Aug 31, 2009 former iraqi air force twostar general georges sada wrote a book in 2004. Nayouf writes that the transfer of iraqi wmd to syria was organized by the. General georges hormiz sada is an iraqi of ethnic assyrian descent, an author, former iraqi national security advisor and retired general officer of the iraqi air force. Thats one of several dramatic claims made in the book by former iraqi general georges sada. I was the airwise marshall, in the air force, second highest rank in the iraqi military and i was one of the people who did not attend the baath party. Those present included nearly twenty former inspectors from the united nations special commission unscom, the force established in. When, during an interview with the sun in april 2004, vice president cheney was asked whether he thought that iraqi weapons of mass destruction had been moved to syria, mr. Primary concerns were concentrated strategic sams around baghdad and large numbers of unlocated tactical sams and aaa throughout the aor.
Although the story was met with general neglect or scorn from the. Us soon to go to war with syria over previously nonexistent wmds. Work on the foreign military sale will be conducted at inman ali air base in iraq, with a completion date scheduled for the second quarter of 2018 in order to meet iraqs demand for. Those present included nearly twenty former inspectors from the united nations special commission unscom, the force established in 1991 to. A former top iraqi air force general said saturday that saddam hussein smuggled biological and chemical weapons into syria, using civilian airliners acting under cover of a humanitarian mission. Baghdad hides large portions of iraq s wmd efforts. Initial threat iraqi air force personnel 20,000 iraqi combat aircraft. Baghdad iraqi officials have discovered that they may have a real air force, after all. Keith dayton, the head of the defense intelligence agencys directorate of operations.
In 2006, sada said, there are weapons of mass destruction gone out from iraq to syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands. Having ordered its f16iqs in two batches of 18 aircraft during 2011 and 2012, the iraqi air force received its first one in late 2014. Jan 24, 2016 on august 16, 2002, rumsfeld asked air force maj. The retired iraqi officer air marshal georges sadareports that two iraqi transport aircraft made more than 50 wmd flights to syria, under the guise of humanitarian relief. To understand iraq, geopolitics, wmds, saddam, and sada himself, this would appear to be a key point in time to delve into. Saddam sent wmd to syria, former general alleges cnsnews.
A c17 globemaster iii taxis after landing at an air base in southwest asia. A former iraqi general alleges that in june 2002 saddam hussein transported weapons of mass destruction out of the country to syria aboard several refitted commercial jets, under the pretense of conducting a humanitarian mission for flood victims. Us air force the us launches a massive air assault against iraq in retaliation for that countrys invasion of kuwait see august 2, 1990. Overall operational capability of iraqi aviation was low while the surfacetoair threat was assessed as medium to high. Former iraqi general georges sada, who served as secondincommand of the iraqi air force under deposed dictator saddam hussein, says hussein moved weapons of mass destruction into syria before the usled invasion by loading them into civilian aircraft in which the passenger seats were removed. In january 2005 f three exusaf ce cargo planes were delivered. There are weapons of mass destruction gone out from iraq to syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands, mr. This information came from retired iraqi air force general georges sada, as explained in his book saddams secrets. One of the many air strikes launched against iraqi targets during operation desert storm. Jafars and saddams wmds by moving them to syria, lebanon, and iran via truck convoys and air cargo operations in early 2003 as the us and coalition military forces prepared to invade iraq at the onset of operation iraqi freedom. In the book he gave specific details of how saddam had ordered air force pilots to fly parts of wmd stockpiles to syria, and gave further information on efforts of ground transportation of such. According to the isg final report, the search for wmds actually began during the invasion phase of operation iraqi freedom.
On the daily show last week, jon stewart had a former iraqi air force general on the show who claimed that he had first hand knowledge of wmds being shipped to syria by truck and air before the u. Iraq actively researched and later employed weapons of mass destruction wmd from 1962 to 1991, when it destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile and halted its biological and nuclear weapon programs as required by the united nations security council. The iqaf also acts as a support force for the iraqi navy and the iraqi army and it allows iraq to rapidly deploy its. I asked duelfer if nizar nayouf or the two iraqi pilots were spoken with. Feb 21, 2016 i participated in a washington meeting about iraqi wmd. Show this column to anyone who claims bush lied about wmds in. Abdulhussein lafta ali ali buckle into an f16d fighting falcon at tucson international airport aug. Iraq had also constructed 594 hardened aircraft shelters to house nearly its entire air force.
I participated in a washington meeting about iraqi wmd. Former iraqi air force twostar general georges sada wrote a book in 2004. Iraq and weapons of mass destruction the national security archive. He says iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in which the. Glen shaffer, head of the joint staffs intelligence directorate, what we dont know in a percentage about the iraqi wmd program. A significant milestone was reached on 7 march 2006, with the opening of the first iraqi air base at new al muthana, while the first all iraqi aircrew flew their inaugural mission on 28 november 2005. Iraqi air force 2003 and rebuilt 2006 weapons and warfare. The trigger for military action preferred by the british government, other allies, and at. Air force wants ban exemption for iraqi pilot trainees. This assessment proved a colossal failure, as no trace of nonconventional weapons was ever found in iraq. General sada, an iraqi air force general in saddams iraq, helps us. Dec 29, 2017 the rationale for the 2003 iraq war was the american intelligence communitys assessment that the saddam hussein regime possessed chemical and biological weapons and was pursuing nuclear weapons.
In a new book, a former senior general in iraq s air force claims that large quantities of wmd materials were flown to syria in the months before the u. About nuclear weapons or material, i dont know, said georges sada, 65. The following is a partial transcript of kevin mcculloughs exclusive interview with saddam husseins former airwise marshall georges sada. Iraqs weapons of mass destruction programs central. Iraqi air force general georges sada documents saddams rise, rule, and ultimate fall in his 2006 memoir saddams secrets. General georges sada, the former secondincommand of the iraqi air force, claimed in his 2006 book that he knew two iraqi pilots that flew wmd into syria over the summer of 2002, which came before a later shipment on the ground.
Intelligence shortly before the 2003 invasion of iraq was heavily used as support arguments in favor of military intervention, with the october 2002 c. This book is about general sadas military career in the iraqi airforce and his. Last falcons the last of 36 f16iq fighting falcon aircraft arrived in iraq on may 3. The royal iraqi air force riraf considered its founding day as 22 april 1931, when the first pilots flew in from training in the united kingdom. The defense ministry revealed sunday that it had recently learned that iraq owns 19 mig21 and mig23 jet. Former iraqi air force general publishes saddams secrets knoxville news sentinel 256 jim balloch posted on 02052006 8. Saddams wmds moved to syria financial sense online 27 january 2006 j. The retired iraqi officerair marshal georges sadareports that two iraqi transport aircraft made more than 50 wmd flights to syria, under the guise of humanitarian relief.
Theres a book out by one of saddams former generals georges sada he was the no. Feb 05, 2006 a former top iraqi air force general said saturday that saddam hussein smuggled biological and chemical weapons into syria, using civilian airliners acting under cover of a humanitarian mission. Georges sada, an iraqi general in saddams former air force, claims he was very good friends with the men who hid iraqs wmds in syria. Special republican guard, including general shalish, with the help of. The rationale for the 2003 iraq war was the american intelligence communitys assessment that the saddam hussein regime possessed chemical and biological weapons and was pursuing nuclear weapons. The allegation was included in a 2006 book by sada, saddams secrets, but has never been corroborated. Georges sada was one of saddams top generals and foremost military advisors. General georges hormiz sada aka gewargis or george hormis. In his book saddams secrets, sada states that saddam did not want him. Sep 22, 2016 2 iraqi wmds were moved into syria via 56 sorties of boeing 747 and boeing 727 passenger jets that had been converted into freighters by removing seats from the cabins. He desribes facts in his book saddams secrets such as that iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in. In january, 2006, former iraqi general, georges sada publicly declared that saddams military transferred large stockpiles of chemical weapons to syria using civilian aircraft with the passenger seats removed. Rove also cites a former iraqi air force general, georges sada, who told fox news in 2006 that other iraqi pilots reported having flown the weapons to syria aboard commercial cargo jets. A network of radars, surfaceto air missiles sam and.
Remnants of iraq air force are found the new york times. Among the tidbits from a ken anderson blog published on information from occupied iraq in the previous post, i discussed the bias in blogging about the ny suns story about general georges sada claims that saddam hussein had shipped wmds to syria during the runup to the invasion of iraq. Saddam says he made his wmd threats to cower the iranians. No, we didnt find evidence of wmds in iraq, but lets examine the facts, shall we. The iraqi general, georges sada, makes the charges in a new book, saddams secrets, released this week. Jan 21, 1991 in addition, the ability of the iraqi air force to counterattack will be limited by the continuing assault on their airfields and shelters, as well as on the sofar superior skills of the american. After the fall of saddam, the rebuilding was initiated dubbed the new iraqi air force iqaf. Is he lying, or is it possible that some of the worlds most proficient intelligence services were actually right. A significant milestone was reached on 7 march 2006, with the opening of the first iraqi air base at new al muthana, while the first alliraqi aircrew flew their inaugural mission on. In the thenclassified national security directive 54, signed on january 15, 1991, authorizing the use of force to expel iraq from kuwait, he identified iraqi use of weapons of mass destruction wmd against allied forces as an action that would lead the u. Which brings us to the other strange part of the book, its pacing. First with was the sbl7360 seeker, followed by sixteen sama ch2000 aircraft both jordanian built. Iraqs wmd secreted in syria, general sada says early today. Iraqi air force official explains about the missing wmds.
Saddams secrets how an iraqi general defied and survived saddam hussein. In addition, the ability of the iraqi air force to counterattack will be limited by the continuing assault on their airfields and shelters, as well as on the sofar superior skills of the american. An iraqi air force general with information on saddams weapons of mass destruction is scheduled to meet with senators jeff sessions rala. A military task force was deployed to investigate suspected wmd sites on. In 2006, former iraqi general georges sada, second in command of the iraqi air force who served under saddam hussein before he defected, wrote a comprehensive book, saddams secrets. Oct 11, 2009 the book also says that on the eve of the first gulf war, saddam was planning to use his air force to launch a chemical weapons attack on israel. How iraqi wmd were hidden in syria golos the voice. Sada, an assyrian christian, recalls how he decided to become a pilot and tells the story of his career in the iraqi air force. Syrias chemical weapons came from saddams iraq investors.
Before the creation of the new air force, the raf iraq command was in charge of all british armed forces elements in iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s. Sep 20, 20 georges sada, an iraqi general in saddams former air force, claims he was very good friends with the men who hid iraqs wmds in syria. Mar 09, 2010 rove also cites a former iraqi air force general, georges sada, who told fox news in 2006 that other iraqi pilots reported having flown the weapons to syria aboard commercial cargo jets. Though the overthrow of saddams cruel totalitarian regime was. He says iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in which the passenger seats were removed just like toolman said. Iraqi air defenses were redesigned after the israeli raid on the osirak nuclear reactor in 1981. The fifth president of iraq, saddam hussein, was internationally condemned for his use of chemical weapons during the 1980s campaign against. Iraqs wmd secreted in syria, sada says the new york sun. In a new book, a former senior general in iraqs air force claims that large quantities of wmd materials were flown to syria in the months before the u. The iraqi general, georges sada, makes the charges in a new book. It details how the iraqi revolutionary guard moved weapons of mass destruction into syria in advance of the u. Apr 04, 2006 on the daily show last week, jon stewart had a former iraqi air force general on the show who claimed that he had first hand knowledge of wmds being shipped to syria by truck and air before the u.
Most of iraqs air force was destroyed during operation iraqi freedom during early 2003, and all remaining equipment was junked in the immediate aftermath. Iraqi air force general georges sada, an assyrian christian, wrote in his book saddams secrets that while iraq had a nuclearweapons project at one time, it was destroyed in 1981 by an. Primakov helped oversee russias gru operation emergency exit russian codename. Former iraqi air force general publishes saddams secrets. Did syria receive its chemical weapons from saddam. Show this column to anyone who claims bush lied about wmds. Authors titles conflictswars special studiesblue books from the field. National security archive electronic briefing book no. At the time of the gulf war the iraqi air force iqaf was the sixth largest in the world, consisting of over 750 fixedwing combat aircraft operating out of twenty primary airfields, with thirteen active dispersal fields and nineteen additional dispersal fields. General georges sada, the former secondincommand of the iraqi air force, claimed in his 2006 book that he knew two iraqi pilots that flew wmd into syria over the summer of 2002, which came. Jun 28, 2007 the iraqi general georges sada used to be the no.
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