Posted on 11/01/2007 5:40:42 PM PDT by james500
The identity of the man who claimed former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had biological weapons, a key piece of information that helped lead the U.S. charge to invade Iraq, has been outed by CBS' "60 Minutes" news show.
Rafid Ahmed Alwan, known as "Curve Ball" in intelligence circles, is not a chemical engineering expert, according to the report, which instead characterized Alwan as a liar, a thief and poor student.
The CIA received hundreds of summaries of debriefings with Alwan, contributing to other intelligence reports that led the United States to bomb and invade Iraq. Former CIA Director George Tenet gave Alwan's allegations to Secretary of State Colin Powell for his report to the United Nations in the argument to take military action against Iraq, the news magazine reports.
The two-year investigation undertaken found that Alwan arrived in a refugee camp in Germany in 1999 and claimed to be a chemical engineer leading a facility at Djerf al Nadaf that was making mobile biological weapons. The news magazine reports that Alwan was looking for asylum and used his claims to bolster his case.
Alwan did study chemical engineering but he received poor grades. The investigation also found an arrest warrant for theft for Alwan.
Alwan led officials to believe Saddam possessed biological weapons, telling German intelligence officials about his insight with mostly accurate descriptions of a plant outside Baghdad. He told officials 12 workers were killed by biological agents at the plant.
...
But CIA weapons inspectors visited the plant at Djerf al Nadaf before the invasion, finding no evidence of biological agents, CBS states in its report, adding that Alwan is likely in Germany today, living freely under an assumed name.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Theres a link to the CBS report in the article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/60minutes/main3440577.shtml
Tyler Drumheller makes an appearance.
They never learn..............
Not coming a lib near you.
George Tenet was the PETER PRINCIPLE SQUARED!!! WHat a STUPID immature person. Colin Powell was Bush’s weakest link, but Clinton ONLY hired EASILY MANAGED people of which Tenet was just one. Trying to be NICE got Bush in a heap of crap.
I think the Kurds have a different story to tell. More BS from cBS.
Well, isn’t 60 Minutes special? Not
If Alwan was shopping his info in 1999, that was BEFORE George W. Bush was President. Maybe it was his information that led x42 and the Democrats in Congress to talk tough on Iraq, and Tenet just carried over the intelligence when he continued as head of the CIA under President Bush.
This is the only source of information we had about biological weapons? I don’t think so!
On the other hand, if Hussein didn’t play with biological weapons, the Left will be upset that the U.S. didn’t give such weapons to him, which is a popular urban myth.
These quotes were all from 1998:
“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
- President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
“We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the stability and security of his neighbors with weapons of mass destruction.”
- Madeline Albright, Feb 1, 1998
“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Letter to President Clinton.
- (D) Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, others, Oct. 9, 1998
“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
I remember UN weapons inspectors, but CIA?
I remember UN weapons inspectors, but CIA?
Yeah. Same quality personnel as Valerie Plame and her husband, who was a ‘CIA’ inspector looking for yellowcake ore going to Saddam.
Same CIA that sends their agents to bully their way in using a badge, and dismiss the people who are highly trained and specially selected to do their tasks.
Same CIA that is a mix of double/triple agents that work to keep their agency and it’s staff playing SHADOW GOVT to the WORLD.
Manipulation, and Control. That is the name of the game.
Their allegiance grew from being to protect the U.S., to being just to protect themselves.
If there was no truth to the story that Hussein was developing biological weapons, how does CBS account for the fact that in one well documented incident over 5000 Kurds died from a poison gas attack ordered by Saddam? Or are they making a distinction between being gassed and being killed by germs? If so, it is a very weak argument to make to support the idea that Hussein did not have a program to develop weapons of mass destruction.
The 1990 Iraq war resumed because Saddam violated numerous provisions of the Peace treaty he signed, along with the 16 subsequent resolutions. Clinton should’ve taken care of this mess in 1993. The WMD reason is bogus and irrelevant.
“f there was no truth to the story that Hussein was developing biological weapons, how does CBS account for the fact that in one well documented incident over 5000 Kurds died from a poison gas attack ordered by Saddam?”
That happened in 1988, when Saddam was an ally of President Reagan, who turned a blind eye on the episode.
Of course Osama Bin Laden was also an ally of President Reagan, but who cares, right?
“The WMD reason is bogus and irrelevant.”
Isn’t it relevant that it was a bogus?
bttt
Bogus indeed. As an incidental point, apparently this CurveBall was a heavy drinker, and so were several of his CIA contacts. Not surprising.
Amazing, is it not, that all thse statements have dropped into the memory well!
Leftist manufactured Internet propaganda lie with no bases in factual reality. Iraq was a Soviet Client. It was never a US Ally and did not receive weapons from the USA. Total US manufactured equipment captured in Iraq during 2003 Liberation was less then .7% of total. All most all of them communication or other support gear. All of it obtained on International arms market.
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