Iran Agrees...Iraq Hid Arms

[The Finman]

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<h2><font color=#003399>Iran Agrees...Iraq Hid Arms</font></h2>
NEW YORK --- An Iranian government official with ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Tehran sides with the Americans on one big issue --- Saddam Hussein's weapons.

Our intelligence indicated that Iraq did possess weapons of mass destruction and was hiding them from the U.N.," the official said.

The official, from the top ranks of Iran's cleric-led government, asked to remain anonymous amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

He went on to say that the big question is, "What did the Iraqis do with these weapons?"

Although Tehran does not know where these weapons may be today, there is a strong suspicion that some may have filtered onto local black markets.

"We know other items, once under military control [such as broadcast transmission equipment], have found their way onto the black market," the official said.

His remarks come amid criticism of the Bush administration and the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the failure so far to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Both governments cited Iraq's deadly weapons as a reason for going to war.

In Tehran yesterday, Iran said foreign pressure over its nuclear capabilities would backfire and harden Iran's position.

Since its rapid conquest of Iraq, Washington has tightened the screws on neighboring Iran, which it accuses of sheltering al Qaeda fugitives, backing terrorism and developing nuclear weapons.

"Excessive pressure on Iran would untie the hands of those who do not believe in dialogue," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.

The United States and European Union are divided over Iran.

The EU favors a policy of encouraging embattled reformers around President Mohammed Khatami, while Washington argues this is a waste of time because he has no real power to effect change.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, in a report obtained by Reuters on Friday, accused Iran of not complying with safeguards to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and sent a team of inspectors to the country on Saturday.

Fresh from war in Iraq over banned weapons, the United States described the report as "deeply troubling."

"We hope Iran's constructive cooperation with the agency and other countries makes the international community better aware of America's evil intentions," Mr. Asefi said.


Full Article <font color="red"><u>Here</u></font>

[theRepublic]

If it's anything out of the mouths of the Islamic Republic then don't believe it.

[Edith Piaf]

avec exception that hussein did have armes of destructions massive. i am happy US went to war en irak because we know saddaam hid weapons

[Snake007x]

I think the point is that Iran could crush our credibility by claiming they were his neighbor and they knew he didn't have them, but they haven't.

Anyhow the fact that MI-6 and The CIA knew he had them makes me believe that he really had them. The Mossad knew as well, and that says something. Remember, Israelis were preparing for a bio attack. Israel is often credited with having the best spy agency in the world, and I know I had seen the Israelis preparing for a bio-weapons attack.

As it is, I'm going to give the Bush administration until June 2004. If we haven't found a good deal by that point, we'll know we were in on the most massive intelligence failure of the decade.