Does anyone know anything about the three ships that were supposed to be sailing around the world with all of Saddam’s goodies on board? it was mentioned in the press for a couple of days last week but nothing since. Were they just an American invention to try and gain support for the war? Or, if they are really carrying Saddam’s WMD, where are they now and what is being done about them?
Regards,
kev35
By: Primer55 - 1st March 2003 at 17:06
In my opinion, they are having some fun in Rio de Janeiro (yep, carnival began yesterday).
Regards,
Primer
By: kev35 - 28th February 2003 at 23:49
It was reported in the Uk press and on tv news. These ships have supposed to have been roaming around for three months maintaining radio silence and breaking international law. Supposed to be refuelling only in Countries sympathetic to Iraq. Spending most of their time in the Indian Ocean. The news disappeared as quick as it appeared. All very strange.
Regards,
kev35
By: Jonesy - 28th February 2003 at 22:49
Shipborne WMD’s
Kev,
I’m afraid I’ve not heard anything about the whole mess being embarked and despatchd to roam the seven seas but it doesnt sound all that plausible to me really.
Immediately the problem any ship departing from Iraq faces is the US 5th fleet and all the NATO Op Enduring Freedom, Op Resinate and UNSCR 665 tasked ships of up to 13 different nations! Thats even before they get to the Hormuz strait and really get boxed in!.
Even if, by some utter miracle, they did manage to break out into the Gulf of Oman theyre then faced with only quite limited choices. Heading due south gets them lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean which isnt too bad – except for the problem that the IO gets rougher the further south you go. I wouldnt fancy sitting in a ship loaded with VX if it was bouncing up and down in a heavy chop. Personally I’d want to stay in the most sheltered waters possible and try and hide-in-the-crowd.
The wolf-in-the-herd option gives me problems too though. If I head East with the main commercial traffic to SE Asia I run the risk of being spotted at the Malacca Strait chokepoint and I run a gamble of piracy attack if I deviate too far from the shipping lanes.
If, instead, I head West though and try and get into the Med and Atlantic I run the chokepoint at the Red Sea entry in the Mandeb Strait, then Suez and then Gibraltar – IF I get past NATO SNFM patrols in the Eastern Med.
If I try to go South Westerly from the Gulf of Oman and try to stay in to the East African coastline I run right into one of the most dangeous patches of water, in piracy terms, on the planet off the coast of Somalia as far out as the Seychelles. Again I wouldnt like to try that with a cargo of nerve gas in case some Somali pirate manages to hand-crank enough shots out of his WW2 vintage 20mm Oerlikon to “disturb” whats in the hold.
Interesting post though Kev. I’ll try and see if I can find out anything “official” thats been mentioned about what you saw.
Regards,
Steve
By: kev35 - 28th February 2003 at 21:07
Coanda,
you’re right. We have to assume one of two things. It never really happened and someone got carried away with their story, or, it’s still happening now and the powers that be are too afraid to reveal what’s going on.
Regards,
kev35
By: coanda - 28th February 2003 at 19:11
hmmmmmmmmmmm
hmmm very mysterious………….media screw up? dropped upon somthing they shouldnt?
who knows……
nobody who’s telling!
coanda
By: kev35 - 28th February 2003 at 18:59
Hi, Coanda.
It was all over the press and tv for about a day and a half last week and then…. nothing. I did a search the other day and nothing is coming up other than people asking what happened to these three ships.
Regards,
kev35
By: coanda - 28th February 2003 at 18:47
very interesting kev, where’dya hear about this??
coanda
Sign In
February 24, 2003 at 9:16 pm