Iraq had no stockpiles of biological, chemical or
nuclear weapons before last year's US-led invasion,
the chief US weapons inspector has concluded. Iraq
Survey Group head Charles Duelfer said Iraq's nuclear
capability had decayed not grown since the 1991 war.
But in a 1,000-page report his group said Saddam
Hussein intended to resume production of banned
weapons when UN sanctions were lifted.
The US and UK used allegations of Iraqi WMDs as a key
reason for going war.
But despite the lack of actual weapons, the White
House said the report showed Saddam Hussein's intent
and capability and justifies the decision to go to
war.
Democrats, on the other hand, used the report to
attack the Bush administration, claiming the president
misled the American people.
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said that while he now
accepted that Iraq held no stockpiles of WMD ready to
be deployed at the time of the invasion, the report
showed that UN sanctions had not been working.
Key findings in the report:
• "The ISG has not found evidence that Saddam
possessed WMD stocks in 2003, but [there is] the
possibility that some weapons existed in Iraq,
although not of a militarily significant capability."
• "There is an extensive, yet fragmentary and
circumstantial body of evidence suggesting that Saddam
pursued a strategy to maintain a capability to return
to WMD after sanctions were lifted... "
• "The problem of discerning WMD in Iraq is
highlighted by the pre-war misapprehensions of weapons
which were not there. Distant technical analysts
mistakenly identified evidence and drew incorrect
conclusions."
'Unaffordable risk'
The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says the report
will be used by both sides in the US election race -
while laying to rest the myth of WMDs it will inflame
the argument over whether Iraq under Saddam Hussein
constituted a true threat.
President Bush again defended last year's invasion,
though he made no reference to the report.
He told supporters on his election campaign trail that
the world was better off without Saddam Hussein, and
the risk of him passing weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) to terror groups was "a risk we could not afford
to take".
But the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee,
Senator Carl Levin, said Mr Duelfer's findings
undercut the government's main arguments for war.
"We did not go to war because Saddam had future
intentions to obtain weapons of mass destruction," Mr
Levin said.
High political stakes
Mr Blair said the report showed that Saddam Hussein
had planned to develop WMD.
"I welcome the report because I think it will show us
that it is far more of a complicated situation than
people thought," he told reporters during a trip to
Ethiopia.
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Barhem Saleh, said
anyone who doubted that Saddam Hussein had WMDs only
needed to visit Halabja - where the former Iraq
dictator had gassed thousands of Kurds.
But former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said
he hoped Mr Blair and Mr Bush would now admit that the
invasion of Iraq was a mistake.
"Had we had a few months more [of inspections before
the war], we would have been able to tell both the CIA
and others that there were no weapons of mass
destruction [at] all the sites that they had given to
us," he said, quoted by the Associated Press news
agency.
The ISG's verdict has been widely anticipated since
the former head of the group, David Kay, resigned in
January, and following the leaking of a draft copy of
the report last month.
The group plans to continue translating and evaluating
an estimated 10,000 boxes of documents seized in Iraq.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
The final judgment: Iraq had no WMD when war began
TONY Blair's case for waging war in Iraq has been destroyed, it was claimed last night, after the official group that spent 16 months searching for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction finally concluded they do not exist.
Charles Duelfer, the top US arms inspector, said he had found no evidence that Iraq produced any weapons of mass destruction after 1991.
Charles Duelfer, the top US arms inspector, said he had found no evidence that Iraq produced any weapons of mass destruction after 1991.
US report finds no banned Iraqi weapons as Iraq's leaders vow to retake rebel enclaves
Iraq had no active chemical, biological or nuclear programs at the time of the US-led invasion in 2003, according to a long-awaited US report, as the Iraqi government expressed renewed determination to erase pockets of resistance in time for January elections.
In Baghdad, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met with Iraqi leaders a day after a combined force of thousands of US and Iraqi troops stormed insurgent enclaves immediately south of the capital.
Meanwhile, 10 Iraqi national guard recruits and a child were killed in more car bombings.
In his more-than-1,000-page report, chief US weapons inspector Charles Duelfer said Iraq's chemical, biological and nuclear weapons were essentially destroyed in 1991 but Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein wanted to recreate them after UN sanctions were removed.
"Saddam wanted to recreate Iraq's (weapons) capability -- which was essentially destroyed in 1991 -- after sanctions were removed and Iraq's economy stabilized, but probably with a different mix of capabilities to that which previously existed," the report said.
"Saddam aspired to develop a nuclear capability -- in an incremental fashion, irrespective of international pressure and the resulting economic risks -- but he intended to focus on ballistic missile and tactical chemical warfare capabilities."
Amid the debate over Saddam's weapons, Iraqi leaders tried to broker truces with rebels in both Sunni and Shiite areas but warned the threat of further military attacks loomed unless government authority was restored.
Tough-talking interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi kept up the pressure saying fighters had to lay down their weapons unconditionally and abide by the rule of law, without any special deals.
"People want stability and for the government to start reconstruction efforts in these areas," interim deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh said.
"We have met for the last two to three weeks with representatives of Fallujah," he said, referring to the most defiant Sunni Arab city, which has been under rebel control since April.
"People are sick and tired of the situation there."
Saleh said the government was ready to restore its authority by negotiation if possible and noted that talks were continuing with Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to try to end almost daily clashes with the US military in their Baghdad bastion of Sadr City.
The cleric's aides confirmed they were continuing to talk to the government about a local truce for the sprawling Shiite slum neighbourhood.
"There are a couple of sticking points outstanding before we sign a deal that would involve Sadr's office, the government and the US military," Sadr spokesman Sheikh Abdul Hadi al-Darraji said.
US warplanes again pounded Fallujah, hitting what commanders described as a meeting of loyalists of Jordanian Islamist militant leader Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted man in Iraq. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
In a rare car bombing in the barren western plains, a suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into a group of people signing up with the national guard at a military base in Anah, some 260 kilometres (160 miles) west of Baghdad.
Ten young recruits were killed and 24 wounded in the latest attack on the fledgling force, which has been repeatedly targeted by the insurgents, police said.
South of the capital, a second car bomb exploded at a checkpoint killing a child and wounding seven more national guardsmen, medics said.
In a worrying sign for foreign diplomats holed up in the high-security Green Zone compound in the heart of Baghdad, the US embassy said it found and defused a bomb at a popular cafe there.
Despite the relentless bloodshed, Straw, who met with Allawi and President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar among others, said he was impressed by Iraq's commitment to holding nationwide elections on time.
"There is a great deal of work to do but I have been impressed by the work that already has been undertaken and which is in the pipeline," Straw said.
The biggest foreign troop contributor to Iraq after the United States, Britain too has been touched by the violence there, most recently with the kidnapping of 62-year-old engineer Kenneth Bigley, snatched from his Baghdad home September 16 with two US colleagues, who have already been beheaded.
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi joined a host of foreign statesmen who have already appealed for his release.
In other violence, an official from the Saadia region near Baquba, north of Baghdad, told AFP three Kurdish militiamen and their civilian driver were killed in a drive-by shooting late Tuesday.
A bomb also exploded in the main southern city of Basra, killing one civilian, and wounding 10 other people, including four policemen.
In addition, police said the bullet-riddled body of an Iraqi working as an interpreter for the US military was found near Ramadi and a police officer died in a roadside blast just outside the western city.
In Baghdad, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met with Iraqi leaders a day after a combined force of thousands of US and Iraqi troops stormed insurgent enclaves immediately south of the capital.
Meanwhile, 10 Iraqi national guard recruits and a child were killed in more car bombings.
In his more-than-1,000-page report, chief US weapons inspector Charles Duelfer said Iraq's chemical, biological and nuclear weapons were essentially destroyed in 1991 but Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein wanted to recreate them after UN sanctions were removed.
"Saddam wanted to recreate Iraq's (weapons) capability -- which was essentially destroyed in 1991 -- after sanctions were removed and Iraq's economy stabilized, but probably with a different mix of capabilities to that which previously existed," the report said.
"Saddam aspired to develop a nuclear capability -- in an incremental fashion, irrespective of international pressure and the resulting economic risks -- but he intended to focus on ballistic missile and tactical chemical warfare capabilities."
Amid the debate over Saddam's weapons, Iraqi leaders tried to broker truces with rebels in both Sunni and Shiite areas but warned the threat of further military attacks loomed unless government authority was restored.
Tough-talking interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi kept up the pressure saying fighters had to lay down their weapons unconditionally and abide by the rule of law, without any special deals.
"People want stability and for the government to start reconstruction efforts in these areas," interim deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh said.
"We have met for the last two to three weeks with representatives of Fallujah," he said, referring to the most defiant Sunni Arab city, which has been under rebel control since April.
"People are sick and tired of the situation there."
Saleh said the government was ready to restore its authority by negotiation if possible and noted that talks were continuing with Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to try to end almost daily clashes with the US military in their Baghdad bastion of Sadr City.
The cleric's aides confirmed they were continuing to talk to the government about a local truce for the sprawling Shiite slum neighbourhood.
"There are a couple of sticking points outstanding before we sign a deal that would involve Sadr's office, the government and the US military," Sadr spokesman Sheikh Abdul Hadi al-Darraji said.
US warplanes again pounded Fallujah, hitting what commanders described as a meeting of loyalists of Jordanian Islamist militant leader Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted man in Iraq. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
In a rare car bombing in the barren western plains, a suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into a group of people signing up with the national guard at a military base in Anah, some 260 kilometres (160 miles) west of Baghdad.
Ten young recruits were killed and 24 wounded in the latest attack on the fledgling force, which has been repeatedly targeted by the insurgents, police said.
South of the capital, a second car bomb exploded at a checkpoint killing a child and wounding seven more national guardsmen, medics said.
In a worrying sign for foreign diplomats holed up in the high-security Green Zone compound in the heart of Baghdad, the US embassy said it found and defused a bomb at a popular cafe there.
Despite the relentless bloodshed, Straw, who met with Allawi and President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar among others, said he was impressed by Iraq's commitment to holding nationwide elections on time.
"There is a great deal of work to do but I have been impressed by the work that already has been undertaken and which is in the pipeline," Straw said.
The biggest foreign troop contributor to Iraq after the United States, Britain too has been touched by the violence there, most recently with the kidnapping of 62-year-old engineer Kenneth Bigley, snatched from his Baghdad home September 16 with two US colleagues, who have already been beheaded.
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi joined a host of foreign statesmen who have already appealed for his release.
In other violence, an official from the Saadia region near Baquba, north of Baghdad, told AFP three Kurdish militiamen and their civilian driver were killed in a drive-by shooting late Tuesday.
A bomb also exploded in the main southern city of Basra, killing one civilian, and wounding 10 other people, including four policemen.
In addition, police said the bullet-riddled body of an Iraqi working as an interpreter for the US military was found near Ramadi and a police officer died in a roadside blast just outside the western city.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Japan Encyclopedia
I read it and i liked it:
"Japan Encyclopedia"
by Louis Frédéric
Translated by Käthe Roth
"Knowing Japan and the Japanese better," Louis
Frédéric states in the introduction to this
encyclopedia, "is one of the necessities of modern
life." The Japanese have a profound knowledge of every
aspect and detail of Western societies. Unfortunately,
we in the West cannot say the same about our knowledge
of Japan. We tend to see Japan through a veil of
exoticism, as a land of ancient customs and exquisite
arts; or we view it as a powerful contributor to the
global economy, the source of cutting-edge electronics
and innovative management techniques. To go beyond
these clichés, we must begin to see how apparently
contradictory aspects of modern Japanese culture
spring from the country's evolution through more than
two millennia of history.
This richly detailed yet concise encyclopedia is a
guide to the full range of Japanese history and
civilization, from the dawn of its prehistory to
today, providing clear and accessible information on
society and institutions, commerce and industry,
sciences, sports, and politics, with particular
emphasis on religion, material culture, and the arts.
The volume is enhanced by maps and illustrations,
along with a detailed chronology of more than 2,000
years of Japanese history and a comprehensive
bibliography. Cross-references and an index help the
reader trace themes from one article to the next.
Japan Encyclopedia will be an indispensable one-volume
reference for students, scholars, travelers,
journalists, and anyone who wishes to learn more about
the past and present of this great world civilization.
Harvard University Press Reference Library 14 maps; 48
illustrations 1108 pages.
"Japan Encyclopedia"
by Louis Frédéric
Translated by Käthe Roth
"Knowing Japan and the Japanese better," Louis
Frédéric states in the introduction to this
encyclopedia, "is one of the necessities of modern
life." The Japanese have a profound knowledge of every
aspect and detail of Western societies. Unfortunately,
we in the West cannot say the same about our knowledge
of Japan. We tend to see Japan through a veil of
exoticism, as a land of ancient customs and exquisite
arts; or we view it as a powerful contributor to the
global economy, the source of cutting-edge electronics
and innovative management techniques. To go beyond
these clichés, we must begin to see how apparently
contradictory aspects of modern Japanese culture
spring from the country's evolution through more than
two millennia of history.
This richly detailed yet concise encyclopedia is a
guide to the full range of Japanese history and
civilization, from the dawn of its prehistory to
today, providing clear and accessible information on
society and institutions, commerce and industry,
sciences, sports, and politics, with particular
emphasis on religion, material culture, and the arts.
The volume is enhanced by maps and illustrations,
along with a detailed chronology of more than 2,000
years of Japanese history and a comprehensive
bibliography. Cross-references and an index help the
reader trace themes from one article to the next.
Japan Encyclopedia will be an indispensable one-volume
reference for students, scholars, travelers,
journalists, and anyone who wishes to learn more about
the past and present of this great world civilization.
Harvard University Press Reference Library 14 maps; 48
illustrations 1108 pages.
The North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 (USA)
North Korea Human Rights Act - final text documents, just published.
(As passed by the Senate and House of Representatives USA)
This Act although modified has a potential to give a serious blow to the current North Korean government.
The preamble of the bill contains detailed findings that describe humanitarian and human rights conditions
inside North Korea, and the torment of North Korean refugees.
Section-by-section summary of H.R. 4011
The North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004
The preamble of the bill contains: detailed findings that describe humanitarian and human rights conditions inside North Korea, and the plight of North Korean refugees; declarations of purpose; and definitions of terms used in the Act.
Title I - Promoting the Human Rights of North Koreans
Sec. 101. Sense of Congress Regarding Negotiations with North Korea - Expresses the sense of Congress that negotiations with North Korea and other parties in Northeast Asia should include the human rights of North Koreans as a key element.
Sec. 102. Support for Human Rights and Democracy Programs - Authorizes $2 million for each of the fiscal years 2005-2008 to support programs by private, nonprofit organizations to promote human rights, democracy, rule of law, and a market economy in North Korea.
Sec. 103. Broadcasting into North Korea - Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should increase radio broadcasts into North Korea by Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, and requires a report detailing the technical and fiscal requirements needed to increase those broadcasts to 12 hours per day.
Sec. 104. Actions to Promote Freedom of Information - Authorizes $2 million for each of the fiscal years 2005-2008 to increase the availability of non-government-controlled sources of information to North Koreans, and requires a non-public report to Congress on such activities.
Sec. 105. United Nations Commission on Human Rights - Notes the role of the Commission in promoting improved human rights in North Korea, and urges additional North Korea-specific attention by the Commission, its working groups, and rapporteurs.
Sec. 106. Establishment of Regional Framework - Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should explore the possibility of a regional human rights dialogue with North Korea (like the Helsinki process for the former Soviet Union).
Sec. 107. Special Envoy on Human Rights in North Korea - Mandates the appointment of a special envoy for human rights in North Korea within the State Department and outlines the duties of that position.
Title II - Assisting North Koreans in Need
Sec. 201. Report on United States Humanitarian Assistance - Requires the State Department and USAID to report annually (for the next 3 years) on (1) U.S. humanitarian assistance to North Koreans, (2) any improvements in humanitarian transparency and monitoring inside North Korea, and (3) specific efforts by the U.S. and U.S. grantees to secure better monitoring and access.
Sec. 202. Assistance Provided Inside North Korea - This section: (a) Expresses support for humanitarian assistance provided inside North Korea through NGOs and international organizations, but asserts that increases over current levels should be conditioned upon substantial improvements in transparency, monitoring, and access; (b) Outlines human rights and humanitarian principles that should govern any future U.S. aid provided directly to the North Korean government; and (c) Requires a one-time report from USAID on compliance with this section.
Sec. 203. Assistance Provided Outside North Korea - Authorizes $20 million for each of the fiscal years 2005-2008 for humanitarian assistance to North Korean refugees, orphans, and trafficking victims outside of North Korea.
Title III - Protecting North Korean Refugees
Sec. 301. U.S. Policy Toward Refugees and Defectors - Requires a one-time report from Executive Branch agencies describing the North Korean refugee situation and explaining U.S. policy toward North Korean refugees and defectors.
Sec. 302. Eligibility for Refugee or Asylum Consideration - Clarifies that North Koreans are eligible to apply for U.S. refugee and asylum consideration (just as people from any other nation are), and are not preemptively disqualified by any prospective claim to citizenship they may have under the South Korean constitution. This section does not change U.S. law but makes it clearer, explicitly endorsing the Department of Homeland Security's interpretation of current U.S. law. It does not grant North Koreans any preferential or expedited consideration. In addition, this provision of the bill expressly does not apply “to former North Korean nationals who have availed themselves of those rights [to Republic of Korea citizenship]� by resettling in South Korea.
Sec. 303. Facilitating Submission of Applications for Admission as a Refugee – Directs the State Department to facilitate the submission of refugee applications by North Koreans.
Sec. 304. United Nations High Commission for Refugees - Notes China’s obligations to provide UNHCR with access to North Koreans in China, urges UNHCR donor countries to press China for such access, urges the UNHCR to use professionals and NGOs with proven expertise in aiding North Koreans in China, and urges the UNHCR to assert its right to arbitration with China in an effort to secure access to North Koreans in China.
Sec. 305. Annual Reports - Requires annual reports (for the next 5 years) that include (a) the numbers of North Koreans admitted to the U.S. as refugees and asylees, and (b) information on measures taken to facilitate access to the U.S. refugee program by persons fleeing countries of particular concern for violations of religious freedom.
(As passed by the Senate and House of Representatives USA)
This Act although modified has a potential to give a serious blow to the current North Korean government.
The preamble of the bill contains detailed findings that describe humanitarian and human rights conditions
inside North Korea, and the torment of North Korean refugees.
Section-by-section summary of H.R. 4011
The North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004
The preamble of the bill contains: detailed findings that describe humanitarian and human rights conditions inside North Korea, and the plight of North Korean refugees; declarations of purpose; and definitions of terms used in the Act.
Title I - Promoting the Human Rights of North Koreans
Sec. 101. Sense of Congress Regarding Negotiations with North Korea - Expresses the sense of Congress that negotiations with North Korea and other parties in Northeast Asia should include the human rights of North Koreans as a key element.
Sec. 102. Support for Human Rights and Democracy Programs - Authorizes $2 million for each of the fiscal years 2005-2008 to support programs by private, nonprofit organizations to promote human rights, democracy, rule of law, and a market economy in North Korea.
Sec. 103. Broadcasting into North Korea - Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should increase radio broadcasts into North Korea by Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, and requires a report detailing the technical and fiscal requirements needed to increase those broadcasts to 12 hours per day.
Sec. 104. Actions to Promote Freedom of Information - Authorizes $2 million for each of the fiscal years 2005-2008 to increase the availability of non-government-controlled sources of information to North Koreans, and requires a non-public report to Congress on such activities.
Sec. 105. United Nations Commission on Human Rights - Notes the role of the Commission in promoting improved human rights in North Korea, and urges additional North Korea-specific attention by the Commission, its working groups, and rapporteurs.
Sec. 106. Establishment of Regional Framework - Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should explore the possibility of a regional human rights dialogue with North Korea (like the Helsinki process for the former Soviet Union).
Sec. 107. Special Envoy on Human Rights in North Korea - Mandates the appointment of a special envoy for human rights in North Korea within the State Department and outlines the duties of that position.
Title II - Assisting North Koreans in Need
Sec. 201. Report on United States Humanitarian Assistance - Requires the State Department and USAID to report annually (for the next 3 years) on (1) U.S. humanitarian assistance to North Koreans, (2) any improvements in humanitarian transparency and monitoring inside North Korea, and (3) specific efforts by the U.S. and U.S. grantees to secure better monitoring and access.
Sec. 202. Assistance Provided Inside North Korea - This section: (a) Expresses support for humanitarian assistance provided inside North Korea through NGOs and international organizations, but asserts that increases over current levels should be conditioned upon substantial improvements in transparency, monitoring, and access; (b) Outlines human rights and humanitarian principles that should govern any future U.S. aid provided directly to the North Korean government; and (c) Requires a one-time report from USAID on compliance with this section.
Sec. 203. Assistance Provided Outside North Korea - Authorizes $20 million for each of the fiscal years 2005-2008 for humanitarian assistance to North Korean refugees, orphans, and trafficking victims outside of North Korea.
Title III - Protecting North Korean Refugees
Sec. 301. U.S. Policy Toward Refugees and Defectors - Requires a one-time report from Executive Branch agencies describing the North Korean refugee situation and explaining U.S. policy toward North Korean refugees and defectors.
Sec. 302. Eligibility for Refugee or Asylum Consideration - Clarifies that North Koreans are eligible to apply for U.S. refugee and asylum consideration (just as people from any other nation are), and are not preemptively disqualified by any prospective claim to citizenship they may have under the South Korean constitution. This section does not change U.S. law but makes it clearer, explicitly endorsing the Department of Homeland Security's interpretation of current U.S. law. It does not grant North Koreans any preferential or expedited consideration. In addition, this provision of the bill expressly does not apply “to former North Korean nationals who have availed themselves of those rights [to Republic of Korea citizenship]� by resettling in South Korea.
Sec. 303. Facilitating Submission of Applications for Admission as a Refugee – Directs the State Department to facilitate the submission of refugee applications by North Koreans.
Sec. 304. United Nations High Commission for Refugees - Notes China’s obligations to provide UNHCR with access to North Koreans in China, urges UNHCR donor countries to press China for such access, urges the UNHCR to use professionals and NGOs with proven expertise in aiding North Koreans in China, and urges the UNHCR to assert its right to arbitration with China in an effort to secure access to North Koreans in China.
Sec. 305. Annual Reports - Requires annual reports (for the next 5 years) that include (a) the numbers of North Koreans admitted to the U.S. as refugees and asylees, and (b) information on measures taken to facilitate access to the U.S. refugee program by persons fleeing countries of particular concern for violations of religious freedom.
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