http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/2/230625.shtml
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Moscow Moved Weapons to Syria and Lebanon
According to a former top Bush administration official, Russian special forces teams moved weapons of mass destruction out of Iraq to Syria.
“I am absolutely sure that Russian Spetsnatz units moved WMD out of Iraq before the war,” stated John Shaw, the former deputy undersecretary for international technology security.
According to Shaw, Russian units hid Saddam’s arsenal inside Syria and in Lebanon’s Bekka valley.
“While in Iraq I uncovered detailed information that Spetsnatz units shredded records and moved all WMD and specified advanced munitions out of Iraq to Syria and Lebanon,” stated Shaw during an exclusive interview.
“I received information from several sources naming the exact Russian units, what they took and where they took both WMD materials and conventional explosives. Moscow made a 2001 agreement with Saddam Hussein to clear up all Russian involvement in WMD systems in Iraq,” stated Shaw.
Shaw’s assertions match the information provided by U.S. military forces that satellite surveillance showed extensive large-vehicle traffic crossing the Syrian border prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Moscow Paranoid About WMD
Shaw’s information also backs allegations by a wide variety of sources of Russia’s direct involvement in Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program. One U.N. bioterrorism expert announced that Russia has been Iraq’s “main supplier of the materials and know-how to weaponize anthrax, botulism and smallpox.”
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Robert Goldberg cited former U.N. weapons inspector Richard Spertzel, who stated that Moscow supplied Baghdad with fermentation equipment to produce biotoxins.
According to Spertzel, the Russians on the U.N. inspection team in Iraq were “paranoid” about his efforts to uncover smallpox production.
Goldberg noted that no country has “done more to rebuild” Saddam’s chemical and biological weapons programs or “been more aggressive in helping hide the truth” than Russia.
It is a fact that Saddam Hussein rose to power backed by Russian weapons and Russian money. Saddam was in debt to Moscow for over $8 billion for the arms he purchased from Russia when he was captured by U.S. forces.
The primary Iraqi chemical weapons were VX nerve gas and mustard gas, a blistering agent, both obtained from Russia.
According to the book “Russian Military Power,” published in 1982, “It is known that the Soviets maintain stocks of CW (chemical weapons) agents.”
The two primary Russian chemical weapons in the 1982 Soviet inventory were the nerve agent “VX” and “blistering agents – developments of mustard gas used so effectively in World War I.”
Russian Chemical Weapons in Iraq
Iraq did most of its WMD killing using Russian-made MiG and Sukhoi aircraft equipped with chemical sprayers. In addition, Saddam used French-made artillery and helicopters to dump gas on Iranian troops and Iraqi Kurds.
Iraq obtained Russian delivery systems and the same inventory of Russian-made chemical weapons at the same time. Iraqi SU-22 Fitter attack jets were armed with Warsaw Pact-designed bombs filled with chemical weapons. Iraq used these Russian jet fighters to drop chemical weapons on Iranian troops during the Iran-Iraq war.
Iraq tried to use these SU-22 jets during the 1991 Gulf War, but they were detected and destroyed on the ground before they could launch a deadly chemical attack.
Other Russian weapons found with chemical weapons include the FROG-7 missile, 122 mm rockets, 152 mm artillery and the M-1937 82 mm mortars. All the Iraqi artillery missiles, rockets, shells and mortar rounds filled with chemical weapons are of Russian design.
Iraqi forces were trained by Russians in the use of chemical weapons and equipped by Russia with anti-chemical suits. The Iraqi armed forces were trained, equipped and supplied with the proper logistics to perform chemical warfare by Russia.
Lebanon and Syria
The arming of Iraq with such weapons has a direct impact on events today in the Middle East. The presence of former Iraqi WMD systems in Lebanon raises serious questions surrounding the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Many blame Syria for Hariri’s murder.
However, the possibility that Hariri discovered the location of the Iraqi WMD systems inside his country lends some credible backing to a Syrian assassination effort to silence him.
In addition, the sudden sale of advanced missile and other weapons to Damascus by Moscow also supports the allegation that Syria is hiding something for Russia.
Russian weapons makers have previously insisted on hard, cold cash payments for their missiles, especially after the fall of Saddam and the collapse of credit deals done with Baghdad. More importantly, the Syrian economy is in bad shape, making it difficult for Damascus to come up with the required money for advanced Russian weapons.
Instead, it now appears that Moscow has extended both very good terms and no down payment required to Syria for an extensive purchase of advanced missiles and weapons. This is in contrast to weapons sales to other “good” Russian customers such as China, which can afford to pay up front for weapon systems.
CIA Failed
There is no question that the Russian effort to remove Iraqi WMD systems was the most successful intelligence operation of the 21st century. The Russians were able to move hundreds of tons of chemical, biological and nuclear materials without being discovered by CIA satellites or NSA radio listening posts.
“There is a clear sense on how effective they were,” noted Shaw.
“The fact that the CIA did not know shows just how successful the Russian operation was,” he concluded.
By: alexz33 - 9th April 2005 at 22:50
It’s simply amazing that peple will post anything and everything no matter how
idiotic or stupid it sounds.
1) Well Iraq was proamerican before the gulf war “
2) Those paranoid americans are getting boring
3) the right leaning media exaggerates anything (i.e American media is right leaning)
And the winner: the guy who asked
Why does everybody call USSR the IRon curtain the satan etc.?
Do you people ever leave the basement?
By: Wanshan - 3rd April 2005 at 10:54
I would say Sweden
and other smaller countries, like Norway and The Netherlands.
By: Arthur - 2nd April 2005 at 17:43
Watch it Svyatogor.
By: Svyatogor - 1st April 2005 at 17:42
Yes, they have changed.. Germany is a totally tamed lion, without teeth. They enjoy a pretty high technological and knowledge level, but what do they mean in the world today? Nothing. Their influence is minimal, the train for global players has escaped. Germany has become way too social, die Gewerkschaften enjoy senselessly great influence on everything, you cannot even fire an employee who is laughing and spitting into your face and doing nothing. With stagnating industry, increasing unemployment level, Gewerkschaften screaming for even less working time and expensive Euro, Germany is rolling down a hill. Pretty sad for a so-said leader of the EU.
Not only Germany, but the whole of Europe. France and Germany the so-called EU leaders are nothing but two pathetic nations run by governments without balls. They generally criticize the Bush administration, but start the asskissing as soon as Bush or a Bush administration delegate pays them a visit. The most pressure is being put on the Germans by the Israelis/Jews. Germany is cut-off from world politics because of their past, and this won’t change in the near future.
By: Meat - 1st April 2005 at 00:48
I’m likely the biggest American flag waver on this board, but even I doubt this story is true. First of all, Newsmax isn’t exactly a top-notch journalistic outfit. But mainly, the simple fact is that US (and UK) intelligence was wrong on this issue. The WMD, while almost universally believed to be there in the 90’s, was gone by 2003, either destroyed, or “expired,” as an earlier poster put it.
By: glitter - 25th March 2005 at 08:55
Which country in Europe has found the optimum balance between socialism and capitalism, is it UK or some other country.
I would say Sweden
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd March 2005 at 00:53
LOL, if you fail, blame it on the Russians.
Well said.
watch out :diablo:
By: fft - 22nd March 2005 at 15:01
Yes, they have changed.. Germany is a totally tamed lion, without teeth. They enjoy a pretty high technological and knowledge level , but what do they mean in the world today? Nothing. Their influence is minimal, the train for global players has escaped. Germany has become way too social, die Gewerkschaften enjoy senselessly great influence on everything, you cannot even fire an employee who is laughing and spitting into your face and doing nothing. With stagnating industry, increasing unemployment level, Gewerkschaften screaming for even less working time and expensive Euro, Germany is rolling down a hill. Pretty sad for a so-said leader of the EU.
Whilst Germans are probably world leader in metallurgy (don’t know about the composites) and Mechanical Engineering stuff, why they lag behind US in electronics. It seems to me that the overwhelming edge US has over the rest of the world is it’s mastery of electronics.
Which country in Europe has found the optimum balance between socialism and capitalism, is it UK or some other country.
By: Arabella-Cox - 22nd March 2005 at 14:39
LOL, if you fail, blame it on the Russians.
Paranoid bullsh.t spread by paranoid administration of a paranoid-gone state.
Well said.
By: Charlie Echo - 22nd March 2005 at 00:04
With stagnating industry, increasing unemployment level, Gewerkschaften screaming for even less working time and expensive Euro, Germany is rolling down a hill. Pretty sad for a so-said leader of the EU.
That’s pretty dangerous, if you recall the Republic of Weimar, isn’t it? :diablo:
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st March 2005 at 13:26
After 1945 Germany changed totally. 😉
Yes, they have changed.. Germany is a totally tamed lion, without teeth. They enjoy a pretty high technological and knowledge level, but what do they mean in the world today? Nothing. Their influence is minimal, the train for global players has escaped. Germany has become way too social, die Gewerkschaften enjoy senselessly great influence on everything, you cannot even fire an employee who is laughing and spitting into your face and doing nothing. With stagnating industry, increasing unemployment level, Gewerkschaften screaming for even less working time and expensive Euro, Germany is rolling down a hill. Pretty sad for a so-said leader of the EU.
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st March 2005 at 13:03
Stop your agitprop or learn history! Germany #1 – BS! 😡
I am not proud about that.
WW I : Most losses in France, Belgium (UK-troops, US-troops) Russia, Serbia were forced by German-troops not counting the own losses by that.
WW II : The SU suffered 28 million dead alone (incl. murdered Jews from SU), to this we have to add the losses from Poland, France, Belgium, UK, US-troops and many more countries not counting in the own losses of Germany. This gives 50+ million dead alone and includes 10 million German losses too from both wars.
Even if we agree, that WW I was not triggered by Germany alone, the 40+ million dead from WW II are still enough to be # 1 in the last century.
After 1945 Germany changed totally. 😉
By: Arabella-Cox - 21st March 2005 at 10:05
Why does everybody call USSR the IRon curtain the satan etc. Please count the number of persons killed by a country and i am sure everybody knows which country will be on top. The list of killers. Every nation has killed people, its own and others. One should try to make a list. It should not matter if the nation killed them in a war or by mistake bombed an other countries embassy on blowm a Civilian plane or killed its own citizens. Can anybody make a Guess 😡 😡 😡
The amount of brutality is equal to the amount of anarchic freedom the leadership gives to its *soldiers*. Germans slaughtered many Jews during the WWII, but not because they were any worse than the others, but because they had a chance and free hands. Do you really think Arabs would be less efficient in this if they could? Or Yanks against Iraqis? Or Russians against Chinese? Or Japs against Americans? Or Hutu against Tutsi? Or local Sudanese tribes against each other?
Any excessive patriotism, nationalism and/or racism leads to the very same target. The whole mankind is crazy, live with it.
By: Distiller - 21st March 2005 at 09:52
Germany No1, Russia No2, Japan No3 (last Century alone)
Stop your agitprop or learn history! Germany #1 – BS! 😡
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th March 2005 at 23:03
Maybe that article is a fake. There are always some people to find to give first hand informations. The USA did not manage to find a few of that after two years.
So for me it looks like spreading some rumors.
For Syria did change nothing by that. Producing WMDs for years with help from several countries. None can distinguish that from “former” “Iraqi-ones”. No risc for Syria by that.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/syria/index.html
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th March 2005 at 22:49
Why does everybody call USSR the IRon curtain the satan etc. Please count the number of persons killed by a country and i am sure everybody knows which country will be on top. The list of killers. Every nation has killed people, its own and others. One should try to make a list. It should not matter if the nation killed them in a war or by mistake bombed an other countries embassy on blowm a Civilian plane or killed its own citizens. Can anybody make a Guess 😡 😡 😡
Germany No1, Russia No2, Japan No3 (last Century alone)
By: Arabella-Cox - 18th March 2005 at 08:16
Why does everybody call USSR the IRon curtain the satan etc. Please count the number of persons killed by a country and i am sure everybody knows which country will be on top. The list of killers. Every nation has killed people, its own and others. One should try to make a list. It should not matter if the nation killed them in a war or by mistake bombed an other countries embassy on blowm a Civilian plane or killed its own citizens. Can anybody make a Guess 😡 😡 😡
That’s pretty easy right…just counting how many defenseless Jews the German slaughtered in WWII and that’s already pretty tough to beat. Then you have the numbers of people died under Stalin. And then the massive casualties caused by Germany and Russians against each other in WWII. Then you can count the rest….pretty much says it all…EUROPEANS. :rolleyes:
By: F-18 Hamburger - 18th March 2005 at 02:01
It is unlikely, even if Syria did have it, most of the WMD’s Iraq is accused of having, would’ve expired by now. Chemicals such as Sarin do not have a very long shelf life.
As for Newsmax..I hate to say it but American media is a joke.. the right leaning media exaggerates anything, frames who is an enemy then also exagerates on their evilness, and is over apologetic to their rooting party.
While the left leaning media looks for every single flaw and also exaggerates it and makes a big deal over nothing whle at the same time compromises everything by maintaining an over PC mentality.
By: legolas - 17th March 2005 at 22:21
I doubt Iran was ever pro-USSR. After the revolution they had to turn to the small satan for weapons. That doesn’t necessarily mean they buddied up.
Why does everybody call USSR the IRon curtain the satan etc. Please count the number of persons killed by a country and i am sure everybody knows which country will be on top. The list of killers. Every nation has killed people, its own and others. One should try to make a list. It should not matter if the nation killed them in a war or by mistake bombed an other countries embassy on blowm a Civilian plane or killed its own citizens. Can anybody make a Guess 😡 😡 😡
By: Wanshan - 17th March 2005 at 19:10
I doubt Iran was ever pro-USSR. After the revolution they had to turn to the small satan for weapons. That doesn’t necessarily mean they buddied up.
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March 14, 2005 at 6:26 pm