens out on the main road between Ouja and Dour.
The sources said al-Douri was arrested after sending an email, specifying the location and a meeting place in Tikrit.
Authorities analysed the message. Iraqi forces then moved into the area, laying a trap that snared al-Douri and his son.
Al-Douri then revealed the location of the missiles. Various light weapons and money was also seized during the operation.
ENDS
171 posted on 07/21/2004 12:00:20 AM PDT by propertius
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(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
"It is in the Arabic version of today's paper, a copy of which is sitting in front of me in my office in Baghdad. That is why there are no links..."
Thank you for this .. you scooped the rest of the world - right or rumor ...
Thank you for all you do in the effort - here and there.
Likely we will never see this in the LSM.
These are probably Al Samood missles, but I find it hard to believe they are nukes. Chem, yes, nuke, no. Unless that deal with NK involved warheads, but again, I don't see KCI parting with his nuke stockpile with which he plans to incinerate the Yankee Imperialist Running Dogs.
But I will hide and watch, see how this plays out.
You do NOT want this to be true. If it is true, then all the worst fears we have considered are not only possible, but all the more imminent. Far preferable would be that President Bush, his cabinet, Congress, and our military have interdicted Saddam while he was only preparing to start building weapons like these.
It would be better that we deal with every ridiculous and trumped up scandal over the WMD one at a time, slogging through one mess after another in defense of our President than for any of this to be true.
We must maintain our composure even if the treasonous and vile Democrats cannot. Preemption is just that: removing threats before they manifest themselves. If this were true, then we are well beyond the need for preemption.
Yeah there are. One editor got outed and it caused problems. www.signorile.com/articles/nyp55.html
Remember, Loftus was saying that Al Douri (who he claims is in Saudi Arabia), knows the GPS coordinates of the bunkers hiding iraqi WMD. But he never said anything about a "nuclear warhead".
I would trust the Washington Times before the New York Times. Wouldn't trust either with my life.
Abslolutely right. I made the same point with the liberal denyers that I discuss these issues with. This is absolutely nothing to gloat over. If this is true, we have a lot more to be worried about than whether or not this benefits Bush politically.
Yes, my point in much more succinct terms. Just thinking this over carefully helps to explain why we need a president who is willing to use preemption. Thinking it over carefully obviates the need for this to be true.
"But, say, haven't we seen about a few hundred breathless posts about the discovery of large caches of WMD that turn out to be nothing?"
You mean the ones that the head of the Iraq Survey Team told congres yesterday is THREE TIMES as large as what's been reported in the media?
How many and how new do the weapons have to be to constitute a WMD program to some people?
IMHO...it doesn't matter if they find Bio/Chem shells that were produced in 1983...if they've been kept in proper order and could be fired on a moments notice...that constitutes a current ant active WMD program.
In this case...if the report of the three nukes proves to be true...then the Presidents case for going into Iraq is more than completely justified on all levels.
Al-Douri's relative could be telling the truth......NOT about these being nukes. Under pressure he gave up something buried in that drainage ditch......what was in the shells.....time will tell.
I'm intrigued by the email he sent leading to his capture...who was he communicating with.
ping.
I agree with you, these aren't nukes.
let's see if he was talking to someone in Saudi Arabia. I'd also like to see the appearance of this bunker, how its hidden so it cannot be spotted.
Interesting...
There was a defector in 93 or 94 who claimed that Saddam had six operational warhead prototypes, sans core fuel. It was generally debunked. Another defector claimed he had supervised a 10KT test under a lake bed SW of Baghdad. He described isolation techniques used which might or might not have kept seismic sensors from noting the test and there was some overhead imagery to support at least the claim that significant digging had taken place in the area described.
Unfortunately, early reports are often wrong, and in this case, I hope they stay that way.
Because if these early reports turn out to be true, then we need to worry about what happened to the other three warheads.
Asked by Reuters about the report, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry said: "It's stupid."
REUTERS !
But then again, you may be right. The press might not let the story leak.
And obviously the 1,083rd time since March 2003 that the MSM has ignored it because it would help President Bush.
I don't believe there is any way to hide nukes. That, of course, depends on the equipment available for detection, and the determinination of the inspectors.
Ah ha....another flip flopper!!!!
LOL!
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