Showing posts from January, 2004
Nork intelligence agent discloses hoor of regime The Telegraph: ... "Kwon Hyok, however, had it easy. There was no arduous two-year trek for him through China, Mongolia and Laos, hiding, pretending and bribing the authorities. He was a North Korean intelligence agent stationed in Beijing and was turned by his South Korean counterparts. He was persuaded to defect. Today, the South Korean taxpayer looks after him and, in return, he advises the government in Seoul on how to deal with the new enemy, the North. "The other North Koreans I met living in Seoul were victims of their old regime. I listened to their dreadful experiences of starvation, cannibalism, torture and murder, and wondered how such brutality could exist. ... "Kwon Hyok explained: 'In North Korea political prisoners are those who say or do something against the dead President Kim Il Sung, or his son Kim Jong Il. But they also include a wide network of next of kin.' "Prison
Facts and perspective at the BBC Washington Post: "At the heart of the conflict that led to the British Broadcasting Corp.'s extraordinary public humiliation this week are 20 words ad-libbed on its flagship radio news program at 6:07 a.m. by a bleary-eyed reporter speaking from home after an all-nighter. "Citing an unnamed official, Andrew Gilligan alleged in the May 29 broadcast of the "Today" program that Prime Minister Tony Blair's office had 'sexed up' an intelligence dossier with a claim that Iraq could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes. He then added these unscripted remarks: " 'Actually the government probably knew that that 45-minute figure was wrong even before it decided to put it in.' ... "In his resignation statement Friday, Gilligan pointed out that several assertions in the May 29 broadcast have been vindicated: that the 45-minute claim was based on just one source, that it was
Superbowl terror threat BBC: "Three British Airways flights to the US have been halted amid fears al-Qaeda may be targeting them. "Flights BA 223 from London Heathrow to Washington on Sunday and Monday and flight BA 207 to Miami on Sunday were grounded on government advice. "Air France also said it was cancelling two Paris-to-Washington flights."
Palestinains panic over fence Steven den Beste: "As Israel continues to build its security fence along the border of the West Bank, there is rising nervousness approaching panic among the Palestinians and their Arab supporters elsewhere. They hate the idea of the fence, and there's a good reason why. "They do not have the ability to prevent Israel from completing it, which means that the only way to prevent it from being finished is either to offer Israel positive incentives to quit, or to get outsiders to pressure the Israelis to quit. And when it comes to "outsiders", the list of those whose opinions about the wall the Israelis would actually care about only has one entry: the United States. ... "The Palestinian problem has been a tumor in the middle-east for decades, one which corrupt and incompetent leaders of other Arab nations have used to distract their own people. Israel made a convenient enemy and scapegoat. The Arabs even tried se
Saddam's slick bribe well NY Post Editorial: "Longtime rumors that Saddam Hussein bribed key foreign dignitaries - including top French officials - have apparently been confirmed by documents found in Iraq. "The documents, first published last week by the al Mada newspaper in Baghdad, include a list of 270 individuals and organizations from 50 countries, all of whom apparently received vouchers for millions of barrels of oil."
Kerry bites hands that feed him Washington Post: "Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who has made a fight against corporate special interests a centerpiece of his front-running campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, has raised more money from paid lobbyists than any other senator over the past 15 years, federal records show. "Kerry, a 19-year veteran of the Senate who fought and won four expensive political campaigns, has received nearly $640,000 from lobbyists, many representing telecommunications and financial companies with business before his committee, according to Federal Election Commission data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. ... "Because Kerry has made his fight against 'Washington special interests' a new theme of his presidential campaign, campaign rivals and campaign finance watchdogs have accused him of hypocrisy." Since when has hypocracy slowed a Dem attack?
Paks sack nuke daddy Washington Post: "Pakistan sacked top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan as scientific adviser to the prime minister on Saturday after a probe into the sale of nuclear technology to Iran and Libya, a government official said. ... "Khan's removal is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where he is revered as the 'father' of the country's and the Islamic world's atomic bomb, seen by many Pakistanis as a vital deterrent to nuclear rival India."
Prewar intelligence consistent over several years Dana Priest, Washington Post: "Congressional and CIA investigations into the prewar intelligence on Iraq's weapons and links to terrorism have found no evidence that CIA analysts colored their judgment because of perceived or actual political pressure from White House officials, according to intelligence officials and congressional officials from both parties. "Richard J. Kerr, a former deputy CIA director who is leading the CIA's review of its prewar Iraq assessment, said an examination of the secret analytical work done by CIA analysts showed that it remained consistent over many years. " 'There was pressure and a lot of debate, and people should have a lot of debate, that's quite legitimate,' Kerr said. 'But the bottom line is, over a period of several years,' the analysts' assessments 'were very consistent. They didn't change their views.' "Kerr's
Paks get tough in tribal areas NY Times: "At the start of the month, Pakistan massed several thousand troops in and around the town of Wana, near the country's mountainous border with Afghanistan. Using a harsh century-old British method, officials handed local tribal elders a list and issued an ultimatum. "If 72 men wanted for sheltering Al Qaeda were not produced, they said, the Pakistani Army would punish the tribe as a group, demolishing houses, withdrawing funds and even detaining tribe members. "Several days later, several thousand tribal elders held a jirga, or council, and agreed to raise a force of their own to find the wanted men. In the last two weeks, the tribes have handed over 42 of them. Tribal members bulldozed and dynamited the homes of eight men who refused to surrender."
UN to name and shame BBC: "The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to name and shame countries that fail to report on their efforts to fight global terrorism. "It passed by 15-0 a resolution aimed at strengthening sanctions against al-Qaeda, Taleban and related groups. "Last year, a UN committee said stronger measures might be needed to compel UN member states to help fight terrorism. "It is hoped a threat of being publicly named will encourage governments to enforce sanctions against such groups." The UN can't kick ass, but it can still take names. "More than half of the UN's member states have not submitted reports on what they are doing to limit the activities of these groups through freezing assets, a travel ban, or arms embargoes."
Gilligan cashing in on infamy The Scotsman: "ANDREW Gilligan, the reporter whose story about the 'sexed up' Iraq dossier set off the chain of events leading to the death of Dr David Kelly and the ensuing Hutton Inquiry, last night resigned from the BBC. ... "Mr Gilligan is expected to start a lucrative new media career and has been linked to the Spectator, the Mail on Sunday and the Guardian. It is also understood that he is negotiating a deal to write a book. "His departure from the BBC, seen by many as inevitable following the damning report, comes at the end of the most tumultuous week in the corporation?s history."
Saddam needed destruction John Podhoretz: "WHAT if I told you that a ruthless dictator ? a monster who had once used chemical weapons on his own people, had twice attacked and invaded neighboring countries and had sought to assassinate a former president of the United States ? had gone delusional and quite possibly psychotic? "What if I told you that he would ramble on about a new novel he was writing while the world argued about whether his regime should be forcibly removed from the earth? "What if I told you that this same delusional dictator had successfully built long-range missiles and was giving scientists and military officials large amounts of money to make new weapons of mass destruction, presumably for deployment on these same long-range missiles? "What if I told you that while it may appear those same scientists may have made off with the money and not built the weapons, there's no question they had plans in place and could have pr
Kerry thinks terror threat is exaggerated Washington Times: "Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said during last night's Democratic presidential debate that the threat of terrorism has been exaggerated." Really? All those bodies in New York and Washington exagerated? If he thinks the threat is exagerated then it is logical to assume that he would not fight it very hard.
Predsident opposes Senate bill that would unilaterally disarm in war on terror NY Times: "Attorney General John Ashcroft told reporters that the bill, sponsored by Senate Republicans and Democrats, 'unilaterally disarms America's defenses' against terrorists and that President Bush intended to veto the measure if Congress passed it. "The threat of a veto represents an unusual pre-emptive strike by the administration. The bill has not even come up for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. ... "The measure, introduced in October, would restrict the broadened powers that the government was given in the antiterrorism law, approved by Congress weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The bill would limit the government's ability to use roving wiretaps against terrorist suspects, to execute search warrants against suspects without immediately notifying them and to obtain business records from libraries or bookstores in intellige
In a more reasonable environment Mona Charen: "With David Kay's testimony on the fruitless search for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, the time has come for an accounting. "In a more reasonable environment, politicians and opinion-makers would absorb the new facts and make the needed reforms. Reasonable people cannot avoid the conclusion that our intelligence agencies were badly mistaken. "But are the Democrats reasonable? Their preposterous interpretation of events has become mainstream. It goes as follows. No stockpiles of WMDs were found in Iraq therefore: a) George W. Bush knew that there were none to be found and b) took the nation to war on false pretenses. "Let's examine the logic. The Democrats claim that Bush wanted war in spite of the fact that there were no WMDs. Why? To put himself in political jeopardy when this fact was discovered? And if he knew that there were no WMDs, why did he speak about them so often and so for
The real Kay report Charles Krauthammer: "Before the great hunt for scapegoats begins, let's look at what David Kay has actually said about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. "First, and most trumpeted, he did not find 'large stockpiles of newly produced weapons of mass destruction.' He did find, as he reported last October, WMD-related activities, from a very active illegal missile program to research and development ('right up until the end') on weaponizing the deadly poison ricin (the stuff found by London police on terrorists last year). He discovered 'hundreds of cases' of U.N.-prohibited and illegally concealed activities. ... "It was a combination of Iraqi bluff, deceit, and corruption far more bizarre than heretofore suspected. Kay discovered that an increasingly erratic Saddam had taken over personal direction of WMD programs. But because there was no real oversight, the scientists would go to Saddam for money,
Kay testifys to intelligence failures Fox News: "The failure to turn up weapons of mass destruction in Iraq exposed weaknesses in America's intelligence-gathering apparatus, a former top U.S. weapons inspector told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday. "But the inspector, David Kay, did not underestimate the threat posed by deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and said there was evidence that Iraq was participating in a weapons program that went against U.N. rules. ... "Despite suggestions from Democrats that the White House pressured analysts to construe intelligence to help President Bush' make the case to go to war against Saddam, Kay said he spoke to many analysts who prepared the intelligence and 'not in a single case was the explanation that I was pressured to this.' " The Dems, like their counterparts in the UK are making the mistake of challeging the integrity of the adninistration rather than focusing on the real problem of inacc
Dykes take dive for BBC BBC: "Director General Greg Dyke has quit as the BBC's crisis deepens in the wake of Lord Hutton's damning verdict. "Shortly afterwards BBC Acting Chairman Lord Ryder apologised 'unreservedly' for errors in the David Kelly affair. "Mr Dyke's decision to step down follows BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies' resignation on Wednesday, the day the Hutton report was published." Dykes resignation is approriate.He was a part of the anti US, anti Israel group tink that infected the BBC and made it a biased broadcaster while claiming impartiality. The BBC has lost perspective in a feigned neutrality which gives credance to the words of despots terrorist and chareltons while challenging the word of western leaders.
The Dems home of the brave Ann Coulter: ... "Kerry was indisputably brave in Vietnam, and it's kind of cute to see Democrats pretend to admire military service. Physical courage, like chastity, is something liberals usually deride, but are tickled when it accidentally manifests itself in one of their own. One has to stand in awe of Kerry's military service 33 years ago. Of course, that's where it ends, including with Kerry – inasmuch as, upon his return from war in 1970, he promptly began trashing his fellow Vietnam vets by calling them genocidal murderers. "But if Bush can't talk to Kerry about the horrors of war, then Kerry sure as hell can't talk to anyone about the plight of the middle class. Kerry's life experience consists of living off other men's money by marrying their wives and daughters. "For over 30 years, Kerry's primary occupation has been stalking lonely heiresses. Not to get back to his combat experience,
Waffling windbag war hero Max Boot: "John Kerry has done well so far because he's not Howard Dean: He doesn't have steam coming out of his ears every time he opens his mouth, and he does have national security experience. But now that he's the frontrunner, he will be subjected to the same kind of withering scrutiny that caused Dr. Dean to turn into Mr. Hyde. "Kerry's military record is one of his strongest selling points for Democrats hungry for a credible candidate. Kerry, as he himself never tires of pointing out, is a decorated veteran. But so were Bob Dole and John McCain. Heroism in wartime doesn't necessarily earn you the Oval Office. ... "But a lot of Kerry's speech (to the Council on Foreign Relations) was pure partisan windbaggery. 'The Bush administration,' he claimed, 'has pursued the most arrogant, inept, reckless and ideological foreign policy in modern history.' Really? More inept than Jimmy Carter
Norks trying to sell missil tech to Nigeria Washington Times: "North Korea has offered to sell Nigeria advanced missile technology, the Nigerian government said yesterday, prompting the United States to warn its African ally that it might face sanctions if it strikes a deal with Pyongyang. "Nigerian officials yesterday issued vague and contradictory statements about their intentions and the missile type on offer, although they acknowledged seeking ballistic-missile technology for "peaceful" purposes. "A sale would mark the first time that such technology has been introduced into sub-Saharan Africa, raising the prospect of a costly new arms race among some of the world's poorest and least-stable nations. ... "Another State Department official said that a deal could result in sanctions against both seller and buyer. " 'The United States is committed to using all available measures, including interdictions and
Afghan offensive planned The Pentagon announced a new offensive for Afghanistan that will concentrate on the Border area with Pakistan. Apparently Pakistan is also working witht he US on the offensive. While it is unusual to announce such an offensive, it could be a method of getting bin Laden to move and reveal his location.
We always had to go to war John Keegan: "Opponents of the war waged by America and Britain to bring down Saddam Hussein will be disappointed by the Hutton report. They had hoped that Lord Hutton would endorse the allegation made in Andrew Gilligan's now notorious broadcast that the Government had tampered with the contents of an intelligence report in order to enhance the case for war. ... "Evidence of weapons of mass destruction would not, however, really help. The anti-war party is not so much concerned that Britain was involved in the war as that there was a war at all. Yet there was going to be a war, like it or not. The American government was determined to get rid of Saddam and was even more certain than the British that Saddam had WMD and was a danger to peace. "Unlike the British, moreover, America did not agonise about further legal endorsement of military action, the 'second resolution'' so widely demanded in and out of Parliam
Trouble in Saudi Arabia Strait's Times: "The tiny city of Sakaka in the remote al-Jouf province that borders Iraq may seem an unlikely setting for the beginning of a revolution against the ruling al-Saud family. "But one does not have to spend too long here to realise that this is what is happening. "Al-Jouf has witnessed an extraordinary level of political violence in recent months. "The deputy governor, say local residents, was assassinated. "Also shot down was the police chief, executed by a group of men who forced their way into his home. "Even before these bloody incidents, the region's top Syariah Court judge was shot down as he drove to work early one morning. "Seven men have so far been arrested over the shootings, according to Saudi officials. "They admit that the attacks are linked, and that the seven may have been aided by as many as 40 others. ... "But residents of the provincial capit
Blasted Broadcasting corporation BBC: "Lord Hutton has criticised the BBC as he cleared the government of embellishing its Iraq weapons dossier in his long-awaited report on the death of Dr David Kelly. "The claim in BBC reports that the government 'sexed up' its dossier on Iraq's weapons was "unfounded", he said. "The retired law lord highlighted 'defective' BBC editorial processes over defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan's broadcasts of the claims on the Today programme. ... "Prime Minister Tony Blair said the report showed 'the allegation that I or anybody else lied to the House or deliberately misled the country by falsifying intelligence of weapons of mass destruction it itself the real lie.' " The editorial process failed at the BBC, because journalist and editors were more interested in reinforcing their bias than finding the truth. There was also the bizarre notion that it was somehow
Getting it wrong John Podhoretz: "THE story, so far, of the Democratic primary is: Don't believe the hype. "The results last night in New Hampshire represent a humiliating disaster for the mainstream media. The political reporters and editors who have been judging this race for a year have made utter fools of themselves. "Nobody foresaw John Kerry's huge victory in Iowa. It was suggested that Kerry was doing better in the weeks before the caucuses, but no reporter even imagined Kerry might pull 38 percent of the caucus-goers there. The press failed just as miserably in New Hampshire - but this time by overestimating and overrating John Edwards. ... "There was no such thing as the Edwards surge. He ended up somewhere around 12 percent, a spectacularly dismal showing considering that he had scored 32 percent in Iowa only eight days before. "And speaking of spectacularly dismal showings, how about Wesley Clark? The retired general
Hizballah and Mexico Terence Jeffery: "Politicians serious about preventing another Sept. 11 should listen to the leader of Hizballah, and then read an indictment unsealed this month in Detroit. ... " 'Kourani was a member, fighter, recruiter and fundraiser for Hizballah,' said the indictment. 'Operating at first from Lebanon and later in the United States, Kourani was a dedicated member of Hizballah who received specialized training in radical Shiite fundamentalism, weaponry, spy craft, and counterintelligence in Lebanon and Iran.' " 'Kourani,' Chadwell added in his statement, 'is charged with conspiring with individuals at the highest levels of the terrorist organization, including one of his brothers who is the Hizballah chief of military security for southern Lebanon.' "Kourani got to America, the prosecutors allege, with the help of a Mexican official. " 'On approximately Feb. 4, 2001, Kourani surr
NATO not up to task in Afghanistan NY Times: "NATO's top commander in Europe voiced frustration on Tuesday that members were not providing enough troops for the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan, which he said was a 'defining moment' for the alliance as it adopted a broader agenda in the world. "In testimony intended to bring members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee up to date on Afghanistan, the commander, Gen. James L. Jones of the United States Marine Corps, said NATO's plans to expand beyond the the capital, Kabul, and the northern area of Kunduz would require more troops than the current 5,500. "He said he expected the number of United States troops in Afghanistan ? 11,000, most of them involved in counterterrorism ? to remain the same. " 'The political will has been stated,' he said. 'The alliance has agreed, the donor countries have been identified, and yet we find ourselves mired in the administrative
Kerry v. Kerry Mackubin Owens: "John Kerry, we know, is running against John Kerry: his own voting record. But there is another record that John Kerry is running against, and this has to do with his very emergence as a Democratic politician: Kerry, the proud Vietnam veteran vs. Kerry, the antiwar activist who accused his fellow Vietnam veterans of the most heinous atrocities imaginable. ... "Kerry began by referring to the Winter Soldiers Investigation in Detroit. Here, he claimed, 'over 150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia, not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command.' ... "This is quite a bill of particulars to lay at the feet of the U.S. military. He said in essence that his fellow veterans had committed unparalleled war crimes in Vietnam as a matter of course, indeed, that it was
The laws of war and the war on terror Lee A. Casey and David B. Rivkin Jr.: ... "The right to detain enemy combatants during wartime is one of the most fundamental aspects of the customary laws of war and represented one of the first great humanitarian advances in the history of armed conflict. Before the right to detain (and corresponding obligation to give quarter) developed, captured enemies were often killed out of hand ? unless they could buy back their lives through ransom. ... "(Alexander) Hamilton noted that '[w]ar, of itself, gives to the parties a mutual right to kill in battle, and to capture the persons and property of each other' and that the Constitution does not require specific congressional authorization for such actions, at least after hostilities have commenced. Indeed, he wrote, '[t]he framers would have blushed at a provision, so repugnant to good sense, so inconsistent with national safety and convenience.' "
The UN must change David Frum and Richard Pearle: "The United Nations is the tooth fairy of American politics: Few adults believe in it, but it's generally regarded as a harmless story to amuse the children. Since 9/11, however, the UN has ceased to be harmless, and the Democratic presidential candidates' enthusiasm for it has ceased to be amusing. The United Nations has emerged at best as irrelevant to the terrorist threat that most concerns us, and at worst as an obstacle to our winning the war on terrorism. It must be reformed. And if it cannot be reformed, the United States should give serious consideration to withdrawal. "The UN has become an obstacle to our national security because it purports to set legal limits on the United States' ability to defend itself. If these limits ever made sense at all, they do not make sense now. ... "In other words, under UN rules, the U.S. is obliged to let terrorists strike first before retaliating--a
The most harmful endorsement Talon News: "Democrat presidential candidate Wesley Clark continues to defend liberal movie producer Michael Moore and the comments Moore made about President George W. Bush. ... "Interestingly, Clark has seen his support evaporate dramatically in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary race since he defended Moore's comments last Thursday. A Gallup poll released on Saturday showed Clark dropped nine points in only three days following the debate."
Enemies of US to gather in Tehran Amir Taheri: "THE other day at the World Economic Forum's inaugural session at Davos, Switzerland, Iran's President Muhammad Khatami repeatedly nodded his head in approval as forum founder Klaus Schwab called for the eradication of international terrorism. In his own speech, Khatami called for a 'dialogue of civilizations' as an alternative to war and terror. "Meanwhile, militants from some 40 countries spread across the globe were trekking to Tehran for a 10-day 'revolutionary jamboree' in which 'a new strategy to confront the American Great Satan' will be hammered out. "The event starts Feb. 1, to mark the 25th anniversary of the return to Iran from exile of the late Ayatollah Ruhallah Khomeini, the founder of the 'Islamic Revolution.' It is not clear how many militants will attend, but Iran's official media promise a massive turnout to underline the Islamic Republic's pos
Clark campaign in trouble USA Today: ... "The most recent USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll of likely voters puts the former NATO commander a distant third, with 13% of the vote, in New Hampshire. That's down from 21% a week ago. "Clark's struggle is due in part to his own missteps on issues as basic as abortion and the Iraq war. He also has fumbled routine tasks such as making sure introductions of him aren't embarrassing."
Happy Iraqi pilgrims Yahoo: "Joyful Iraqi pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia on Sunday said they would thank God for ending the rule of Saddam Hussein in prayers during haj pilgrimage but other Arabs were thinking of the U.S. occupation. ... " 'I and many people are thankful toward the United States because they were able to release us and we will definitely never forget. I don't think any Muslim can forget this,' he said, standing by Kurdish and Iraqi flags beside the Iraqi pilgrims." Unhappy Dean Yahoo: "Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean said Sunday that the standard of living for Iraqis is a 'whole lot worse' since Saddam Hussein's removal from power in last year's American-led invasion." Well, Howard, at least they are living. Other reports suggestthey are living much better than they did before. Howard gives no source for his pessimistic assessment.
Canadian al Qaeda operative killed in Pakistan BBC: "Pakistan says it has identified a man killed in an army operation late last year as a leading al-Qaeda suspect. "The authorities said the dead man was Abdur Rehman Khadar, who they said was a Canadian national of Egyptian origin. "He was one of eight alleged militants killed during an army operation in October near the Afghan border, in the tribal region of South Waziristan."
The Newsweak push poll The Washington Times: "Sen. John Kerry, riding the wave of popularity from his Iowa caucus win, would now beat President Bush in a head-to-head matchup, according to the latest poll. "Mr. Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, has left his rivals far behind in both message and standing in the opinion polls as New Hampshire Democrats and independents prepare to vote Tuesday in the Democratic presidential primary. But Mr. Kerry's popularity apparently extends beyond just Democrats. "A Newsweek poll taken Jan. 22-23 of 1,006 registered voters nationwide found Mr. Kerry winning 49 percent support in a head-to-head matchup with Mr. Bush, who garnered 46 percent support. That's a huge shift from just two weeks ago, when the same poll found Mr. Bush garnered 52 percent support to Mr. Kerry's 41 percent."
Chicken Little Science in UK Independent: "Global warming will plunge Britain into new ice age 'within decades'" says the headline. "Britain is likely to be plunged into an ice age within our lifetime by global warming, new research suggests. "A study, which is being taken seriously by top government scientists, has uncovered a change 'of remarkable amplitude' in the circulation of the waters of the North Atlantic. "Similar events in pre-history are known to have caused sudden 'flips' of the climate, bringing ice ages to northern Europe within a few decades. The development - described as 'the largest and most dramatic oceanic change ever measured in the era of modern instruments,' by the US Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, which led the research - threatens to turn off the Gulf Stream, which keeps Europe's weather mild." The logic of this analysis in convuluted enough for Al Gore. Perhaps, they s
Kay says some WMD materials move to Syria before the war Con Coughlin, Telegraph: "David Kay, the former head of the coalition's hunt for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, yesterday claimed that part of Saddam Hussein's secret weapons programme was hidden in Syria. "In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Dr Kay, who last week resigned as head of the Iraq Survey Group, said that he had uncovered evidence that unspecified materials had been moved to Syria shortly before last year's war to overthrow Saddam." "We are not talking about a large stockpile of weapons," he said. "But we know from some of the interrogations of former Iraqi officials that a lot of material went to Syria before the war, including some components of Saddam's WMD programme. Precisely what went to Syria, and what has happened to it, is a major issue that needs to be resolved."