Posted on 10/28/2004 8:13:01 AM PDT by tomahawk
Russia Denies Involvement in Iraq Weapons
1 hour, 46 minutes ago
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW - Russia angrily denied allegations Thursday that Russian forces had smuggled a cache of high explosives out of Iraq (news - web sites) prior to the U.S. invasion in March 2003.
Defense Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Sedov dismissed the allegations as "absurd" and "ridiculous."
"I can state officially that the Russian Defense Ministry and its structures couldn't have been involved in the disappearance of the explosives, because all Russian military experts left Iraq when the international sanctions were introduced during the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites)," he told The Associated Press.
The denial followed a story in The Washington Times on Thursday that quoted a high-ranking U.S. defense official alleging that Russian special forces had "almost certainly" helped spirit out the hundreds of tons of high explosives that went missing from the al-Qaqaa base. The newspaper based its report on an interview with John Shaw, the deputy U.S. undersecretary of defense for international technology security.
Two weeks ago, Iraqi officials told the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency that 377 tons of explosives had vanished as a result of "theft and looting ... due to lack of security." The compounds, HMX and RDX, are key components in plastic explosives, which insurgents in Iraq have used in bomb attacks.
Russia' charge d'affaires in Iraq, Ilya Morgunov, also denied the report.
"I didn't hear about any weapons to be taken out," Interfax quoted him as saying. "Moreover, there was nobody to take them out, because we actually evacuated all of our personnel."
He said there had been no Russian special forces in Iraq, only civilian specialists working for foreign firms.
same here. many of us are worried about this story, the lack of response. most freepers are running around saying this story is the "death knell" for Kerry. I don't see it, I turn on the MSM, and we are losing the spin on this story because our side has failed to make a clear statement. instead, we are talking about "opening investigations". Condi was weak on Hannity yesterday, even though you could hear Hannity trying to get her to make a simple statement that the material was not there when US forces arrived. Same thing with Rudy this AM on the Today show.
This administration will be very careful before they throw Russia in front of the train. Patience.
It will be written! And the half is not even told. The CIA have been there for "years" inside Iraq by all means of "intel", moles, double agents, bussiness partners, you k=name it. The US knows whos hands have been in the cookie jar what leaders of nations are "dirty". This situation now has the potential to blow up . Its one thing to be trade partners with another nation, but this WMD is the very thing that Putin is trying to detach himself from. If this story does'nt go away I believe some heads will roll from the Kremlin down for this "goof up".
George Tenent wanted to "name names" to prove we knew who and what Iraq had and who was invloved . Did we want stronger and more accurate Intel after 911? Thats what they gave us... but some may have thought that would bring us to the brink of WW3 to name the players. SO we Just liberate Iraq and keep the wolrd in one piece.
It's all too reminiscent of the senior Bush/Clinton campaign.
If there's a Republican campaign war room, it must be in outer Iraq somewhere.
Leni
Vee don't know about any "How do you say,EXPOLSIVES?" Although I could suggest some wonderful Vodka some Caviar and a BEEUUUTIFUL GIIRRLLL that former officials of your government were fond of. A Sexaphone player from your government made her a very rich woman.
That type of thing has been known (in the past) to happen here in the U.S.
The Russians also said there weren't any missiles in Cuba, too.
Patience? the election is Tuesday.
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer
Patience? There are three news days left before the election (Saturday doesn't count). No one expects the administration to unload on Russia. They could, at least, try to make a stronger case that the weapons were missing when the troops arrived.
Kerry and the media have pinned there remaining election strategy on this story. It needs to be responded to vigorously.
Somebody is arming somebody! WHo says that communism is dead? Who says the cold war died when Regan said "tear the walls down Mr Gorbechev"? The cold war is now a different war funded by other means. The Russians hate the Americans! Go the Russia and get the feel from the people, they have been inbred to hate the west.
This is not over. It was never over.
Dont be lied to its just funneled in a different way.
I agree. Don't misunderstand, I mean as a political tool, the Gertz article offsets the NYT and echo articles. I have a lot of respect for Bill Gertz's reporting.
Pootie Poot on Iraq WMDs:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/04/11/international1033EDT0615.DTL
Leaders of Russia, France, Germany meet on Iraq
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer
Friday, April 11, 2003
(04-11) 18:12 PDT ST.PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) --
President Vladimir Putin said Friday he welcomed the fall of Saddam Hussein, but called the U.S.-led war in Iraq illegitimate and a threat to international law.
Speaking after a summit with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac, Putin signaled Russia was ready to cooperate with U.S.-led coalition forces on reconstruction, saying Moscow would consider writing off Baghdad's debts.
But Putin also criticized the United States for failing to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which he said was the only justification for war.
"Even in the most acute moment of the fight for its survival, the Iraqi regime did not use such (weapons)," Putin said. "If in the last moment of its existence it did not use them, it means they do not exist."
That was not the intent of the story for the Russians to come clean. The purpose of the Gertz story is to give an alternative as to where the explosives went. This goes back to what President said yesterday about Kerry jumping to conclusions without taking time to look over the facts. President Bush accuses Kerry of attempting political gain at the expense of our military forces. This to me is true and will stick. Monday NYT hit piece is Kerry's Waterloo.
small worrisome thought passing through...
would be awful if those missing explosives were to fall in to the hands of the Checnya terrorists...
Did any body ever think to ask Saddam? Or has he taken the 5th Amendment?
Is this supposed to show that Bush 1. can't control what was happening and 2. is a fool for befriending Russia and not being antagonistic like Kerry claims he'll do? Guess this is the DU October surprise.
Actually they were former Soviet Generals who were part of the coup against Gorbachov and were "retired" in 1991.
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.