Thursday, March 13, 2003 11:30 a.m. EST
Safire: France Building Saddam's Missiles
Saddam Hussein went to France, by way of China and Syria, and got the parts for his long-range ballistic missiles.
No, not the ridiculous "Al Samoud" missiles, whose name sounds like a bad Americanization of a Muslim one ("Do you know Al? Al Samoud?").
We're talking about the missiles to which Saddam himself alluded when he said that destruction of the Al Samoud 2s was not of consequence. He said that Iraq had other ways to protect itself.
Indeed it does.
William Safire, writing in today's NY Times, tells us that Qilu Chemicals, a leading manufacturer of a clear liquid rubber named hydroxy terminated polybutadiene, known in the advanced-rocket industry as HTPB, sold the substance to a French middleman, CIS Paris, which Safire describes as "a Parisian broker that is active in dealings of many kinds with Baghdad."
Safire writes that the CIS director "is familiar with the order but denies being the agent," so we know the order took place.
But the U.N., which France is trying to use as a leash on the U.S., has to specifically approve such a transaction with Iraq.
Well, France and Iraq can't be bothered with that, so they had the shipment sent from China to Syria, which has been said to be hiding Saddam's weapons, to be received by yet another company that acts for the Iraqi missile industry.
The rocket fuel was then simply trucked across the very long border Syria shares with Iraq, and no one was the wiser.
Until now.
Safire continued:
I'm also told that a contract was signed last April in Paris for five tons of 99% unsymmetric dimethylhydrazine, another advanced missile fuel, which is produced by France's Société Nationale des Poudre et Explosifs.
"In addition, Iraqi attempts to buy an oxidizer for solid propellant missiles, ammonium perchlorate, were successful, at least on paper. Both chemicals, like HTPB, require explicit approval by the U.N. Sanctions Committee before they can be sold to Iraq.
Which they were not.
Safire suggests that perhaps the U.N. inspectors, under whose "watchful eyes" all this has occurred, look at Iraq's El Sirat trading company and its affiliate, the Gudia Bureau, with respect to these dealings.
But they won't.
Hans Blix was put into power by the very nations that now oppose the U.S. at the U.N., and he is not about to bite the hand that feeds him.
Meanwhile, France is actively arming Saddam and apparently trying to create a situation where Saddam will have the ability to pile up U.S. and British bodybags should we invade.
Just why is France on the Security Council? The only country to which it provides security is apparently Iraq.
Urgent: Support America - Boycott Cowardly France! Click Here now.
Safire: France Building Saddam's Missiles
Saddam Hussein went to France, by way of China and Syria, and got the parts for his long-range ballistic missiles.
No, not the ridiculous "Al Samoud" missiles, whose name sounds like a bad Americanization of a Muslim one ("Do you know Al? Al Samoud?").
We're talking about the missiles to which Saddam himself alluded when he said that destruction of the Al Samoud 2s was not of consequence. He said that Iraq had other ways to protect itself.
Indeed it does.
William Safire, writing in today's NY Times, tells us that Qilu Chemicals, a leading manufacturer of a clear liquid rubber named hydroxy terminated polybutadiene, known in the advanced-rocket industry as HTPB, sold the substance to a French middleman, CIS Paris, which Safire describes as "a Parisian broker that is active in dealings of many kinds with Baghdad."
Safire writes that the CIS director "is familiar with the order but denies being the agent," so we know the order took place.
But the U.N., which France is trying to use as a leash on the U.S., has to specifically approve such a transaction with Iraq.
Well, France and Iraq can't be bothered with that, so they had the shipment sent from China to Syria, which has been said to be hiding Saddam's weapons, to be received by yet another company that acts for the Iraqi missile industry.
The rocket fuel was then simply trucked across the very long border Syria shares with Iraq, and no one was the wiser.
Until now.
Safire continued:
I'm also told that a contract was signed last April in Paris for five tons of 99% unsymmetric dimethylhydrazine, another advanced missile fuel, which is produced by France's Société Nationale des Poudre et Explosifs.
"In addition, Iraqi attempts to buy an oxidizer for solid propellant missiles, ammonium perchlorate, were successful, at least on paper. Both chemicals, like HTPB, require explicit approval by the U.N. Sanctions Committee before they can be sold to Iraq.
Which they were not.
Safire suggests that perhaps the U.N. inspectors, under whose "watchful eyes" all this has occurred, look at Iraq's El Sirat trading company and its affiliate, the Gudia Bureau, with respect to these dealings.
But they won't.
Hans Blix was put into power by the very nations that now oppose the U.S. at the U.N., and he is not about to bite the hand that feeds him.
Meanwhile, France is actively arming Saddam and apparently trying to create a situation where Saddam will have the ability to pile up U.S. and British bodybags should we invade.
Just why is France on the Security Council? The only country to which it provides security is apparently Iraq.
Urgent: Support America - Boycott Cowardly France! Click Here now.
