Posted on 04/24/2006 9:45:15 AM PDT by jveritas
This document CMPC-2004-004404 contains memos dated from 1999 and 2000 about Saddam regime procurements of 81 mm in Diameter, 900 mm in Lenght HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH QUALITY ALUMINUM TUBES. As many of you know the issue of 81 mm High Strength, High Quality Aluminum Tubes were subject for an intensive debate since 2002 because this type of tubes can be used in GAS CENTRIFUGES FOR URANIUM ENRICHMENT. Although the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) said in its final report in 2004 the following about the procurement of these tubes “ Baghdad’s interest in high-strength, high-specification aluminum tubes—dual-use items controlled under Annex 3 of the Ongoing Monitoring and Verification Plan as possible centrifuge rotors—is best explained by its efforts to produce 81-mm rockets”. However the ISG could not prove definitively that these very special tubes were not used as part of Saddam Regime attempt to build its Nuclear Programs and Projects (see link to ISG report http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/chap4.html#sect6). In fact the ISG in its report says also the following “ The limited information found by ISG that ties Iraqi nuclear entities to the tubes also appears related to the 81-mm rocket program and the ISG report also says ” Purported high-level interest in aluminum tubes by Saddam and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister—a potential indicator of a program of national importance, such as a centrifuge program.. A 6 March 2003 letter from the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate (NMD) to the IAEA’s Iraq Nuclear Verification Office (INVO) notes that the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) conducted material composition testing on a sample aluminum tube in early 2001 and In another translated memo “http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1620262/posts ” that talks about a secret project by the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission to re-instate the “Nuclear Reactor Simulators” using equipments from the “Old TAMUZ (OZIRAQ) Nuclear Reactor”. All this is a clear indication of Saddam intent to restart the Nuclear Programs.
I will translate the first two pages of this 11 pages document. The first two pages are the Quotation Bid regarding these Special Aluminum Tubes by a company called AL Bashair addressed to Al Rasheed General Company which is a division of the Iraqi Military Manufacturing Commission. Page 3 of the document has the Technical Specification written in English of these Aluminum tubes, Diameter, Length, Specification, Chemical Composition, Price, Manufacturing origin etc,,
Beginning of the Partial Translation of document CMPC-2004-004404
In the Name of God the Most Merciful The Most Compassionate
Al-Bashair Trading Co. LTD
Date: 2/11/1999
To: Al Rasheed General Company
Subject: Proposal
Following up to our two letters numbered T 2484 and T 2504 on 30/10 and 1/11/1999 consecutively and attached with it proposals numner/3 related to your invitation numbered (75/3/13) included is our forth proposal related to it:
Please study with the other proposals sent to by our letter above and inform us..
With Regards
Signature…
Mounir Mamdooh Awed
Acting Director
4/11/1999
Best Salute
Indicating to your overture addressed to us regarding the bid numbered (725/99) we are pleased to offer our proposal included and are shown its details of the Technical Specifications, Prices, and the required quantity by you.
Knowing that the cost of a single tube delivered to your respected company warehouses is estimated (105 dollar) one hundred and five American Dollars,
Please take in consideration the following issues:
1. The Manufacturing Origin of the tubes German/European.
2. The equipping will be achieved within a period of 8 months from the date to deposit the amount in our interest and in the order of partial shipments divided during the equipping period above, where the first shipment begins within four months from the period of equipping indicated above.
3. The quantity of tubes required for equipping is 50,000 Tubes.
We hope that our proposal will receive your approval… with the continuous corporation with you to serve the general interest… with regards
Attachments. Schedule of Technical Specifications with prices.
TUBE ALUMUNIUM ALLOY
1. SPECIFICATION: AL-ZN-MG-CU 215/ NO. 7075
2. DIMENSION OF TUBE:
Outside Diameter = 81.0 mm
Inside Diameter = 74.4 mm
Thickness = 3.3 mm
Length = 900 mm.
3. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
NB ALL TUBES ARE SUBJECTED TO CHEMICAL COATNG IONADIZATION PROCESS TO PREVENT AND SUSTAIN SCRATCHES AND CORROSIONS.
4. PRICE: FOR EACH TUBE = USD 105
5. MANUFACTURING OF ORIGIN: GERMANY OR E.E.C
April 24, 2006
Saddam And Nukes: Together Again In 2001
************************************** AN EXCERPT ******************************
The memos demonstrate Saddam's intent to build nuclear weapons and his insistence on continuing research on their development even while supposedly "contained" by UN sanctions.
Addendum: Another Shahda translation shows the effort Iraq made in procuring aluminum tubes. These memos are less explicit and do not necessarily show that they were intended for nuclear-arms development. However, because of their dual-use capability -- both uses involve weaponry and both were banned by the sanctions -- it underscores the fact that Iraq was never going to cooperate and fully disarm under the terms required by UN sanctions and resolutions.
So why not use steel?
It's even worse than that. This was a FR thread on 4/7/06 an interview that exposes that the ISG didn't even survey the southern part of Iraq! That there WMD sites discovered, but NEVER followed up on. It is worth revisiting this article from FrontPage Mag.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611149/posts
An Excerpt (emphasis mine):
This was the first and largest mistake by ISG. During my intelligence gathering the Iraqis had told us that Saddam concentrated on hiding the WMDs in the southern region because the history of prior UN Weapons Inspections had always concentrated in searches of northern faculties. Searches in southern Iraq had primarily been helicopter flyovers. I have respect for every U.S. member of ISG who served in Iraq, but as an organization, the management was poor. They were not organized nor prepared for this type operation. I compare them to FEMA during Hurricane Katrina. Good people, but poor management. Poor management results in disaster and failure.
FP: Is there a possibly that some of the sites you identified three years ago may have been exploited by others (not the U.S.)? Could the government be covering this up because it may be embarrassing that we let the WMDs slip out of our fingers when we had a chance to obtain them?
Gaubatz: This has been an uphill battle for 3 years (to get the sites searched). The more intelligence I have obtained during the last 3 years is starting to point to the strong possibility that we lost a major opportunity by not searching the sites I identified.
April 24, 2006
Iraqs aluminum tube procurement efforts
*****************************************************************
Iraqdocs has the latest translation of Iraqi Intelligence documents captured in post-war Iraq. These particular documents (CMPC-2004-004404) are memos from 1999 and 2000 that discuss procurement efforts of high strength, 81mm aluminum tubes, that can be used in gas centrifuges for enriching uranium. The translator notes that the Iraqi Survey Group (ISG) stated in their final report in 2004, "Baghdad’s interest in high-strength, high-specification aluminum tubes—dual-use items controlled under Annex 3 of the Ongoing Monitoring and Verification Plan as possible centrifuge rotors—is best explained by its efforts to produce 81-mm rockets."
The first two pages are the Quotation Bid regarding these Special Aluminum Tubes by a company called AL Bashair addressed to Al Rasheed General Company which is a division of the Iraqi Military Manufacturing Commission. Page 3 of the document has the Technical Specification written in English of these Aluminum tubes, Diameter, Length, Specification, Chemical Composition, Price, Manufacturing origin, etc.
On 19 October 2005, Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff, Larry Wilkerson gave a speech at the New America Foundation and raised the issue of the aluminum tubes and how French intelligence pointed to their existance for use in centrifuges.
"The French came in in the middle of my deliberations at the CIA and said, we have just spun aluminum tubes, and by god, we did it to this RPM, et cetera, et cetera, and it was all, you know, proof positive that the aluminum tubes were not for mortar casings or artillery casings, they were for centrifuges. Otherwise, why would you have such exquisite instruments?"
Posted by C.S. Scott at April 24, 2006 12:14 PM
April 24, 2006
It Might Not Be Smoking, But It's Getting Awfully Warm
**************************AN EXCERPT ***********************************
The invaluable Joseph Shahda--jveritas at Free Republic, whose translations of Project Harmony documents we have linked to on several occasions--has translated several documents relating to apparent efforts by Iraq to restart its nuclear weapons program in 2001 and 2002. I say "apparent," because I don't know what a "simulation reactor" is, and can't vouch for some of Shahda's interpretations of the documents. Here is Shahda's introduction to his translations:
This document CMPC-2004-000167 talks about a project that started in early 2001 by the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) to use components from the previously destroyed TAMUZ (also known as OZIRAQ) Nuclear Reactor to build a Nuclear Simulator Reactor. The TAMUZ Nuclear Reactor was destroyed by an Israeli air attack in 1981. In September 2002, after almost a year and a half since the start of this Nuclear Project and when it became very clear to the Iraqi Regime that the UN inspectors were coming back to Iraq, a decision was made to stop this Nuclear Activity project. What is interesting in this document that the IAEC was warned by the Monitoring Directory within the IAEC that this Nuclear Project is prohibited by the UN resolutions however the IAEC went on with it until September 2002 only when the UN inspectors were on the verge of coming back to Iraq.This document is yet another irrefutable proof that Saddam had never stopped his WMD activities and programs including Nuclear Program activities.
***********************************************************
It appears that this set of documents proves beyond reasonable debate that Iraq was carrying out prohibited nuclear work in 2001 and 2002. How serious this breach of the U.N. resolutions was, I can't evaluate, since I have no idea what a "simulation reactor" is. But, just as the current Iranian nuclear program is of great concern to pretty much everyone, Iraq's nuclear program was, and should have been, of great concern in the months and years leading up to the war, notwithstanding the mendacious Joe Wilson.
Thanks for the great work.
Why is it that the media always gave Saddam (not our government) the benefit of the doubt for honest intentions? "Dual use" always meant only one thing to Saddam's regime who repeatedly made and used WMD.
Thanks for the update.
Exactly right, plus that Saddam was absolutely forbidden from having these tubes no matter what was his intention.
FOR THE LAST TIME: There's not any WMDs in Iraq!!!!
They're in Syria.........
If these tubes were truly to be used as rockets would there be any need to make sure they were coated to prevent scratches? Firing rockets in salvos seems to indicate that there would be no real need for such precautions.
Excellent point.
"it strikes me as quite odd that these tubes are manufactured to a tolerance that far exceeds U.S. requirements for comparable rockets. Maybe Iraqis just manufacture their conventional weapons to a higher standard than we do, but I don't think so."
"Second, we actually have examined tubes from several different batches that were seized clandestinely before they reached Baghdad. What we notice in these different batches is a progression to higher and higher levels of specification, including in the latest batch an anodized coating on extremely smooth inner and outer surfaces."
Why would they continue refining the specifications? Why would they continuing refining the specification, go to all that trouble for something that, if it was a rocket, would soon be blown into shrapnel when it went off? "
Looks very very much like an 11:1 ratio using my handy ruler on the screen (which would comport with a 900:81 dimension). These guys were sharing info, so it wouldn't be surprisinfg to find Saddam ordering the same dimensions.
Is there a contrarian out there who can suggest why 900mm x 81mm would be especially good in a rocket? Especially why 900mm would be desirable?
"2 X 4" is an "english" system concept. Anyy folks familiar with standars lumber sizes in the metric world? The ratio length to width is about dead on.
In the photo, the Libyan tubes appear to be wider in the middle than at the ends (not perfectly cylindrical). That may be from packing material shading parts of the tubes. For my width, I took the tubes at the widest part
. "The French came in in the middle of my deliberations at the CIA and said, we have just spun aluminum tubes, and by god, we did it to this RPM, et cetera, et cetera, and it was all, you know, proof positive that the aluminum tubes were not for mortar casings or artillery casings, they were for centrifuges. Otherwise, why would you have such exquisite instruments?"
Posted by C.S. Scott at April 24, 2006 12:14 PM "
Seriously? Wilkerson? The Larry "Bush is Beelzbub's Liar" Wilkerson? This doens't make sense coming form him...at this late date.
The high degree of accuracy in the milling and the surface coating for one.
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