Reply #54: Guy, here's something else to consider.Scott Ritter referred to it earlier [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

I just found this in a search to refresh my memory on this good talking point:

Published on Thursday, August 1, 2002 by FAIR's Media Beat
War and Forgetfulness -- A Bloody Media Game
by Norman Solomon

Three and a half years ago, some key information about U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq briefly surfaced on the front pages of American newspapers -- and promptly vanished. Now, with righteous war drums beating loudly in Washington, let's reach deep down into the news media's Orwellian memory hole and retrieve the story.

"U.S. Spied on Iraq Under U.N. Cover, Officials Now Say," a front-page New York Times headline announced on Jan. 7, 1999. The article was unequivocal: "United States officials said today that American spies had worked undercover on teams of United Nations arms inspectors ferreting out secret Iraqi weapons programs.... By being part of the team, the Americans gained a first-hand knowledge of the investigation and a protected presence inside Baghdad."

A day later, a followup Times story pointed out: "Reports that the United States used the United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq as cover for spying on Saddam Hussein are dimming any chances that the inspection system will survive."

With its credibility badly damaged by the spying, the U.N. inspection system did not survive. Another factor in its demise was the U.S. government's declaration that sanctions against Iraq would remain in place whether or not Baghdad fully complied with the inspection regimen.
(snip/...)

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0801-01.htm

Here's the New York Times referred to at the beginning of the article:

Published on Thursday, January 7, 1999 in the New York Times
U.S. Spied on Iraq Under U.N. Cover, Officials Now Say
by Tim Weiner

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- United States officials said today that American spies had worked undercover on teams of United Nations arms inspectors ferreting out secret Iraqi weapons programs.

Iraq has long condemned the inspectors as tools of American intelligence. In October it issued a statement saying it would never cooperate with United Nations teams riddled with ''American spies and agents.''

United States officials said American intelligence agencies provided information and technology to the United Nations Special Commission, known as Unscom. In turn, they said, the United States and other nations received information on Iraqi weapons programs from the inspectors.

By being part of the team, the Americans gained a first-hand knowledge of the investigation and a protected presence inside Baghdad.
(snip/...)

American officials did not say how many spies served on the commission or describe their roles.

The disclosure that American spies had worked as inspectors came after The Boston Globe reported today that such agents had used the team as a cover to spy on President Saddam Hussein.
(snip/...)

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/010799-01.htm