Let's seee where this goes......

[Sarge]

Washington Targets Chirac and ElBaradai

From DEBKA-Net-Weekly May 2 Updated by DEBKAfile

May 7, 2003, 1:08 AM (GMT+02:00)

The Americans are sitting tight on the extremely valuable Iraqi intelligence archives discovered at Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad and at sub-departments of Saddam’s clandestine machine never before known to exist. The only data released are a few leaks to the British media calculated to help prime minister Tony Blair stand up to anti-war campaigners at home and around Europe.

From this treasure trove, America has distributed to its war allies some materials relevant to their national security. But no decision has been taken as to the disposition of documents attesting to the clandestine ties of collaboration maintained with the Saddam regime by a whole range of foreign government and public office-holders, academics, media figures, financiers and industrialists the world over, many deeply involved in sanctions-busting. By and large, Washington is not inclined to bare these secrets or make use of them at the moment, except in some notable cases. One is French president Jacques Chirac; another is the head of the International Atomic Energy Commission in Vienna, Dr. Mohammed ElBaradai, who led the nuclear weapons inspection in Iraq before the war.

In addition, the administration has secretly handed over to various Middle East and Persian Gulf governments the names of ministers and public figures who were handsomely rewarded by Saddam Hussein for supporting his case in deliberations at the United Nations, other international bodies and inter-Arab forums. Washington was given to understand that these public officials would be held to account by their governments. This process has started quietly in Qatar and Jordan, where our intelligence sources expect overnight resignations of senior cabinet members.

DEBKA-Net-Weekly has been reliably informed that the nature of the relationships the French president and members of his family wove with Saddam Hussein and members of his regime is due to be revealed quite soon, drawing on the materials in the secret Iraqi files. Some sources say that the ties linking the two families were deep and ramified. Their exposure is likely to raise a storm.

As for Dr. ElBaradai, our sources report that, even before the Iraqi archives were examined, Washington had compiled a dossier on the chief nuclear inspector from discoveries made in the course of crises over the North Korean and Iranian nuclear weapons programs.

US officials are holding to the public position that more time is needed to turn up Saddam’s arsenal of forbidden weapons. However, last week, Syria handed over two key scientists who ran Iraq’s bio weapons programs, Dr Hudah Salih Mahdi Ammash, the anthrax expert and Dr. RihabTaha – “Dr. Germ”, as well as her husband the “Missile Man”, Gen. Amir Muhammed Rasheed. These scoops must have given the Americans much of the information they were after on the nature and locations of the weapons of mass destruction. However, Washington is now waiting for President Bashar Assad to respond to the ultimatum secretary of state Colin Powell slapped down last Saturday in Damascus. He was put on notice to report on the arsenal’s whereabouts in Lebanon after he removed this hot potato from Syria. Only then, will the Bush administration decide how to handle the information accumulated.

In the meantime, US officials believe they have sufficient grounds for demanding Dr. ElBaradai’s removal and have already set this process in motion. According to DEBKA-Net-Weekly‘s Washington sources, their preferred candidate for his replacement in Vienna is Prince Hassan of Jordan, brother and former crown prince of King Hussein and uncle of King Abdullah. We have learned that senior representatives of the Bush administration have interviewed the prince in London and Amman and obtained his consent to the appointment, which has also been endorsed by the king.

The Hashemite prince lacks scientific qualifications for the job, but the Bush administration have concluded that scientists, however eminent, are not much use for stemming the proliferation of nuclear weapons – a shortcoming manifested in the last two years in the cases of North Korea and Iran. Washington is ready to try out an experienced statesman before the spread of dangerous nuclear capabilities gets out of hand. Action against nuclear proliferation has risen to the top of the Bush administration’s order of priorities.

The new director’s first task will be to disperse the IAEA’s ruling council which is held responsible for obstructing rather than advancing inspection mechanisms. Hassan’s appointment will undoubtedly strengthen Washington’s control over the commission. It will also enhance the kingdom’s international standing, its reward for unreservedly supporting and taking part in the American war against the Saddam regime in Iraq.

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Oh, good lord. I hardly know where to start. :doh:

Let's start with the source: DEBKAfile. Whatever its merits, DEBKAfile is an Israeli mouthpiece.

Now let's have a thought experiment for the board. Try to imagine what I'm describing: "The nation suspected to have the largest, never-admitted cache of nuclear arms in the world."

(cue Jeopardy theme)

"What is Israel?"

"That is correct."

Next item: "The nation that would have the most to lose by dealing with an honest head of the International Atomic Energy Commission, who might certify that Iraq NEVER HAD A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM, ISRAEL IS NUKED TO THE TEETH, and RUMSFELD SOLD NORTH KOREA THEIR NUKES."

(cue Jeopardy theme)

"What is the United States?"

(confusion ... Alex turns to off-stage ...)

"I'm sorry, that's a subsidiary."

"What is Israel?"

"That is correct."

The [Jordanian] Hashemite prince lacks scientific qualifications for the job, but the Bush administration have concluded that scientists, however eminent, are not much use for stemming the proliferation of nuclear weapons – a shortcoming manifested in the last two years in the cases of North Korea and Iran. Washington is ready to try out an experienced statesman before the spread of dangerous nuclear capabilities gets out of hand. Action against nuclear proliferation has risen to the top of the Bush administration’s order of priorities.

Next item: "The powerless nation that currently stands triangulated by three brutal dictatorships -- plus Syria -- and having soiled its pants, is trying on its new role as a sock puppet."

"What is Jordan?"

"That is correct."

[fansince62]

ASF.....your wording is AFU from the get go...and very transparent...how about "the democratic nation suspected to have....."....huge difference......although...given the conspiracy theories popular on this board, of little merit to many.......

you really have no clue...that makes it easier to tolerate I suppose....

blah, blah, blah.......

[redman]

I'm sure Chirac is gratified to have you defending him, ASF. Tres bien!

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Originally posted by redman

I'm sure Chirac is gratified to have you defending him, ASF. Tres bien!

Chirac can defend himself. I'm not a Francophile, just a spectator to the grotesque drive-bys being pulled by the U.S. and -- what's that country again? -- Israel.

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Washington Targets Chirac and ElBaradai

From DEBKA-Net-Weekly May 2 Updated by DEBKAfile

By and large, Washington is not inclined to bare these secrets or make use of them at the moment, except in some notable cases. One is French president Jacques Chirac; another is the head of the International Atomic Energy Commission in Vienna, Dr. Mohammed ElBaradai, who led the nuclear weapons inspection in Iraq before the war....

As for Dr. ElBaradai, our sources report that, even before the Iraqi archives were examined, Washington had compiled a dossier on the chief nuclear inspector from discoveries made in the course of crises over the North Korean and Iranian nuclear weapons programs.....

In the meantime, US officials believe they have sufficient grounds for demanding Dr. ElBaradai’s removal and have already set this process in motion. According to DEBKA-Net-Weekly‘s Washington sources, their preferred candidate for his replacement in Vienna is Prince Hassan of Jordan, brother and former crown prince of King Hussein and uncle of King Abdullah.

Meanwhile, ElBaradai has been protesting reported "looting" at Iraq's nuclear power facilities, and his inspection team has been denied access to these facilities by the U.S.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030505-043938-7651r

U.N. agency seeks to visit Iraq nuke sites

By William M. Reilly

UPI United Nations Correspondent

From the International Desk

Published 5/5/2003 5:13 PM

View printer-friendly version

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 (UPI) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency has found reports of looting at Iraq's nuclear facilities "disturbing" and repeated its request Washington allow it to inspect them, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

"IAEA said over the weekend that it found reports that there had been looting at Iraq's nuclear facilities disturbing and it has requested that the United States confirm the situation and allow for an IAEA team to investigate," said the spokesman, Fred Eckhard.

"IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei in a letter requested that the United States allow an IAEA investigative mission to find out what the state of Iraq's nuclear facilities is," Eckhard said. "The agency has not yet received a response to that letter."

While U.N. officials would not release a copy of the letter, there were indications it would become public later in the week if Washington does not respond.

"We're reviewing the document and have no immediate comment," a U.S official told United Press International.

ElBaradei had written Washington April 10, asking that the United States ensure "the security and safety of all the nuclear material in Iraq, which has been under IAEA seal since 1991," the spokesman said. "ElBaradei indicated that until the agency's inspectors return to Iraq, the U.S. has responsibility for maintaining security at Iraq's nuclear storage facilities."

In that letter, the Vienna-based IAEA also cited "media reports" about the security of nuclear material stored near the Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center in Iraq. U.S. military forces recently entered the Tuwaitha site, and the IAEA asked the United States to secure the material located there with proper protection and to keep access to the site restricted.

Assurances were received.

However, just two weeks ago, in a written report to the Security Council, ElBaradei said, "The IAEA should resume its work in Iraq as soon as possible," explaining the agency "continues to be the sole organization with legal powers -- derived from both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and successive Security Council resolutions -- to verify Iraq's nuclear disarmament," ElBaradei said. "We await the guidance of the council as to the modalities of our return."

ElBaradei also told the council his agency told the coalition about the need for physical protection at the location of Iraq's declared nuclear material.

He said the IAEA had also provided information about the location of radioactive sources, to enable safety and security measures to be taken.

Most of the nuclear and other radioactive material at the Tuwaitha site was stored near the main complex in the three buildings known as "Location C," which contained nuclear material -- covered by Iraq's Safeguards Agreement under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty -- that the agency was not required by the U.N. Security Council to remove after the Gulf war in 1991, the agency said.

The reason it was left was because it could not be used directly for nuclear weapons purposes, the IAEA said. A separate building at Location C was used to store radioisotope sources. Radiation levels were high and the agency warned caution had to be used in entering the building.

The agency said its inspectors had been monitoring and inspecting the material at Location C periodically since 1991.

The IAEA applied seals on the drums containing the nuclear materials and the building itself. "As soon as circumstances permit, the IAEA should return to verify that there has been no diversion of this material," said Dr. ElBaradei in the April 10 letter.

During weapons inspections in Iraq from November 2002 until March 2003, IAEA inspectors visited the Tuwaitha research center several times, the agency said. Inspectors examined underground areas at Tuwaitha as part of the inspection process, including the basements of buildings as well as underground ruins and the surroundings of the destroyed research reactors. In some buildings, the IAEA documented higher than normal radiation levels, attributable to Iraq's past nuclear weapons program and the presence of radioisotopes.

[Yomar]

ASF, you are far too confident in your imagination. Om was right, you are sliding down a slippery slope so long and complicated there should be a height requirement to get on.

That being said, you are right in questioning the sources, since they are either dubious, vague or both.

[Kilmer17]

Honestly, the anti-semitic tones being expressed recently are coming close to Kefka levels.

[stratoman]

ASF, you are a poor excuse of an American. I'm sure we can raise enough money to provide you safe haven to any number of countries....... :finger: :finger: