Rockefeller's Treachery

Excellent column today by Joan Swirsky on the treachery (maybe a harsh word but it works as well as criminal negligence) of Senator Jay Rockefeller. Swirsky starts with Rockerfeller's own words:

"I took a trip by myself in January of 2002 to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria, and I told each of the heads of state that it was my view that George Bush had already made up his mind to go to war against Iraq – that that was a predetermined set course which had taken shape shortly after 9/11."

So spoke Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) on "Fox Sunday" on November 14, 2005, who at the time of his trip was chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and is now its vice chairman.

What Rockerfeller did is akin to a cop going to three members of a gang and telling them that the District Attorney is drawing up charges against the head of the gang. This warning would give the head of the gang time to get rid of any incriminating evidence. And get rid of the incriminating evidence seems to be exactly what Saddam Hussein did with the warning that Rockerfeller gave to Syria and the others.

For the past two years, international security experts like John Loftus have been saying that because the U.N. and French obstructionists delayed the United States entrance into the Iraq war for over a year, Saddam Hussein — having been forewarned by Sen. Rockefeller’s solo mission to the Arab world — was busy ferreting his WMD out of Iraq.

Loftus, an attorney and former Justice Department prosecutor, once held some of the highest security clearances in the world, with special access to NATO Cosmic, CIA codeword, and Top Secret Nuclear files.

As early as January 2003, Loftus said, U.S. intelligence had identified a stream of tractor-trailer trucks moving from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon, but that "the significance of this sighting did not register on the CIA at the time." U.S. intelligence sources, Loftus continued, "believe the area contains extended-range Scud-based missiles and parts for chemical and biological warheads."

In August 2003, Loftus reported that U.S. intelligence suspected they had located the WMD, but "getting to them will be nearly impossible for the U.S. and its allies because the containers with the strategic materials… are located in Lebanon's heavily fortified Bekaa Valley, swarming with Iranian and Syrian forces, and Hizbullah and ex-Iraqi agents."

And according to DEBKA files: "The relocation of Iraq’s WMD systems took place between January 10 and March 10 (2003) and was completed just 10 days before the US-led offensive was launched against Iraq. The banned arsenal, hauled in giant tankers from Iraq to Syria and from there to the Bekaa Valley under Syrian special forces and military intelligence escort, was discharged into pits 6-8 meters across and 25-35 meters deep dug by Syrian army engineers. They were sealed and planted over with new seedlings. Nonetheless, their location is known and detectable with the right instruments."

Last year, columnist Larry Elder reported that a Syrian journalist who defected to Paris reported that his friends in Syrian intelligence told him "exactly where the stuff is buried." He named three sites in Syria, which the Israelis confirmed. They know where the stuff is [and] we know from Israeli and defectors' intelligence that the son of the Syrian defense minister was paid 50 million bucks to bring the stuff across the border and bury it."

Everyone agreed that Saddam had WMD and it has always bothered me that some would rather now pretend that they never existed than try to establish where these dangerous materials are. If the Syria story proves true - then Senator Rckerfeller has some serious questions to answer. However, I won't hold my breath that the main stream media will ever put these questions to him. Senator Rockerfeller is a disgrace to his country. Don't ever forget that.