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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: skinowski who wrote (19338)	2/23/2003 8:43:37 AM
From: John Carragher	Respond to of 23908

Saddam won't give up chemical bombs By Philip Sherwell LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH AMMAN, Jordan — Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's air force has developed a more sophisticated delivery and detonation system for chemical weapons than previously known to United Nations inspectors, a former officer has disclosed. The former officer, who was fairly senior in the air force hierarchy when he fled Iraq last year, said Baghdad was still pursuing the chemical armaments program when he left Iraq — despite its insistence that it had abandoned its weapons of mass destruction project after the 1991 Persian Gulf war. The officer — who did not want to be identified because of fears for his safety and that of his relatives still in Iraq — said he was trained to handle binary-system bombs, which mix lethal chemicals moments before detonation for maximum effect. "Saddam will never surrender these weapons," he said. "They are as much a part of his life as eating and drinking." He described in detail how the chemical bombs and sprays were fitted and operated, backing up his testimony with drawings and graphics, during meetings lasting several hours in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The former officer's claims, if true, would indicate a clear breach of U.N. resolutions and fuel fears that Saddam may use chemical weapons against U.S. and British forces in the event of war. "What he describes is a logical development of the techniques we know the Iraqis were working on," a former senior weapons inspector told the Sunday Telegraph. "If what he says can be confirmed, then this is a very big discovery. It would be proof that Iraq has continued with the development of a new type of weapon," another former weapons inspector said. A spokesman for UNMOVIC, the U.N. weapons inspections agency, said in New York that inspectors would be interested in interviewing the former Iraqi officer. The chemical weapons previously known to inspectors were less advanced, their lethal contents mixed on the ground before the bombs were loaded on to planes. At the time the Iraqi officer was trained, he was working at military bases at Habbaniyah 50 miles west of Baghdad, and al-Qaqa, 20 miles south of the capital. He last witnessed the new bomb mechanism being tested — with water and oil rather than chemicals — at Habbaniyah in 2000, before the tests were switched to a different location. However, he said former colleagues with whom he remains in contact confirm that the program is still running. He said that the bombs were partitioned into two compartments. When loaded with chemicals, the bombs had a black liquid in one compartment and a yellowish one in the other. The pilots were trained to hit a switch to open the partition when they approached their targets, allowing the two substances to combine and reach their strongest potency. A few seconds later, outer doors on the bottom of the weapon would open automatically, releasing the mixture. These weapons were intended for the Iraqi air force's more modern jets, but an alternative delivery method was developed for slower planes, such as the Russian Sukhoi-25s and for helicopters, he said.

To: skinowski who wrote (19338)	2/23/2003 8:49:37 AM
From: hdl	Respond to of 23908

let us pray the muslims are right and when we use the great equalizer they each get 72 virgins.

To: skinowski who wrote (19338)	2/23/2003 11:52:12 AM
From: lorne	Respond to of 23908

Mugabe not offered French kiss By Adam Sage, The Times 22feb03 FRENCH President Jacques Chirac greeted President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe with the briefest of handshakes as he welcomed heads of state to the Franco-African summit yesterday. As Mr Chirac opened the two-day summit, he welcomed most of the 45 African leaders with a kiss on each cheek and an embrace. But at the arrival of Mr Mugabe, whose controversial visit to Paris has threatened to undermine the twenty-second annual summit, Mr Chirac seemed to freeze. He kept his left hand behind his back, extended his right hand for a peremptory greeting and then pointed the Zimbabwean President into conference hall. Mr Chirac's attitude hinted at embarrassment over the dispute that came after the decision to invite Mr Mugabe despite a European Union travel ban on the Zimbabwean leadership. With the French police arresting anti-Mugabe protesters while the authorities pay for the Zimbabwean delegation to stay in a luxury hotel in Paris, the affair is overshadowing Mr Chirac's attempt to use the summit to forge "a new partnership" with Africa. "This will be marked out as the grubbiest handshake of the year," Alan Duncan, the British shadow foreign secretary, said. "Jacques Chirac should think how much blood is on the hand he just shook." The Zimbabwean ruler attended a state dinner at the Elysee Palace yesterday following which he and Mr Chirac held one-on-one talks. Mr Chirac's spokeswoman, Catherine Colonna, said the French President informed Mr Mugabe of "the concern in Europe and the world" over the situation in Zimbabwe, which is in economic ruins and facing widespread hunger. The French press has dined out on the controversy of Mr Mugabe and his cohort staying in luxurious surroundings, dining on food prepared by world famous chef Alain Ducasse while his people at home starve. "Robert Mugabe's presence is an insult to the victims of his arbitrary regime," French newspaper Le Monde said. Britain's tabloid press also pulled no punches in slamming Mugabe's visit, with The Sun branding the French President as "le Worm" under the headline "Slimy Chirac rolls out red carpet for tyrant Mugabe". Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwean opposition leader, who faces the death sentence at a trial for treason in Harare, said Zimbabweans would remember that France had betrayed them when they were in need. Paris police detained the Australian gay and human rights activist Peter Tatchell, on Thursday. "We were prepared to do anything peaceful that we could to shame and embarrass," he said after his release. "It feels like a police state here. The right to protest has effectively been suspended." French authorities appeared to be on the defensive as they sought to justify the invitation to Mr Mugabe, who turned 79 yesterday. "All the African countries are traditionally invited to these summits. That is why they are useful," Ms Colonna said. themercury.news.com.au

To: skinowski who wrote (19338)	2/24/2003 11:30:15 AM
From: Yaacov	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 23908

This war is a necessary evil, apart from all the reasons I mentioned, if we don't break the back of Arab resistance, and for once and teach them who is stronger, then they think they have won. If that happens we should expect a deastaster in USA and Europe. In fact Sept.11 was direct result of not going to bagdad in 1991. Not getting rid of Saddam made them believe that they had won the Mother of All Fuck-ups (if you excuse my French!) Not getting rid of Saddam also lead to the second Intafaida, because Oalestinians figuered if Sadam fought and survived against US, we we should do the same against Israel. Now this is my modest previvsion of future: War with Saddam and establishing a friendly regime in Iraq. Iran being cut between a wall & hard place will cahnge from inside, or with the help of Mujahedin that are already posied on the border. Mujahedin-e-Khalgh hate the regime of the Ayatolhs and don't care who they work for. US will arm them and send them in to distablize the regime in Iran, if Iran gets out of line. (two friendly government to US in east and west of Iran with US troops present. -Arafat will fall and a friendly Palestinian governemnt will make negotiate with Israel. -Syria will kill the Heb-e-Allah or Israel will do it and SYria being caught between Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Iraq, all friendly to the US, will ask for peace. Iraq will pay for 1 trillion dollars cost of their liberation for the next 20 years, and will pay for their reconstruction to US firms. Bin Laden and his Thugs have no place to escape, no Arab nation will risk giving them shelter. This ends the story

To: skinowski who wrote (19338)	12/18/2009 4:42:12 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23908

Iranian forces take over Iraq oil well NASIRIYAH, Iraq (AFP) – Iranian forces took control of a southern Iraqi oil well on a disputed section of the border on Friday, US and Iraqi officials told AFP. "There has been no violence related to this incident and we trust this will be resolved through peaceful diplomacy between the governments of Iraq and Iran," a US military spokesman told AFP at Contingency Operating Base Adder, just outside the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. "The oil field is in disputed territory in between Iranian and Iraqi border forts," he said, adding that such incidents occur quite frequently. An official of the state-owned South Oil Co in the southeastern city of Amara, and west of the field, said: "An Iranian force arrived at the field early this morning (Friday). "It took control of Well 4 and raised the Iranian flag even though the well lies in Iraqi territory," the official added. "An oil ministry delegation is to travel to the area on Saturday to assess the situation." The national security council was due to hold an emergency meeting on Friday chaired by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi state television said quoting the minister of state for national security, Shirwan al-Waili. The council also groups the ministers of interior, defence, foreign affairs, justice and finance. Well 4 lies in the Fauqa Field, part of a cluster of fields Iraq unsuccessfully put up for auction to oil majors in June. The field has estimated reserves of 1.55 million barrels. The field is about 500 metres (yards) from an Iranian border fort and about 1 kilometre from an Iraqi border fort, US Colonel Peter Newell said, adding that it falls on the Iraqi side of a border agreed between the two countries. There are five other similar fields that also fall into disputed territory, he said. "What happens is, periodically, about every three or four months, the oil ministry guys from Iraq will go ... to fix something or do some maintenance. They'll paint it in Iraqi colours and throw an Iraqi flag up. "They'll hang out there for a while, until they get tired, and as soon as they go away, the Iranians come down the hill and paint it Iranian colours and raise an Iranian flag. It happened about three months ago and it will probably happen again." He added that the Iraqis are "very concerned about the Iranians pulling oil out of fields underneath Iraq." Iran has prevented Iraqi oil officials from reaching the well in the past, an industry source said. The Iraqis have accused Iran of firing on their people, something Tehran has denied. There have been a number of meetings in recent years aimed at reaching agreement on border fields, so far without success. news.yahoo.com