Regarding the issue of Iraq, there are those who proclaim that despite: *the earlier de-facto utilization of chemical agents against the Kurds, the Iranians, and even their own citizens; *the later discovery of 1.7 tons of enriched uranium in Iraq; *the seizure of 50 tons of castor beans, the pre-cursor to the poison ricin; *the discovery of numerous other pre-cursor chemicals that simply require combination to produce dangerous toxins, which is the very nature of modern day binary weapons; *the inability of UN Inspectors to account for previously confirmed quantities of anthrax, VX, mustard gas pre-cursors, sarin, and cultures for biological agents; *the existence of world class scientific institutes, proliferated throughout Iraq, conducting research in nuclear, chemical and biological disciplines with the capacity to quickly reconstitute full scale WMD programs once unfettered by UN inspectors, inspectors who had been allowed re-entry to Iraq only because Coalition Forces were massed on Iraq‘s Southern border- and - would have been summarily evicted once those forces had been re-deployed, ((it is important to note that with the approach of the oppressive summer heat of the Iraqi desert, and the intolerable burden of combat in chem/bio gear, the border encampment of Coalition forces could not have long been sustained. Circumstances conveniently discounted by the “give the inspectors more time” argument.)) - sobering facts given our shock at finding after the 1st Gulf War how perilously close Saddam had progressed in his determined quest to develop nuclear weapons; *the detection of massive truck convoys transporting their contents to Syria just prior to the invasion ( recalling that a single medium sized U-Haul vehicle could contain sufficient weaponized anthrax to kill the entire world’s population 3X over, and keeping in mind that Mohammed Atta and his fellow fanatics had initially attempted to gain access to and training in crop-duster aircraft.); *the discovery of stores of artillery shells specifically designed for filling with chemical agents; *the discovery of high concentrations of thiodiglycol, a mustard gas pre-cursor, that had been dumped into the Euphrates river; etc. etc. incredibly fails to suggest to our pacifist friends that IRAQ was unquestionably a WMD threat!

As you reflect on the dire consequences of a docile retreat before a relatively small band of Islamic extremists; and, attempt to formulate your own opinion as to the most prudent course of action in the defense of our Nation, consider the following scenario: the infiltration of a group of terrorists similar to the Atta cabal with a quantity of weaponized anthrax procured from a rogue state; the acquisition of a single crop-duster aircraft fitted with a dry-agent disseminator; and, the dispersal of that dangerous toxin over an American population center. The loss of American life would be catastrophic. -Or-, is it preferable to pre-empt such fanatics by destroying them on their home turf, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, before they secure the capacity to threaten our homeland? The latter is in fact a key element in current American strategy.

GREG NEUBECK

With regards Iraq’s affiliation with terrorist elements and the danger that these circumstances represented to American security: we are asked to accept that al-Qaida, with recognized terrorist affiliates in more than 60 Nations, had no discernible presence in a hub of world terrorism, I.e. Saddam Hussein’s Iraq! For years, Saddam gave sanctuary in Baghdad to both Abu Nidal and Abul Abbas, who prior to the emergence of bin Laden, were two of the world’s most notorious terrorist operatives. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was an al-Qaida affiliate in Afghanistan where he commanded a terrorist training camp in the production and deployment of chemical agents, was also provided sanctuary in Baghdad in 2002, along with a cadre of his lieutenants; and, extended medical treatment was given to Zarqawi for injuries that he had received in a U.S. air-strike against his base camp. Zarqawi then transitioned to Northern Iraq and affiliated with the Ansar al-Islam extremists, a terrorist organization that Hussein had permitted to operate under the supervision of a senior Iraqi intelligence agent. A group that, with Iraqi compliance, had constructed an extensive underground chemical weapons facility. By claiming that he had no control over his Northern sector, Hussein created plausible deniability with willing dupes in the event poisonous toxins, such as the ricin attacks in Europe, were traced back to the al-Islam enclave. Of course, we all know that Saddam gassed the Kurds who occupied the same sector when they deviated from his agenda. Further, overhead reconnaissance had verified multiple terrorist training sites within the interior of Iraq, to include an aircraft hi-jacking training facility. As well, Hussein openly funded Palestian homicide bombers who carried out attacks against Israel thru their Hamas and Hezbola initiators; and, dispersed Iraqi agents throughout the world who have been documented to have had numerous contacts with al-Qaida operatives.. Recall that it was Saddam who blatantly attempted to assassinate the 1st President Bush. Can there be any doubt that Saddam would have surreptitiously provided dangerous toxins to disparate terrorist organizations who were in pursuit of his common objectives! More specifically, repeated assaults on American interests. Greg Neubeck (gneubeck@bellsouth.net)