Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Ripsnort on February 21, 2003, 10:45:17 AM
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/18/iraq/main537096.shtml
Seems the US Gov't might be trying to pull a fast one?
Discuss...
CBS) While diplomatic maneuvering continues
over Turkish bases and a new United Nations
resolution, inside Iraq, U.N. arms inspectors are
privately complaining about the quality of U.S.
intelligence and accusing the United States of
sending them on wild-goose chases.
CBS News Correspondent Mark Phillips
reports the U.N. has been taking a precise
inventory of Iraq's al-Samoud 2 missile arsenal,
determining how many there are and where
they are.
Discovering that the al-Samoud 2 has been
flying too far in tests has been one of the
inspectors' major successes. But the missile
has only been exceeding its 93-mile limit by
about 15 miles and that, the Iraqis say, is
because it isn't yet loaded down with its
guidance system. The al-Samoud 2 is not the
800-mile-plus range missile that Secretary of
State Colin Powell insists Iraq is developing.
In fact, the U.S. claim that Iraq is developing
missiles that could hit its neighbors – or U.S.
troops in the region, or even Israel – is just one
of the claims coming from Washington that
inspectors here are finding increasingly
unbelievable. The inspectors have become so
frustrated trying to chase down unspecific or
ambiguous U.S. leads that they've begun to
express that anger privately in no uncertain
terms.
U.N. sources have told CBS News that
American tips have lead to one dead end after
another.
Example: satellite photographs purporting to
show new research buildings at Iraqi nuclear
sites. When the U.N. went into the new buildings
they found "nothing."
Example: Saddam's presidential palaces, where
the inspectors went with specific coordinates
supplied by the U.S. on where to look for
incriminating evidence. Again, they found
"nothing."
Example: Interviews with scientists about the
aluminum tubes the U.S. says Iraq has imported
for enriching uranium, but which the Iraqis say
are for making rockets. Given the size and
specification of the tubes, the U.N. calls the
"Iraqi alibi air tight."
The inspectors do acknowledge, however, that
they would not be here at all if not for the threat
of U.S. military action.
So frustrated have the inspectors become that
one source has referred to the U.S. intelligence
they've been getting as "garbage after garbage
after garbage." In fact, Phillips says the source
used another cruder word. The inspectors find
themselves caught between the Iraqis, who are
masters at the weapons-hiding shell game, and
the United States, whose intelligence they've
found to be circumstantial, outdated or just plain
wrong.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Britain are planning to
present a new resolution to the U.N. Security
Council on Monday in a bid for support to use
force to disarm Iraq.
Finishing touches were being put on the
resolution on Thursday. Adoption is by no
means assured. A majority of the 15 council
members are opposed to war at least until U.N.
weapons inspectors report in mid-March.
Secretary Powell said a headcount was
"academic" because the resolution demanding
Iraqi disarmament had not been put forward.
Powell, who flies to Japan on Friday for the start of a five-day Asia trip, juggled
resolution diplomacy with stressful negotiations with Turkey, a potential key ally in any
war.
Turkey is balking at U.S. terms for an economic aid package. Powell, who interceded
on Wednesday with Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, said he had told the Turkish leader
"our position was firm with respect to the kind of assistance we could provide."
However, Powell said, "there may be some other creative things we can do."
As for the expected U.N. resolution, the Bush administration sees little value in
extending inspections and much to worry about in Iraq's connection to al Qaeda and
other terror groups.
One U.S. official said the projected day for presenting the resolution was Monday but
that it could slip a day or two.
Powell said, "We won't put a resolution down unless we intend to fight for the
resolution, unless we believe we can make the case that it is appropriate."
In Baghdad, meanwhile, Iraq allowed another flight by an American U-2 surveillance
plane Thursday as President Saddam Hussein's government sought to convince the
world that it is cooperating with the weapons inspectors.
In New York, a U.N. spokesman said Iraq also had submitted a list of people involved
in the destruction of banned weapons — a key demand by chief weapons inspector
Hans Blix.
It was the second flight this week by a U-2 in support of the U.N. inspection program.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the plane spent six hours and 20 minutes over Iraq's
territory, searching for evidence of banned weapons.
In regard to the possible basing of U.S. troops in Turkey, Gul said in Ankara that a
statement would be made on Friday. He did not elaborate.
Powell did not elaborate on the refinements under consideration, but another U.S.
official said one approach might be to seek a $1 billion congressional appropriation
that would then permit Turkey to obtain loans at preferential U.S.-government rates for
many times that amount.
Ships carrying equipment for a U.S. infantry division are already at sea. The United
States wants to base tens of thousands of soldiers in Turkey to open a possible
northern front against Iraq.
The dispute with Turkey is one of many problems the Bush administration has as it
tries to line up support for an attack on Iraq if Saddam doesn't disarm quickly.
Implying the United States might deploy troops elsewhere if terms could not be
reached with Turkey, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said "we have to deal
with realities, and we will."
Meanwhile, President Bush sought to keep the pressure on the Security Council,
telling a suburban Atlanta audience, "Denial and endless delay in the face of growing
danger is not an option."
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In all honesty, I skimmed the article, didnt read it - but am I correct in getting the jist that now the failure of UN weapon inspectors to find anything lies not with Saddam's cat and mouse games, but with the US sending inspectors on a "wild goose chase?"
Thats rich.
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Originally posted by Saurdaukar
In all honesty, I skimmed the article, didnt read it - but am I correct in getting the jist that now the failure of UN weapon inspectors to find anything lies not with Saddam's cat and mouse games, but with the US sending inspectors on a "wild goose chase?"
Thats rich.
My sentiments, exactly. There may have been some flawed intel from our boys in the field or th spy labs, but the burden of responsibility for this whole mess rests squarely on the shoulders of Hussein.:mad:
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Definitely CYA mode for the inspectors.