Israel 'knew Iraq had no WMDs'

A GOVERNMENT critic said today that Israel was aware before the war against Iraq that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction, but Israel did not inform the United States.

Israel put itself on war footing before the US invasion last year, passing out gas mask kits to its citizens and then ordering them to open the kits, a step that eventually will cost millions, since components would have to be replaced.

But lawmaker Yossi Sarid, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said today that Israeli intelligence knew beforehand that Iraq had no weapons stockpiles and misled US President George W Bush.

In contrast, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party said Israel had shared its doubts with the Americans.
Another view came from Scott Ritter, who led UN weapons inspections in Iraq for seven years before resigning in 1998. He told an Israeli newspaper this week that Israel knew for years that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.

"The Israeli intelligence reached this conclusion many years ago," Ritter told the Ynet Internet site, affiliated with the Yediot Ahronot newspaper. "Despite this, the security establishment instructed citizens to open their gas masks, a move that cost Israel billions."
www.news.com.au...

With as much money as we give to Israel, you'd think they'd be more forthcoming with such important info. Not that it would have mattered.

is real donest care. alls they want is the arabs dead

Well...

If you're quoting that I guess I can quote this...

In the last 24 hours, DEBKAfile went back to its most reliable intelligence sources in the US and the Middle East, some of whom were actively involved in the subject before and during the Iraq war. They all stuck to their guns. As they have consistently informed DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly , Saddam Hussein�s unconventional weapons programs were present on the eve of the American-led invasion and quantities of forbidden materials were spirited out to Syria. Whatever Dr. Kay may choose to say now, at least one of these sources knows at first hand that the former ISG director received dates, types of vehicles and destinations covering the transfers of Iraqi WMD to Syria.

www.debka.com...

Originally posted by Yoda
Well...

If you're quoting that I guess I can quote this...

In the last 24 hours, DEBKAfile went back to its most reliable intelligence sources in the US and the Middle East, some of whom were actively involved in the subject before and during the Iraq war. They all stuck to their guns. As they have consistently informed DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly , Saddam Hussein�s unconventional weapons programs were present on the eve of the American-led invasion and quantities of forbidden materials were spirited out to Syria. Whatever Dr. Kay may choose to say now, at least one of these sources knows at first hand that the former ISG director received dates, types of vehicles and destinations covering the transfers of Iraqi WMD to Syria.

www.debka.com...

Isn't t his an Israeli news site? Who are these "sources" that they have, and why didn't Kay release these dates, types of vehicles and destinations covering the transfers of Iraqi WMD to Syria? I'm sure that he would rather not have resigned in apparent defeat, if it could have been avoided. Are unconventional weapons & forbidden materials WMDs? If they are so well-informed, why don't they say what these weapons and materials are, specifically?

Even if this is true, would you blame them? I am not nessisarilly on Israel's side, but if Saddam was giving money to suicide bombers families, then I wouldn't say anything to stop the U.S.