Living in fear

[Ripsnort]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/iraq_scientists030210.html

Feb. 10 — In the last 10 days, United Nations inspectors have been given what are described as "important, new and credible leads" from a recent defector, who also told ABCNEWS that Iraqi scientists involved in the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons program were systematically intimidated.
The defector, interviewed by ABCNEWS in an undisclosed European country, is an engineer described as close to several of the weapons scientists who, he said, live in fear.
Many of the scientists are eager to cooperate with the United Nations, but the intimidation is so effective that the scientists are terrified of meeting in private with the inspectors. One scientist who met with the inspectors this week was so frightened, it took an hour for him to stop shaking, according to U.N. sources.

"Iraqi scientists and researchers are under a lot of pressure and influence by the Iraqi authorities," the Iraqi defector told ABCNEWS. "They were scared and threatened in different ways, including threatening to go after their families if they leave Iraq to meet with inspectors and going after their relatives if their families go with them and going after them even if they were in exile.

"For these reasons, the scientist or researcher becomes scared to tell the secrets, even though he knows it's a way to lift the difficult, miserable conditions the Iraqi people are living under."

According to the Iraqi, many of the scientists involved in the weapons of mass destruction program are housed with their families at a secret compound in downtown Baghdad.

In mid-October 2002, when it became clear that U.N. inspectors would be returning to Iraq, the security at the compound was upgraded substantially and the personnel elevated from low-level Iraqi police officers to members of the elite Special Security Organization, which is responsible for ensuring the loyalty of all security and military personnel, protecting the president and controlling the weapons of mass destruction launch platforms.

Scientists Detained, ‘Loyalty’ Questioned

At about the same time, a group of approximately seven to 10 scientists involved in the secret weapons of mass destruction programs were detained and taken to another secret location. These scientists were detained because their loyalties to the regime were in question.

According to the Iraqi, the scientists were not permitted to communicate with their families. "They went to their work as usual, as any other day," he said. "They were detained there and taken to unknown places. Afterwards, their families were contacted and assured that they will return shortly and that they were in good condition."

Most of the scientists were released between one to two months later. One of the scientists who was released in late November was killed in a mysterious automobile crash less than a week after he returned. The message to the other scientists was clear:

"This was a clear message from the Iraqi authorities to all scientists and researchers to stay away from the inspection teams and not to tell any secrets or give any piece of information that could harm the Iraqi government," said the Iraqi defector, "because if they do, their fate would be the same as their colleague's."

Saddam Hussein's security organizations have killed a number of opponents in arranged "accidents" Amatzia Bar'am, a professor in the Department of Middle Eastern History at the University of Haifa in Israel, told ABCNEWS. "I could provide you with 10 such cases during the last few years," he said. "If you assassinate someone like that, there is no reason for it except to warn everybody watch it, you don't want to divulge any secrets."

Held Legally Responsible

The Iraqi also revealed, for the first time, how the scientists were compelled to sign two documents. The first was a declaration that he would cooperate fully with the U.N. inspectors. The second declaration negates the first, obliging every Iraqi researcher and scientist not to cooperate with the U.N. teams and hide the information.

"If he causes any harm to the Iraqi authorities, he is considered legally responsible," said the defector. "The first pledge is public and a copy is sent to the U.N., while the second is only for some Iraqi security agencies."

The words "legally responsible" have a particular meaning in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. "The penalty: killing and torture and going after the family, even if in exile."

American intelligence sources say this defector was one of those whose information was used in Colin Powell's speech to the U.N. Security Council last week. Powell said, "Some of these sources have put their lives on the line to talk to us."

The description of the secret compound and secret pledges is consistent with what many experts say is Saddam Hussein's usual tactics.

"He has a need for legal niceties, and this is exactly what he has done in the past: getting people to sign pledges not to harm the country," said Bar'am. "They know then they face death if they do."

The Iraqi has been interviewed by U.S. intelligence officials who have found his story to be credible and have verified certain key details.

The defector's information about the intimidation of the scientists is being pursued this week in Baghdad, according to U.N. sources.

[Monk]

ABC News, propaganda...........sorry buddy "Ain't no one goin to believe it"

[Ripsnort]

What source DO you believe?
Edit, forgot the wink

[Ripsnort]

What confuses me is:
Given all these facts similiar to this post over the past few months, Anti-war types will ignore the facts and still try to discredit Bush and say the war is over oil (which, is the weakest arguement and makes me laugh.) (shakes head)

[straffo]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
What confuses me is:
Given all these facts similiar to this post over the past few months

I would say Year, Saddam is a dictator since 1979

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by straffo
I would say Year, Saddam is a dictator since 1979

I was speaking of recent events with WMD, and fear factor of scientists.

[Pongo]

But if US nuclear scientists gave away state secrets.they would be guilty of treason too wouldnt they..
And were not the Manhatten project scientists and families hidden away in a secret facility in los alamos?
Was that reason enough to invade the US?

[bounder]

He's already had WMD since at least 1985.

As a pet dictator, he was great, but now he isn't cute anymore and needs to be put down.

If this isn't at all about oil, then why are people so uptight about France and co having large oil interests in the country? Is it wrong for France to try and protect her national interest.

It's not all about oil or all about any single thing. It's an unholy alliance of local political expediency, economic insurance, gunboat diplomacy, security policy and demonstration of military might to make a geopolitical point.

A large proportion of people whose opinion on the matter I know are most disturbed by the double standards at work.

If the west didn't claim such a moralistic high ground in their alacrity for conflict,

- and instead 'levelled with us' about the clearly much more complex reasoning that is going on, beyond the simplistic analysis of the news media -

then I'm sure a lot more people would get on board with the whole project.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Pongo
But if US nuclear scientists gave away state secrets.they would be guilty of treason too wouldnt they..
And were not the Manhatten project scientists and families hidden away in a secret facility in los alamos?
Was that reason enough to invade the US?

I don't recall any US scientist families getting fake "Death notices" from the Gov't.

[ra]

But if US nuclear scientists gave away state secrets.they would be guilty of treason too wouldnt they..

Pongo, Hussein has agreed to live by UN sanctions which do not allow Iraq to have state secrets when it comes to WMD.

ra