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Powell delivers Iraqi ‘smoking gun’ speech to Security Council
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| 05 February 2003 |
By janes.com editor Peter Felstead
With today’s presentation to the UN Security Council in New York by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the administration of President George W Bush has risked exposing the true extent of America’s electronic intelligence-gathering capabilities for one purpose: to present a casus belli for military action against Iraq.
Looking to secure a further UN resolution against the regime of Saddam Hussein that might itself sanction the use of force against the Iraqi regime, Powell’s speech had three clear goals: to present convincing evidence that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction (WMD); to clearly show to the international community that Iraqi personnel have systematically evaded and obstructed the work of UN weapons inspectors seeking access to those weapons; and to present convincing evidence of a link between the Iraqi regime and terrorist networks including Al-Qaeda.
In a presentation entitled ‘Iraq: Failing to Disarm’, Powell used transcripts from intercepted phone conversations between Iraqi officials, satellite photographs of Iraqi weapon facilities and also gave details of intelligence garnered from human sources to present. The picture he presented was, as he stated, "not one of reluctant co-operation . . . but a deliberate campaign of deception".
While the phone transcripts effectively revealed Iraqi military officials discussing the hiding of prohibited weapons and equipment, the satellite photographs also showed the active measures taken to ‘evacuate’ materials in advance of UN weapons inspectors arriving. Other satellite images were used to present evidence of ongoing activity in the production of chemical and biological weapons (CW/BW) and the further development of ballistic missile technology.
Powell also presented intelligence on Iraq’s mobile biological weapons factories, Iraqi development of unmanned aerial vehicles for use as CW//BW delivery platforms, the hiding and intimidation of Iraqi scientists and continued Iraqi efforts to development nuclear weapons. "Saddam Hussein," he stated, "is determined to get his hands on a nuclear bomb."
Turning to Saddam’s links with terrorists, Powell presented intelligence to corroborate US assertions that Al-Qaeda members were travelling and operating freely in Baghdad and that the network of Abu Musab Zarqawi, said to be a leading Al-Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert, was being harboured by the Iraqi regime.
Significantly, Powell’s presentation came a day after the televised interviewing of Saddam Hussein by the British anti-war MP Tony Benn. Asked whether Iraq had any weapons of mass destruction, the Iraqi leader replied: "There is only one truth and therefore I tell you, as I have said on many occasions before, that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction whatsoever." He also denied any links with Al-Qaeda. In light of the catalogue of intelligence presented to the UN by Powell, that interview may now not have the effect that Saddam would have desired.