Kindgo
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"Let's pray for the salvation of the citizens of Syria, especially in Damascus. Knowing how short the time is to this annihilation, maybe at least a few souls there will be saved by Jesus Christ through our prayers before this war!
Syria supplying 'critical parts' for Iraqi buildup
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, August 1, 2002
WASHINGTON — Leading military experts told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Syria serves as a key conduit for the smuggling of weapons and components of military platforms to Baghdad.
The experts said the Bush administration has not cited Syrian involvement because Damascus has played a small role in the U.S.-led war against terrorism, Middle East Newsline reported.
Anthony Cordesman, a former senior Pentagon official and senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Syria has been used as a conduit for a range of what he termed critical parts for Iraq's military. He said many of the details of Syria's participation in Baghdad's military programs are known to the CIA and the rest of the U.S. intelligence community.
"I think that we have perhaps found ourselves in a position where because Syria has cooperated in some aspects of dealing with Al Qaida and certain types of Islamic extremists, we have been a little reluctant to point out the fact that there is an increasing flow — not so much of major arms but critical parts," Cordesman told the Senate committee on Wednesday. "We know things like jet engines, tank engines, some aspects of armored spare parts are beginning to move through Syria in very significant deliveries. I think, however, to get down to the details is something that really only people in the intelligence community can tell you."
Richard Butler, who served as the chief United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq from 1997 to 1999, said Syria has played a major role in Iraqi oil smuggling. Butler said the revenues earned from Iraqi oil smuggling through Syria have financed Baghdad's military programs.
"Syria has increasingly been a willing participant in Saddam's breaking of the sanctions and running a black market in oil and so on." Butler said.
"And so they have given comfort to him in financial terms. And a good deal of the money that he raises that way outside of the UN escrow account and oil-for-food and so on of course fuels his military and other activities."
Last year, Iraq renewed its oil pipeline through Syria. U.S. officials said Baghdad pumps between 150,000 and 200,000 barrels of oil through the pipeline in violation of United Nations sanctions on Iraq.
Butler also told the Senate committee that Moscow has information on Iraq's nuclear weapons and other WMD programs. He said Iraq probably received much of its material and expertise from Russia, regarded as the leading opponent of UN sanctions on Baghdad.
Committee chairman Sen. Joseph Biden expressed concern that Iraq's WMD program was being bolstered by the expertise of unemployed Russian scientists. But Khidir Hamza, a former Iraqi engineer and director of Council on Middle Eastern Affairs, said the Saddam regime has limited the use of foreigners in its strategic programs since the 1991 Gulf war.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtr...breaking_9.html
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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