Satellite Photos Support Testimony That Iraqi WMD Went to Syria

[cavegal]

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/satellite-photos-support-testimony-that-iraqi-wmd-went-to-syria/?singlepage=true 

Ha’aretz has revived  the mystery surrounding the inability to find weapons of mass destruction stockpiles in Iraq, the most commonly cited justification for Operation Iraqi Freedom and one of the most embarrassing episodes for the United States. Satellite photos of a suspicious site in Syria are providing new support for the reporting of a Syrian journalist who briefly rocked the world with his reporting that Iraq’s WMD had been sent to three sites in Syria just before the invasion commenced.

The newspaper reveals that a 200 square-kilometer area in northwestern Syria has been photographed by satellites at the request of a Western intelligence agency at least 16 times, the most recent being taken in January. The site is near Masyaf, and it has at least five installations and hidden paths leading underneath the mountains. This supports the reporting of Nizar Nayouf, an award-winning Syrian journalist who said in 2004 that his sources confirmed that Saddam Hussein’s WMDs were in Syria.

One of the three specific sites he mentioned was an underground base underneath Al-Baida, which is one kilometer south of Masyaf. This is a perfect match. The suspicious features in the photos and the fact that a Western intelligence agency is so interested in the site support Nayouf’s reporting, showing that his sources in Syria did indeed have access to specific information about secret activity that is likely WMD-related. Richard Radcliffe, one of my co-writers at WorldThreats.com, noticed that Masyaf is located on a road that goes from Hamah, where there is an airfield sufficient to handle relatively large aircraft, into Lebanon and the western side of the Bekaa Valley, another location said to house Iraqi weapons.

It seems to be commonly accepted that Iraq did not have WMDs at all. The intelligence was obv

I have always thought Saddam had at least chemical weapons why else would all his troops have had all the gear that was found in the bunkers?

[BlueStateSaint]

I've heard that some were buried out in the Iraqi desert by different units of Iraqi Army soldiers, then the soldiers were executed, so that the weapons' locations would never be revealed.

[cavegal]

I've heard that some were buried out in the Iraqi desert by different units of Iraqi Army soldiers, then the soldiers were executed, so that the weapons' locations would never be revealed.

this whole issue was strange. All country's said he had them then Bush got the brunt of it when they "didn't find" them... I still think they are out there!

[rich_t]

Shortly before we went back into Iraq I recall seeing surveillance photos of convoys of trucks heading into Syria.

I always figure they had chem weapons in them.

[cavegal]

Shortly before we went back into Iraq I recall seeing surveillance photos of convoys of trucks heading into Syria.

I always figure they had chem weapons in them.

You know they did!!!! I never understood why the Bush people did not defend themselves better?

[DumbAss Tanker]

I guess they figured they had ridden that horse as far as they could, unless they came up with a smoking gun, and they never really did. 

Saddam had a lot of known chemical weapons and capability that have never been accounted for, for sure.  However I am a lot more skeptical about the bio weapons and nuclear programs Colin Powell was so hot about, there was almost no hard evidence on either one of a current, serious program.  My personal opinion is that Saddam thought he had those programs going, and was giving a lot of black money to one or more of his lieutenants to run them, but half or more of the operating cash went into personal Swiss and Lebanese bank accounts while they gave Saddam glowing reports of their progress. 

[rich_t]

I guess they figured they had ridden that horse as far as they could, unless they came up with a smoking gun, and they never really did. 

Saddam had a lot of known chemical weapons and capability that have never been accounted for, for sure.  However I am a lot more skeptical about the bio weapons and nuclear programs Colin Powell was so hot about, there was almost no hard evidence on either one of a current, serious program.  My personal opinion is that Saddam thought he had those programs going, and was giving a lot of black money to one or more of his lieutenants to run them, but half or more of the operating cash went into personal Swiss and Lebanese bank accounts while they gave Saddam glowing reports of their progress. 

Quite possible.

[cavegal]

I guess they figured they had ridden that horse as far as they could, unless they came up with a smoking gun, and they never really did. 

Saddam had a lot of known chemical weapons and capability that have never been accounted for, for sure.  However I am a lot more skeptical about the bio weapons and nuclear programs Colin Powell was so hot about, there was almost no hard evidence on either one of a current, serious program.  My personal opinion is that Saddam thought he had those programs going, and was giving a lot of black money to one or more of his lieutenants to run them, but half or more of the operating cash went into personal Swiss and Lebanese bank accounts while they gave Saddam glowing reports of their progress. 

This makes sense to me now .. He could have "thought" it.

[Thor]

Oh hell, this ain't nothing new. I said that Saddam's WMDs went to Syria shortly after the war started and we found all of those chem/ bio suits. But, NOOOOooooooooooooooooo, I was just a simple minded Bush-bot. 

[BohemianMonk]

This has always bothered me. I can remember a story before we went into Iraq that Saddam had move most of his Chem weapons into Syria. The Israeli's has rock solid intel and yet it was ignored and Bush condemned for not finding WMD's. Which in itself was a lie to begin with we found many. But why has this always been ignored? Syria could be sitting on some serious stuff.

[bkg]

If you've ever had a deep conversation with a serviceman who was there, you'll know WMD's were found, but it never reported. The last one I talked with (on a plane) said there is good evidence of most of them moving to Syria.

[Gratiot]

I guess they figured they had ridden that horse as far as they could, unless they came up with a smoking gun, and they never really did. 

Saddam had a lot of known chemical weapons and capability that have never been accounted for, for sure.  However I am a lot more skeptical about the bio weapons and nuclear programs Colin Powell was so hot about, there was almost no hard evidence on either one of a current, serious program.  My personal opinion is that Saddam thought he had those programs going, and was giving a lot of black money to one or more of his lieutenants to run them, but half or more of the operating cash went into personal Swiss and Lebanese bank accounts while they gave Saddam glowing reports of their progress.

I'm fairly well in agreement.  As for any photo's stirring up the old controversy, Colin Powell's photo proof flop shown to the UN during the initial mobilization of support for Desert Storm has permanently eroded any credibility a mere photo could offer now.