Iraq War a "pure failure", Former UN Chief Weapons Inspector says

Hans Blix, the weapon inspecter who urged US not to start war before his UN approved work was finished, has finally spoken his mind. Iraq is now worse off than under the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein, he says. In his mind the situation would have been better if the war had not taken place.
"Saddam would still have been sitting in office," he says, which he admits would have been negative and in noway joyful for the Iraqi people, but what they got replacing Saddam is undoubtedly much worse, he points out.



Lot of people has been saying this since the day of "mission accomplished". But as everybody knows Washington only listens to their secret masters (whomever they are) and gives a damn in any other opinion. Instead, as we for sure know, they tailor their legistation to silence any critics.

Hans Blix is not just anybody, but a highly skilled and just diplomat who have served his country and international bodies like UN and IAEA for years. From day one of the war, he said there wasn't any WMDs and that such a statement was nothing but a hoax to excuse war.

Another hoax he pointed out from the moment it surfaced was the phony intelligence on The Niger papers, a scam the US intel community later had to swallow.

For the sake of justice and history - but to little comfort for the mothers of servicemen and Iraqis killed - it is of great importance these views of Blix is brought forward. But of little significance to the further path this illegal war will take, I'm afraid.

His remarks will be filed under "enemy combatant", another "left-wing" from a "left-wing" country, who still don't know who murdered their "left-wing" PM, Oluf Palme. It was in 1986, in case anybody forgot.

Hans Blix is the failure. He stopped investigating WMDs once his political agenda had been met. The weapons are in Syria, I'm sitting here at my desk in small town USA and I know it, but somehow Blix never managed to get his Swiss behind to Syria to check it out-never even considered it! His title should be qualified as "weapons inspector to a degree that fits with my political beliefs and anti American attitude." Futhermore if he thinks being brought to a rape room or having to watch your child executed on a soccer field right before you're shot is better than what is happening now then his disconnect is complete. I am sure that a patriot of any country would rather die in the battle for freedom then get pulled off the street raped and killed to satisfy the blood thirsty dictator that ruled their country.

Iraq is a mess because Syria and Iran have helped to make it a mess. These countries are never mentioned when it comes to the sectarian violence. It's all about the USA's shortcomings, not Iraq's neighbors. Our problem is that we didn't go in there with the forces needed (thank you Turkey) and put down any and all troublemakers. Rummy needs to go and we need a real war fighter who will drop more troops in Iraq and do a fast and furious sweep up of the militias and terrorists, screw the UN, assume collateral damage and get the freakin job done!

stanstheman

How can you be so sure that they are in Syria when even our own intelligence community could not even find them in Iraq, before the war.

You forget that US proof of the so call WMDs, were not reliable and that the sources of the reliability of the proof could not be provided either.

Do you know something that we don’t after this issue has been exhausted here in ATS? I am open for new conspiracies.

Marge, the "quote" button isn't working, so I'll try to address your questions without using your quote. My memory stinks so sorry if I leave anything out.

Our intelligence community is a joke, Clinton saw to that-he decimated our human intel assets and tried to use satellites as a replacement. I still believe that we have not recovered.

The fact is that Sadaam did use WMDs against the Kurds and those weapons had to be manufactured or bought somewhere. I have absolutely no proof that the weapons are in Syria, it's just hearsay but there were massive amounts of semis that crossed the Iraq Syrian border at the beginning of the war-what was in those trucks? Bananas? Why wasn't that investigated?

I just think the UN is a broken entity, whose purpose is to inflict their globalist, anti American agenda on us. I am not buying it. I don't trust Blix for a second.

You were in Iraq weren't you? What did you hear? I think soldiers on the ground, see and hear more than we know and most of that info doesn't find it's way up the military food chain.

Spill it Marge!

@Stan:
How do you know they're in Syria?...do you know something we don't? do you got your eyes, ears, and hands on info the rest of the world just can't seem to grasp? if so, then spill it man!! i, for one, am eager to see hear and know what everyone else doesn't!
where's the info?!? where's the evidence!?! lemme see!!


really though, it's funny how whenever someone just goes along as an administration lap dog, that guy or gal is just about the greatest human being that ever walked the earth. but as soon as they say anything contrary to this administration's agenda, they become the biggest life failures.
isn't that kinda funny? kinda sad? both?

Originally posted by stanstheman
Iraq is a mess because Syria and Iran have helped to make it a mess.

Blix had a mandat from the UN to do inspections in Iraq and - to my knowledge - it didn't include Syria or any other country.

Your stance undebated, I would say, like marg does, if you have any uncovered details on the topic, please share them with us.

Oh.. by the way, the body part of Hans Blix you mention is Swedish - like the rest of him is.

Originally posted by khunmoon

Blix had a mandat from the UN

What you're a comedian now?
I thought this was a serious conversation!

Originally posted by karby
@Stan:
How do you know they're in Syria?...do you know something we don't? do you got your eyes, ears, and hands on info the rest of the world just can't seem to grasp? if so, then spill it man!! i, for one, am eager to see hear and know what everyone else doesn't!
where's the info?!? where's the evidence!?! lemme see!!

really though, it's funny how whenever someone just goes along as an administration lap dog, that guy or gal is just about the greatest human being that ever walked the earth. but as soon as they say anything contrary to this administration's agenda, they become the biggest life failures.
isn't that kinda funny? kinda sad? both?

Why so nasty? I said they were my beliefs, just things that have been mentioned in the press. Why are you so enraged? There were WMDs in Iraq, Sadaam used them against the Kurds, but I suppose a bunch of tribal people in northern Iraq don't concern you. I guess they'd have to be used on Americans for them to count, huh?

Furthermore, I don't believe that GWB's administration is made up of nice old ladies who have the country's best intrest at heart, where exactly did I mention that? You're just being reactionary and your second paragraph makes no sense what so ever-why don't you give me details? From what I've seen anyone who agrees with the administration is demonized, take any Republican congress person, or even Tony Blair who happens to be reviled by many Brits for his stance on the war.

Nope sorry you never made a point, but nice use of the "duh" icon, really added substance to your post!

Originally posted by stanstheman

Originally posted by karby
@Stan:
How do you know they're in Syria?...do you know something we don't? do you got your eyes, ears, and hands on info the rest of the world just can't seem to grasp? if so, then spill it man!! i, for one, am eager to see hear and know what everyone else doesn't!
where's the info?!? where's the evidence!?! lemme see!!

really though, it's funny how whenever someone just goes along as an administration lap dog, that guy or gal is just about the greatest human being that ever walked the earth. but as soon as they say anything contrary to this administration's agenda, they become the biggest life failures.
isn't that kinda funny? kinda sad? both?

Why so nasty? I said they were my beliefs, just things that have been mentioned in the press. Why are you so enraged? There were WMDs in Iraq, Sadaam used them against the Kurds, but I suppose a bunch of tribal people in northern Iraq don't concern you. I guess they'd have to be used on Americans for them to count, huh?

my statements only responds to this part of your post:

The weapons are in Syria, I'm sitting here at my desk in small town USA and I know it, but somehow Blix never managed to get his Swiss behind to Syria to check it out-never even considered it!

no where in that sentence, or throughout the rest of your post did you speculate your beliefs. you said you knew, adding that Mr. Blix:

never managed to get his Swiss behind to Syria to check.

so i'm asking: how do you know? have you any useful info? if so, then please bring it to light, as we now need all the help, support and morale we can get.

Furthermore, I don't believe that GWB's administration is made up of nice old ladies who have the country's best intrest at heart, where exactly did I mention that? You're just being reactionary and your second paragraph makes no sense what so ever-why don't you give me details? From what I've seen anyone who agrees with the administration is demonized, take any Republican congress person, or even Tony Blair who happens to be reviled by many Brits for his stance on the war.

Nope sorry you never made a point, but nice use of the "duh" icon, really added substance to your post!

wait...you're upset with the duh icon?! i picked it because i liked the over enthusiastic smile, for pete's sake..
my apologies. of course i don't expect you to know how to read minds, but my second paragraph was not directed at you personally. rather, it was meant to be a general statement. when i said what i did, i not only had Mr. Blix in mind, but Colin Powell also, as well as the various retired army generals who have also spoken out against this administration's agenda regarding the strategy in Iraq. it wasn't directed at you.

[edit on 2-11-2006 by karby]

Originally posted by karby

no where in that sentence, or throughout the rest of your post did you speculate your beliefs. you said you knew, adding that Mr. Blix:

never managed to get his Swiss behind to Syria to check.

so i'm asking: how do you know? have you any useful info? if so, then please bring it to light, as we now need all the help, support and morale we can get.

We know he had WMD, he used them, the leukemia rate among Iraqis is extremely high which was attributed to the manufacture of WMDs. Where do you think they are? If they are no longer in Iraq where could they be?

wait...you're upset with the duh icon?! i picked it because i liked the over enthusiastic smile, for pete's sake..
my apologies. of course i don't expect you to know how to read minds, but my second paragraph was not directed at you personally. rather, it was meant to be a general statement. when i said what i did, i not only had Mr. Blix in mind, but Colin Powell also, as well as the various retired army generals who have also spoken out against this administration's agenda regarding the strategy in Iraq. it wasn't directed at you.

[edit on 2-11-2006 by karby]

I reacted more to the typed version of the icon which says "duh", I hate that word, it's useless, the icon itself doesn't bother me one way or another but in refering to your quotes it came out as "duh".

Donald Rumsfeld has run out of ideas and time in my opinion. Gen. Eric Shinseki and Colin Powell were right, overwhelming force was the only way to go. I think if we put that kind of force in now we could get things straightened out but I think it would come at a high price, meaning civilian deaths and possible temporary imprisonment of innocent parties until things are sorted out. I do not think our country has the stomach for that at this point and frankly I don't think I could stand the likes of Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte and Michael Moore running around with their hair on fire calling our troops killers.

You know a momentous event passed last week, Gen Ricardo Sanchez retired, an honorable man who served us for 33 years. And because he was handed over an impossible task, an amazing soldier is no longer fighting, because of some stupid reservists and no back up by his superiors. Read this quote:

Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey blamed Rumsfeld and Paul Bremer, chief administrator of Iraq in the occupation's first year, for troubles that came Sanchez's way. He said critical intelligence, military police, civil affairs and engineering assets were removed from Iraq. He said Sanchez also was ordered to reduce his force to half a division within six months.

So I agree, there is plenty of blame to go around as far as the success of this war. But it was Sadaam's failure to abide by the sanctions set forth by the UN that got us into this. Hans Blix did not do the job that was needed to keep us out of the war, and once in it, Rummy and his merry band of retards ham strung the troops. So we can win this war, but do you have the stomach for it?

Wow that got long!

posted by stanstheman
We know he had WMD, he used them, the leukemia rate among Iraqis is extremely high which was attributed to the manufacture of WMDs.

Don't know if you can find links to support your claim. But if you google 'leukemia' with 'depleted uranium' you get 118.000 hits.

I pick a few randomly to support my allegation: Leukemia in Iraq is with near 100% certainty associated with the heavy use of armour penetrating munitions with DU spearheads

www.commondreams.org...
More than 300 tons of DU were deposited in Iraq during the Gulf War, and perhaps another 25-30 tons more recently in Kosovo. Peace activists and U.S. military scientists for some time have expressed concerns about the health effects even of "uncontaminated" DU, including claims of links to severe birth defects, leukemia and the mysterious Gulf War Syndrome in U.S. veterans. Those concerns have always been dismissed by U.S. government officials, who say that DU is relatively harmless because of its low radioactivity.

A recently released book -- "Depleted Uranium: The Invisible War," by Martin Messonnier, Frederick Loore and Roger Trilling -- cites a 1999 Energy Department report stating that the Paducah plant "created depleted uranium potentially containing neptunium and plutonium." Paducah, Ky., is one of three places, all in the United States, where most of the world's DU is generated.
[...]
Government officials also used scientific arguments to obfuscate and confuse the issue.

Against the circumstantial evidence associating DU with a dramatic increase in birth defects and leukemia in southern Iraq, they pointed to the absence of any epidemiological study of DU-affected areas. They didn't, however, explain why they haven't conducted such a study

another..

globalresearch.ca
During 2003, military operations conducted in Iraq by the invading forces used additional rounds of DU in heavily populated areas such as Baghdad, Samawa and other provinces. It is only fair to conclude that the environment in Iraq and its population have been exposed continuously to DU weaponry or its contaminating remains, since 1991.

Accordingly millions of Iraqi’s have received higher doses of radioactivity than ordinary background levels. As a result a multi-fold increase of low level radiation exposure related diseases have been registered since 1995. An increase of children’s leukemia, congenital malformations, breast cancer etc…

The shift of leukemia incidence rates towards younger children during the recent years, and its association with geographically distributed contaminated areas, offers strong evidence of the correlation between LLR exposure and resulted health damages.

In the google search mentioned, you will military sites as well, that admits the health hazards of DU.

Hans Blix did not do the job that was needed to keep us out of the war

The job of a UN weapon inspector is to establish the facts on the issue to which he is assigned.
In the case of Iraq it was clearly in the interests of the neocons and spinmasters, that he didn't finish his work, thus leaving the doubt for the benefit of their own malicious scheme.

But the inspection of Hans Blix had already stated that all facilities for manufacturing of chemical compounds usable in weapons, HAD been dismanteled in accordance with the terms set after the first gulf war.

If the last percent of doubt had been obliterated, the White House spin would had been without the straw, on which they hung their illegal war.

[edit on 3-11-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

Originally posted by khunmoon

Don't know if you can find links to support your claim. But if you google 'leukemia' with 'depleted uranium' you get 118.000 hits.

I pick a few randomly to support my allegation: Leukemia in Iraq is with near 100% certainty associated with the heavy use of armour penetrating munitions with DU spearheads

Well you're definitely right on that, I checked it out. I still say that the WMDs are in Syria, and if they keep stirring the pot in Lebanon we may just find out!


mod edit, fix quote tag


[edit on 3-11-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

Didnt the Government alrady state they had none?
And theyve got friggen satelites hovering over the mideast... they would of atleats 'released' photographs of lorries crossing the desert..
they would of done anything to support there claims of wmd's in iraq, especially with the little intel they had PRIOR to going in

.. in the end they just lied their way through.....

The wmd's arent in syria, Assad is not hiding stockpiles of iraqi wmds in his backyard, look at him and his army?


Hans blix was 'pulled' out before he could positivley conclude that facts.
He said in the begining of the war, he hadnt seen anything to suggest it, but he cant definitivley say no..

HANS BLIX IS NOT A FAILURE!

he said there wernt any weapons....

and there wasnt!

Originally posted by stanstheman

Why so nasty? I said they were my beliefs, just things that have been mentioned in the press. Why are you so enraged? There were WMDs in Iraq, Sadaam used them against the Kurds, but I suppose a bunch of tribal people in northern Iraq don't concern you. I guess they'd have to be used on Americans for them to count, huh?

Furthermore, I don't believe that GWB's administration is made up of nice old ladies who have the country's best intrest at heart, where exactly did I mention that? You're just being reactionary and your second paragraph makes no sense what so ever-why don't you give me details? From what I've seen anyone who agrees with the administration is demonized, take any Republican congress person, or even Tony Blair who happens to be reviled by many Brits for his stance on the war.

The gassed Kurds were in Southern Iraq, close to the Iran border - your detailed knowledge of the subject is amazing. The US sold the chemical weapons precursors to Saddam Hussein in batched quantities despite an attempt by congress to stop them being sold as it was during the period of the Iran/Iraq war.

Iraq was one of the most heavily reconnoitered countries in the world following the first Gulf War, and yet you maintain that they managed to smuggle a whole swathe of WMD's out of the country in pick up trucks, instead of the "mad dictator" using them (please tell me what benefit to Saddam Hussein there was of shipping his weapons out when the US and British were coming to knock on his door? All that time and development wasted....its not like he gave a damn about his own people is it?)

Hans Blix has only ever been labelled incompetent by people in the US who realised that he wasn't going to back their "findings". No one else seemed to have a problem with him.

And as for your comments about Blair.......try asking a few British people what they think about his stance on Iraq. I think you'll find most think hes a poodle that followed Bush blindly up a dark alleyway, and was sadly misguided in doing so.

At this point, Hans Blix is a kibbitzer and while he's entitled to his opinion, it is really no better than anyone else's and possibly not nearly as relevant. Yeah, if Saddam was in power there wouldn't be any factional fighting, but then again, there would be no hope of a democratic Iraq and Saddam would still be a threat to his neighbors, among other things.

Originally posted by khunmoon
Hans Blix, the weapon inspecter who urged US not to start war before his UN approved work was finished, has finally spoken his mind.

Um, so what?

Hans Blix is a nobody. He was in charge of investigating iraqs wmd programme, and was never able to say 'they don't have one'. His inspectors couldn't even find the camoflagued Chemical Production Plant in al-Najaf, only revealed when US soldiers took the town.

Who cares what Hans Blix has to say? His time for saying things expired when his position as an inspector expired.

Originally posted by stanstheman (edit)
Hans Blix is the failure.

[Mod Edit: Please do not change the username of other members when you quote in order to make cheap insults. Thank you.]

Stan, Stan, Stan. Read the following source carefully:
The US and UK are both fully responsible for the war in Iraq, don't act so pathetic by blaming the UN.

The United Nations chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, tried yesterday to forestall war by offering his most positive assessment yet of Iraqi disarmament. Although he is supposed to have a neutral, civil servant role, providing objective facts, he tried to secure more time for his inspection teams and delay the onset of conflict, in direct opposition to the US-British rush towards war.

He stressed that Iraq had made "substantial" progress in destroying the Samoud 2 missiles, that no evidence had been found of biological and chemical weapons and that some documentation, apparently of limited value, had been handed over by Iraq.

...


He [Blix] added pointedly: "We are not watching the breaking of toothpicks - lethal weapons are being destroyed."

Mr Blix said that while at first resisting the destruction of the missiles, Iraq had now accepted that they should be destroyed.

Mr Blix said that he had found no evidence yet of hidden arsenals of VX nerve gas in spite of using radar to search for underground arsenals.

Andy Oppenheimer, a specialist in nuclear, biological and chemical weapons at Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor, said: "They have not found a smoking gun.

British and US intelligence agencies say they have provided Mr Blix and his team with valuable information - including the existence of the Samoud 2 missiles - which, they say, would not have been discovered or admitted to by the Iraqis without their help.

Mr Blix yesterday made no reference to this. Instead, he questioned the value of the intelligence provided to him. He said inspectors had been unable to verify some claims about hidden Iraqi weapons and he asked again for more information about suspect sites. He referred to "intelligence claims" about mobile biological weapons laboratories. He said his inspectors had found mobile food testing and seed processing equipment but no evidence of proscribed activities.

The strongest attacks on British and US intelligence came from Mohamed El Baradei, head of the UN's international atomic energy authority. He said that suspect aluminium tubes were not destined for equipment that could be used to refine uranium for nuclear weapons use.

The Guardian UK

Originally posted by Nygdan
and was never able to say 'they don't have one'.

Great statement , exactly the reason why the US shouldn't have gone at war with Iraq.



[edit on 3-11-2006 by Mdv2]





[edit on 2006-11-3 by wecomeinpeace]

Originally posted by stanstheman
Hans Blix is the failure. He stopped investigating WMDs once his political agenda had been met...

His title should be qualified as "weapons inspector to a degree that fits with my political beliefs and anti American attitude."

...Futhermore if he thinks being brought to a rape room or having to watch your child executed on a soccer field right before you're shot is better than what is happening now then his disconnect is complete.

I am sure that a patriot of any country would rather die in the battle for freedom then get pulled off the street raped and killed to satisfy the blood thirsty dictator that ruled their country.

...Iraq is a mess because Syria and Iran have helped to make it a mess.

...It's all about the USA's shortcomings, not Iraq's neighbors.

Stan, YOU ARE INDEED THE MAN!!!

Beautiful commentary, fantastic points, well done!!

"You have voted stanstheman for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month."

Have you noticed the way Marg likes to completely ignore the brutality of the previous regime such as rape rooms, executions and torture?

Once again, great work on a fantastic post!!

Pokey Oats

Iraq war is a failure. Period.
Lies can never lead to success hence the failure. Simple

Originally posted by Pokey Oats
Have you noticed the way Marg likes to completely ignore the brutality of the previous regime such as rape rooms, executions and torture?

Once again, great work on a fantastic post!!

Pokey Oats

Denied Ignorance pokey, pokey becasue is nothing more than a hypocrecy when our own government has resposibility for the death of thousnds of Iraqis while under the umbrella of liberation.

Abu Ghraib should never be forgoten because it shows how happy our own govenrment is promoting and supporting torture, executions and rape rooms.

After all when they could not do it anymore because it was too obvious then Geneva convention laws were modified and secret detention camps are now the norm.

If you can no see it it doesn't mean is no there.

Pokey, Pokey seems to ignore how well the Bush administration seems very fond of torture themselves.

Hypocrecy Pokey, hypocrecy.

Deny ignorancy.

Sooo who is killing now Iraqis? Ooops they are killing themselves, I guess that is ok with you.