Monday
(0)Blix buried a rather critical item deep in his report. He has confirmed Iraq has drone aircraft, probably of the long range stated by Powell.
"Recent inspections have also revealed the existence of a drone with a wingspan of 7.45m that has not been declared by Iraq," the report said. "Officials at the inspection site stated that the drone had been test-flown. Further investigation is required to establish the actual specifications and capabilities of these RPV drones . . . (they) are restricted by the same UN rules as missiles, which limit their range to 150km (92.6 miles)."
They have the ability to use them to spray chemical and bio agents.
In another section of the declassified report, the inspectors give warning that Iraq still has spraying devices and drop tanks that could be used in dispersing chemical and biological agents from aircraft. "A large number of drop tanks of various types, both imported and locally manufactured, are available and could be modified," it says.
Confirmation of this kit is really bad news even though we suspected it might be true. In the sense we now know they really do exist, it gives credence to worries such might be used for attack against cities inside the US as well as against advancing troops in Iraq.
PS: Here is another one. And yet another.
There is more that Blix wasn't telling us about. A "new kind of bomb in Iraq that could be filled with chemical or biological agents (and) strewn over populated areas...
So glad Blix is on the job.
Posted by Wayne Lutz (The Tocquevillian Magazine) at March 11, 2003 12:39 AM
Yes, some of the other pointers below the article go to the Times On Line where that was discussed as well.
Posted by Dale Amon at March 11, 2003 01:44 AM
I really had thought Blix was at least being fair before. It was an impossible task he was assigned to do, but at least he was trying to be objective. Not anymore.
Posted by Court at March 11, 2003 02:34 AM
I'm exhausted.
How much longer do we put up with these games?
Posted by Dean Esmay at March 11, 2003 07:19 AM
el baradi (sp) says no biggie, they declared the drones a while ago.
If you can't trust him, who can you trust???
Posted by Sandy P. at March 11, 2003 07:56 AM
Oh, yeah, and this report was not supposed to be for general consumption, but someone got ahold of a copy on a NYC street corner.
This is getting "curioser and curioser."
Posted by Sandy P. at March 11, 2003 08:00 AM
I understand that report is declassified and would like to get my hands on it.
When, where and how can one find it?
Posted by Elizabeth at March 11, 2003 06:26 PM
I know the term "kit" is used differently in the UK. But I read that post and thought Saddam was producing these drones in kit form for terrorists to dispense bio-chem agents on the west.
Posted by Kevin Connors at March 11, 2003 09:43 PM
