More indications that the Schroeder government has chosen to ignore the evidence of Iraqi WMD capabilities. This report is from the forthcoming Der Spiegel. I translate:
Even before the beginning of the current crisis the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) obtained evidence that Iraq possessed rolling laboratories for bio-weapons production. According to reliable classified sources, Saddam Hussein ordered the mobile facilities built as recently as 2000.
Hamburg -- The BND reported their suspicions to both the Chancellor's office and the Bundestag foreign affairs committee several months ago. US Secretary of State Colin Powell showed pictures of this type of rolling laboratory to the Security Council three weeks ago.
The Chancellor's office considers it extremely unlikely that the suspected poison labs are connected with the Iveco truck-based toxicological labs that were sold to Iraq in the 1980s with the official approval of the German government. Although the truck laboratories were provided by a German company that was later suspected of assisting Iraq in poison gas production, those facilities were considered to be unsuitable for production.
The German trucks would have been used to test whether Saddam's troops could safely advance into an area following a poison gas attack.
Bonus points if you can name the Arab country that used poison gas on the civilians of a different Arab country.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 22, 2003 03:18 PMGott in Himmel!!!!!!!!!!
(When will they ever learn?)
Iraq against the Kurds
Germany against the Jews and other "problem"( there words not mine) minorities in the camps.
America against religious minority(Waco intentionally toxic level tear gas)
Russia used poisonous knock out gas on Chechnyan terrorist and there own people(Moscow)
Russian flooded some cave systems with poisonous chlorine gas against Mujahaden(spelling bad sorry)
while fighting in that
Uncomfirmed reports of poison sprays used against hilltribes in the indoChinese theater after the US withdraw in mid 70's
Egypt against Yemenis in the early '60s.
Posted by: carter on February 22, 2003 05:59 PMThe answer, of course, is Egypt under Nasser. Egypt's Nasser employed poison gas in Yemen during the 1960s, in his effort to subdue tribes in that country who were alligned with Saudi Arabia. Nasser's venture in Yemen was part of his strategy to expand Egypt's influence throughout the Arab world, hoping -- much like Saddam -- to impose his will under the rubric of Arab nationalism. Of course Israel took notice of the fact that Nasser used poison gas on other Arabs, and many in Israel's military expected a poison gas attack in the 1967 war. It never happened, quite possibly because of Israel's quick destruction of Egypt's air force and army.
Posted by: Jerry on February 22, 2003 06:04 PMRing, ring.
Ya?
Hallo Gerhardt, this is Saddam.
Vat is it now?
I need one of those new Krupps microwave ovens as soon as possible.
Er, ya. Zey haff so many models. Vich von do you vant?
The one that seats 40.
Iraq against Iran? During the last Gulf War, I interviewed Iranian mustard gas victims who are still confined to a German hospital as a result of the Iraq/Iran conflict. Their lungs are so fried that they can't even walk.
Posted by: Melissa on February 22, 2003 08:02 PMRegardless of what the Nasserite regime did, Mr. Sharkansky is obviosly referring to Iraq's use of chemical weapons in its war with Iran.
Though Iran has an Arab minority, it cannot be called an Arab country any more than Turkey (or France for that matter).
Posted by: Douglas on February 22, 2003 08:53 PMUmmmmm...Aren't most Iranians Persian? And Iran know as a Persian country?
So the answers would be Germany, Iraq, Russia, Russia, maybe China, and Egypt, huh?
(And sorry branch davidians are not ethnic minorities. Though an argument could be made for religious persecution, was the intent to kill?)
Well. What do these countries share. I think the answer is that they all share a particular part of the American psyche. By adding just a few more countries (North Korea, Vietnam, etc.) and you would cover every Enemy of every GOOD vs EVIL war movie of modern times.
Maybe the American mind (fermented as it is in the vast array of cultural experience) are uniquily suited to recognize the inherent evil of the civilized world. While we often lack action, and maybe cognizant recognition,
our hearts remember.
Actually, Douglas, Mr. Sharkansky knows full well that Iran is not an Arab country. He was indeed referring to what Egypt did to the Yemenis in the 1960s.
Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on February 22, 2003 11:53 PMOnly two countries in the 20th century used poison gas on their own ethnic minorities
Saddam didn't own the Kurds any more than Hitler owned the Jews. "Their own" is not a proper phrase, it's wrong to say that ethnic minorities belong to the leader of the government.
Posted by: Michael Levy on February 23, 2003 02:34 AMThe Egyptians used IL-28's to drop mustard gas on the Yemens. Not much is seen of it but the Iraqi's dropped bombs from TU-16's on their own people in the north during 1977 and 1978. Saddam is a real thug.
Posted by: Don on February 23, 2003 06:27 AMOnly two countries in the 20th century used poison gas on their own ethnic minorities.
Aside from Saddam's gassing of the Iraqi Kurds, Stefan, who's the other country you're referring to here?
Friedbert Pflueger seems to know about this:
http://www.tolstoy.com/lonewacko/blog/archives/000254.html
Posted by: Lonewacko on February 23, 2003 11:56 AMMichael, 'their own' in that context doesn't imply ownership at all.
Posted by: LuminaT on February 23, 2003 01:22 PMHi all:
Kurds aren't Arabs but Indoeuropeans.
IL-48 from the Russian side? The bomber of 1940's fame?
Posted by: DPW on February 23, 2003 03:07 PMHaggai: The poison gas I'm thinking of was called Zyklon B...
Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on February 24, 2003 11:53 AMWell, yeah, I guess that qualifies. Largely used against an ethnic minority in conquered territories beyond the country's border, in that case.
Posted by: Haggai on February 24, 2003 12:26 PM