Iraqi Scientist: Iraq was on brink of A-bomb

[Keith]

Scientist: Iraq was on brink of A-bomb

By Greg McReynolds - Journal City Editor

IDAHO FALLS -A former Iraqi nuclear scientist told a crowd here that Iraq was on the brink of having a nuclear bomb just before the 1991 invasion of the country by U.S. and allied forces.

Mahdi Obeidi, who worked under Saddam Hussein, spoke to a full house gathered at the World Nuclear University Summer Institute Monday.

"Iraq was on the verge of having a nuclear bomb," he said. "The world will never know what Saddam would have done."

In June 2003, Obeidi contacted a former United Nations Weapons inspector and told him there was part of a gas centrifuge system for enriching uranium and blueprints hidden under a rose bush in his garden. He put them there 12 years earlier just before the Desert Storm invasion, under orders from Hussein Kamel, Saddam Hussein's son-in-law.

A centrifuge is a machine that spins at extremely high speed to enrich uranium, needed to build an atomic bomb. Obeidi spent several years building the centrifuge and at one point, had more than 200 engineers working under him on the project to build a nuclear bomb.

Initial attempts to build the centrifuge did not produce results with enough spin, Obeidi said. The first centrifuge spun at about 10,000 revolutions per minute.

We needed 10 times that amount, he said.

In the early stages of the program, Obeidi met with Hussein and when asked about progress, told him the troubles they were having.

After the meeting, a fellow scientist told Obeidi, "You should be more worried about disappointing him now than later."

The working environment was not a pleasant one, Obeidi said, adding that they would often say "The walls have ears."

Still, Obeidi said there were several motivating factors for scientists working for Saddam.

"Scientists are good people and scientists are task oriented. They love their science," he said.

In places like Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and Iran, Obeidi said there is more.

"There is an element of fear."

For the rest of the article, click below...

http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/08...ocal/news03.txt

[nebula]

Well, well, well. . . .

[Keith]

Well, well, well. . . .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly... I'm surprised there aren't more responses here.

[nebula]

Those are some amazingly loud crickets coming from the liberal, democratic, anti-Bush and anti-war war camps!

[Guest dark_emily]

(prepares to silence crickets)

First of all, it might have been a little more reasonable for the war (extrememly marginal) if this had been brought out BEFORE he invaded. Why did it take two years to determine something like this (if it's even real). I question the validity of this scientists claims. I question how much of his statement was either coerced or paid for. What ever happend to searching for Osama? Did the U.S. suddenly decide "Well, he'll turn up sometime, right now we got bigger oil.....er ummmm....nuclear prevention techniques to work on". What gives the Bush the right to decide who should have nuclear weapons? The UN obviously didn't think it was worth invading Iraq. And for anyone who says "Look at how evil Saddam was, look how he repressed and killed his own people", there a far more oppressed coutries out there than Iraq. Why doesn't he invade any other country whose leader is "evil" and "a killer of his own people". Oh, I know why.....because oil had NOTHING to do with it. Right. Let's get with the program people. One of the worlds largest comodities and a land where it is plentiful invaded by a country that capitalizes on it. Gee didn't see that one coming!

[WayneB]

Exactly...  I'm surprised there aren't more responses here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe because it is old news brother. It was never a secret how close Iraq was to going nuclear. Remember the Israelis bombing their nuclear reactor in the late 80's? Also, it is no secret that Iraq killed innocent people with weapons of mass destruction. Remember the Kurds? The truth has been out in the open. The opinions are polarized between belief and unbelief. Me? I'm with you bro. I believe that Saddam IS an evil man who has been neutralized. The world will never know what he would have done thanks to the courage of one man.

[Guest dark_emily]

The world will never know what he would have done thanks to the courage of one man.

How is bombing a country that stands absolutely NO chance of defending itself against the U.S. courageous? It's nothing more than the U.S. government deciding it's thier role to "police the globe".

[Ovedya]

The world will never know what he would have done thanks to the courage of one man.

How is bombing a country that stands absolutely NO chance of defending itself against the U.S. courageous? It's nothing more than the U.S. government deciding it's thier role to "police the globe".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah...poor little Iraq.

[WayneB]

The world will never know what he would have done thanks to the courage of one man.

How is bombing a country that stands absolutely NO chance of defending itself against the U.S. courageous? It's nothing more than the U.S. government deciding it's thier role to "police the globe".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That would have made a great argument 100 years ago BEFORE nerve gas, blood agents, micro-bugs and nuclear technology was introduced to the world. Funny thing? The world wants the United States to "police the globe" when it is in their best interests. Actually, we are often criticized for responding too slow, as with the Sudan.

[Guest dark_emily]

So what DID happen to Osama? Didn't have any trouble finding Saddam did you!