Missiles find in chemical plant

The Scotsman ^ | March 25, 2003 | GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN AND PAUL GALLAGHER

[MadIvan]

EXPERTS are examining suspected Scud missiles discovered by British soldiers searching a chemical plant outside Basra.

A number of the grey-painted rockets, about 23ft long, were found in the Dirhamiyah petro-chemical plant close to Iraq’s second city.

The discovery has raised suspicions that Saddam Hussein was planning to arm the missiles with chemical warheads. British officers say it is difficult to find an innocent explanation for storing missiles in a chemical plant.

The find comes a day after soldiers with the Black Watch discovered a cache of weapons, including two Russian al-Harith anti-ship cruise missiles, at the Az Zubayr civilian heliport south of Basra.

The British defence company whose products were also discovered in the cache has denied selling any products to Iraq.

Wallop Defence Systems, of Middle Wallop, Hampshire, said the "weapons", described as fuses for detonators, were probably smoke grenades stolen by Iraq 13 years ago.

The issue of who supplied Iraq with weapons became increasingly heated yesterday, as Russia dismissed claims from the United States that it had illicitly supplied Saddam with arms. The US claims Russian companies sent anti-tank guided missiles, night-vision goggles and jamming devices to Iraq, in violation of United Nations’ sanctions.

George Bush, the US president, raised the issue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in a phone call yesterday, according to the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer.

But Igor Ivanov, the Russian foreign minister, said: "We did not send any goods, including military ones, that violated the sanctions."

He said that from October, the US had requested reports on the alleged illicit sales several times, and that Russia had made its most recent report on 18 March.

[MadIvan]

If I ever see Hans Blix, I'm going to smack him very hard on the back of the head for being such an idiot.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[sam_paine]

....smack him in the front of the head for me!! LOL!!!

[backhoe]

Locator ^

[Dialup Llama]

Perhaps someone could clarify, but unless the plant was operational when captured, there will be no smoking gun because I heard that chem war stuff is close to commercial chemical manufacturing.

[sam_paine]

Wallop Defence Systems, of Middle Wallop, Hampshire, said the "weapons", described as fuses for detonators, were probably smoke grenades stolen by Iraq 13 years ago.

Ever the interested party in word origins....I wonder if this is where "packed a wallop" came from.

[Noslrac]

If there are missiles in a chemical plant, you'd have to be an idiot to not think saddam meant for them to go together.

[sam_paine]

.. there will be no smoking gun because.......

In the WAR as in the HOMELAND, there will never be a "smoking gun" satisfactory to the non-preempt crowd other than dead Americans. A rocket in a prep stage at a chem plant is EXACTLY the stage the PREEMPTION strategy is intended to catch them at!!!!

[spookycc]

If I ever see Hans Blix, I'm going to smack him very hard on the back of the head for being such an idiot.

You might ruffle a couple of his comb-over hairs! ;-))

[merrin]

British officers say it is difficult to find an innocent explanation for storing missiles in a chemical plant.

I'll bet that's something Hans Blix can find.

[EllaMinnow]

Silly question, Ivan.
I keep seeing references to the Black Watch. Do the Gordon Highlanders still exist?

[Taiwan Bocks]

Uh oh.

This is only what they found.

P.S. Does this mean the French will now be on board? LOL, not holding my breath!

[geedee]

Look carefully to make sure you smack the right face . . . it's sometimes hard to tell with Blixie . . .

[Robert_Paulson2]

Apparently our inspection "regime" is working somewhat more rapidly and effectively than the UN's...

Amazing what a third of a million US, UK, and AUSSIES can do to speed up the 'result set' , eh?

[Libertina]

Oh please smack him one for all of us, the big twit.

[semaj]

While your at it give him a swift kick in the ass for me,won't you?

[livius]

Russia had made its most recent report on 18 March.

I believe their technicians were still in Iraq at that point. Oh, heck, who cares about such trivial details?

[TheLooseThread]

I have lost track about whether scuds have been found anywhere or not. I know the media refers to all missles as scuds so it is confusing.

Were any scuds fired or found anywhere?

[zook]

I suspect the involvement of French chemical weapons experts in this. See link to photo taken at scene:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/r/c/rcs8/pepes17.jpg