Posted on 10/01/2003 12:37:34 PM PDT by Pete
KUWAIT CITY (AP)--Kuwaiti security authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle $60 million worth of chemical weapons and biological warheads from Iraq to an unnamed European country, a Kuwaiti newspaper said Wednesday.
The pro-government Al-Siyassah, quoting an unnamed security source, said the suspects had been watched by security since they arrived in Kuwait and were arrested "in due time." It didn't say when or how the smugglers entered Kuwait or when they were arrested.
The paper said the smugglers might have had accomplices inside Kuwait. It said Interior Minister Sheik Nawwaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah would hand over the smuggled weapons to an FBI agent at a news conference, but didn't say when.
Government officials couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Iraqi Interior Minister Nouri Al-Badran met Tuesday with Sheik Nawwaf and discussed cooperation between the two countries in security matters. His visit is the first by an Iraqi interior minister to Kuwait since 1990.
A day late and dollar short but here I am. Life happened. :o/
M&M's and chopsticks?! Oh gee, sorry I missed that. LOL
LOL! She's a freeper too!
Hoping for verification, this would be great news if proven true.
Good morning, LG. :o) Cream with your coffee?
I checked out FOX and the only thing mentioned about WMD was the closed door meeting *Kay* was to have this morning. sigh. Maybe it's yet another fox chase, huh?
He is.
I hope this story pans out and we can beat our domestic enemies over the head with it right up to the election, and beyond.
I am convinced Glenn is a Freeper.
Could the story be planted by some demos to make WMD a story again? It would be embarrassing for the Republicans to make claims and then have to recant those claims.
The Demos would love nothing more than for us not to find WMD and to keep this FRONT PAGE until after the elections. Therefore, I'll wait until I see further proof.
Also, I have emails out to all sorts of news orgs (Mid East and otherwise) to try to get more info on the original story.
Kuwait says it seized smuggled Iraq artefacts
KUWAIT, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Kuwaiti authorities have seized archaeological artefacts and "other items" smuggled from Iraq into Kuwait, Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah said in remarks published on Thursday.
"Kuwaiti security forces were able to seize some Iraqi artefacts smuggled to Kuwait," al-Sabah, who is also interior minister, was quoted as saying by al-Seyassah daily. He did not identify the other items.
Al-Sabah was responding to a question about a report the paper carried on Wednesday that Kuwaiti security forces had foiled an attempt to smuggle artefacts, chemical materials and biological warheads from Iraq to a European country via Kuwait.
Kuwaiti security sources told Reuters on Wednesday the report on the seizure of such weapons was baseless.
Asked about the report of seized biological warheads, al-Sabah also told al-Qabas newspaper: "Up to now we have not verified this...There are some artefacts that were seized which we are examining to see if they are real or fake."
Iraqi authorities estimate more than 10,000 artefacts are still missing from the Iraqi National Museum, including antiquities from the world's earliest civilisations. The museum was looted in April after the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.
More than 400 items were also seized by Jordanian customs authorities at the border with Iraq.
"We are now going to present those (artefacts) to experts and specialists to check their authenticity. Other items have also been seized which we will examine and announce (the findings) soon," added al-Sabah.
Al-Sabah's remarks were made to reporters late on Wednesday after talks with Iraq's new interior minister Nouri Badran.
Badran, who discussed bilateral security issues with al-Sabah, was quoted as saying that many infiltrators into Iraq have been arrested recently, including Saudis and Syrians.
Official relations have warmed between Kuwait and Iraq after the ousting of Saddam, whose army invaded and occupied the tiny oil-rich country for seven months in 1990. ((editing by Alison Williams; Kuwait newsroom, +965 246 0350))
Note, there was no mention of artifacts at all in the AP story yesterday.
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France.
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