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Anti-Empire
The Saker Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Public InquiryInterested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
Human Rights in IrelandIndymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
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Britain's dirty secret national |
miscellaneous |
news report
 Thursday March 06, 2003 21:47 by The Guardian/UK
 Who built the chemical plant? A chemical plant which the US says is a key component in Iraq's chemical warfare arsenal was secretly built by Britain in 1985...the deal would ruin Britain's image in the world if news got out: Britain's dirty secret David Leigh and John Hooper A chemical plant which the US says is a key component in Iraq's chemical warfare arsenal was secretly built by Britain in 1985 behind the backs of the Americans, the Guardian can disclose. Senior officials recorded in writing that Saddam Hussein was actively gassing his opponents and that there was a "strong possibility" that the chlorine plant was intended by the Iraqis to make mustard gas. At the time, Saddam was known to be gassing Iranian troops in their thousands in the Iran-Iraq war. But ministers in the then Thatcher government none the less secretly gave financial backing to the British company involved, Uhde Ltd, through insurance guarantees. Paul Channon, then trade minister, concealed the existence of the chlorine plant contract from the US administration, which was pressing for controls on such exports. He also instructed the export credit guarantee department (ECGD) to keep details of the deal secret from the public. The papers show that Mr Channon rejected a strong plea from a Foreign Office minister, Richard Luce, that the deal would ruin Britain's image in the world if news got out: "I consider it essential everything possible be done to oppose the proposed sale and to deny the company concerned ECGD cover". The Ministry of Defence also weighed in, warning that it could be used to make chemical weapons. But Mr Channon, in line with Mrs Thatcher's policy of propping up the dictator, said: "A ban would do our other trade prospects in Iraq no good". The British taxpayer was even forced to write a compensation cheque for £300,000 to the German-owned company after final checks on the plant, completed in May 1990, were interrupted by the outbreak of the Gulf war. The Falluja 2 chlorine plant, 50 miles outside Baghdad, near the Habbaniya airbase, has been pinpointed by the US as an example of a factory rebuilt by Saddam to regain his chemical warfare capability. Last month it featured in Colin Powell's dossier of reasons why the world should go to war against Iraq, which was presented to the UN security council. Spy satellite pictures of Falluja 2 identifying it as a chemical weapons site were earlier published by the CIA, and a report by Britain's joint intelligence committee, published with Tony Blair's imprimatur last September, also focused on Falluja 2 as a rebuilt plant "formerly associated with the chemical warfare programme". UN weapons inspectors toured the Falluja 2 plant last December and Hans Blix, the chief inspector, reported to the security council that the chemical equipment there might have to be destroyed. But until now, the secret of Britain's knowing role in Falluja's construction has remained hidden. Last night, Uhde Ltd's parent company in Dortmund, Germany, issued a statement confirming that their then UK subsidiary had built Falluja 2 for Iraq's chemical weapons procurement agency, the State Enterprise for Pesticide Production. A company spokesman said: "This was a normal plant for the production of chlorine and caustic soda. It could not produce other products". The British government's intelligence at the time, as shown in the documents, was that Iraq, which was having increasing difficulty in obtaining precursor chemicals on the legitimate market, intended to use the chlorine as a feedstock to manufacture such chemicals as epichlorohydrin and phosphorous trichloride. These in turn were used to make mustard gas and nerve agents. Paul Channon, since ennobled as Lord Kelvedon, was last night holidaying on the Caribbean island of Mustique. He issued a statement through his secretary, who said: "He can't object to the story. So he's got no comment." |
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Comments (11 of 11)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11I really hate the Tory party and I'dlove to believe all this is true, but I just don't believe the Guardian anymore. It's lost all editorial values.
ruin Britain's image in the world ?
what image, you mean the image of an empire-obsessed tyrant who along with the US supports military regimes in their extermination of peace, freedom, democracy and the poor? That Britain?
The Guardian weren't just reporting hearsay. They have actual documents that report what ahppened, and quotes from involved parties confirming the story.
Iraq was a western ally throughout the 80's. Why is this so hard to believe?
Ray maybe its because Seanin's deep love for the ar is such that he has great problems beliving anything that might even slightly question that love. Seanin is convinced that while previous wars have let him down by turning out to be only interested in power, wealth and maintaining the status quo this one will be different. Deep in his heart he belives this is the war that his mother always said was waiting for him, even just thinking of this war gives him a special warm feeling all over.
I thought that we were discussing the Guardian article?
Leave my mother out of this mate. OK?
But it is about the fact that in a few days the mothers of Iraq will start to be killed. Should they not also be 'left out of it' mate? And their off spring, male and female. Why don't you join us in demanding that the war mongers 'leave them out of it'?
I wish I could join those who are protesting against the forthcoming war, but in conscience, I can't.
From what I know of the situation, a quick change of government is needed in Iraq to prevent any more people dying of sanctions. We're told that over a million have died there already.
I hear everywhere that Iraqi exiles are clamouring for the US to overthrow Saddam. There's every chance that the people within Iraq, who have no voice want this to happen too. I cannot presume to speak on their behalf.
If Saddam trashes his weapons, what happens? Are we allowed to send him all the banned materials again as if this never happened? Or do the sanctions stay in place? No matter what happens, as long as Saddam stays in power, innocent people die (Iran/Iraq War - Kuwait - Marsh Arabs - Kurds).
The US is acting to protect it's own interests, as all states do. It just so happens that the US is a democracy not unlike that of Ireland, and their intention is to install such a govt in Iraq.
17 UN resolutions and 1,000,000 dead people after 12 years of sanctions is enough justification in my book for war.
Wish I could join you but I can't.
Good god man, listen to yourself!!!
as i work my way through this newswire i keep coming across your vitriolic spittle pasted to every article, did your mammy not hug you enough as a kid or something?
(didnt mean to bring your mother up again)
Is this the level of debate here? Couldn't you kind of address the arguments?
BTW, thats' all right, it's probavly a figure of speech.
$
by Seanin Fri, Mar 7 2003, 12:46pm
Is this the level of debate here? Couldn't you kind of address the arguments?
And here's one example of how to do it....
$
by Seanin Fri, Mar 7 2003, 11:11am
I've alwas been puzzled by them. If they're the Real IRA, were the other lot imaginary?
Seany is either a psyops cop (SEHB) or else a very bored sad individual.
Seany, if you just want to slag people off, do it elsewhere.
Em, am I not entitled to use this forum just because I have a differnt opinion to most others?
Isn't that why it's called Indymedia, free of any "slant"?
As for slagging off people, I never made any personal attacks on people, unlike somebody I could mention.