Iraqi mobile labs nothing to do with germ warfare, report finds

Peter Beaumont, Antony Barnett and Gaby Hinsliff

Sunday June 15, 2003

The Observer

An official British investigation into two trailers found in northern Iraq has concluded they are not mobile germ warfare labs, as was claimed by Tony Blair and President George Bush, but were for the production of hydrogen to fill artillery balloons, as the Iraqis have continued to insist.

The conclusion by biological weapons experts working for the British Government is an embarrassment for the Prime Minister, who has claimed that the discovery of the labs proved that Iraq retained weapons of mass destruction and justified the case for going to war against Saddam Hussein.

Instead, a British scientist and biological weapons expert, who has examined the trailers in Iraq, told The Observer last week: 'They are not mobile germ warfare laboratories. You could not use them for making biological weapons. They do not even look like them. They are exactly what the Iraqis said they were - facilities for the production of hydrogen gas to fill balloons.'

The conclusion of the investigation ordered by the British Government - and revealed by The Observer last week - is hugely embarrassing for Blair, who had used the discovery of the alleged mobile labs as part of his efforts to silence criticism over the failure of Britain and the US to find any weapons of mass destruction since the invasion of Iraq.

The row is expected to be re-ignited this week with Robin Cook and Clare Short, the two Cabinet Ministers who resigned over the war, both due to give evidence to a House of Commons inquiry into whether intelligence was manipulated in the run-up to the war. It will be the first time that both have been grilled by their peers on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee over what the Cabinet was told in the run-up to the war.

MPs will be keen to explore Cook's explanation when he resigned that, while he believed Iraq did have some WMD capability, he did not believe it was weaponised.

The Prime Minister and his director of strategy and communications, Alastair Campbell, are expected to decline invitations to appear. While MPs could attempt to force them, this is now thought unlikely to happen.

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, is expected to give evidence the week after.

The revelation that the mobile labs were to produce hydrogen for artillery balloons will also cause discomfort for the British authorities because the Iraqi army's original system was sold to it by the British company, Marconi Command & Control.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003

...this adminastration drown in its own lies like rats

in their own piss.

It really doesnt matter wether evidence of weapons of mass destruction are EVER found. The real goal of the war has been accomplished, and the US and Britain will be maintaining forces in the region on a semi-permanent basis.

This administration will remain until such time that it is elected out. There will be NO impeachment, and no amount of protesting or complaining by you left-wing morons will accomplish anything. The strategic importance of having US military in Afghanistan and Iraq is undeniable. We have accomplished that goal, and there's nothing you can do about it.

...dictates.

Or reclaim your country and it's honor if you have the guts.

BUSH LIED, CHILDREN DIED. It really is that simple.

Impeach the Murderer NOW!

You would have to have a 3rd grade education Diogenes to beleave that phony article. Those labs had slurry tanks and you sure the hell don't need to make a biological slurry to blow up a ballow.

Dude how old are you, 6?

Make some sense. Diogenes is making road kill out of you.

Bush is a punk ass liar!

Impeach the botched abortion.

" The revelation that the mobile labs were to produce hydrogen for artillery balloons??!?!? (come on now Diogenese) will also cause discomfort for the British authorities because the Iraqi army's original system was sold to it by the British company, Marconi Command & Control."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003

You would have to have a 3rd grade education Diogenes to believe that phony article. Those mobile labs had slurry tanks and you sure the hell don't use a a biological slurry to blow up a balloon.

That's like saying the Iraqis were using a petri dishs to manfacturer Hydrogen. It just can't happen. Basically this article is ether a lie and or the poster is an idiot.

KOBE SBM get's all spiffed up for his date with a KOBE youth.

" The revelation that the mobile labs were to produce hydrogen for artillery balloons??!?!? (come on now Diogenese) will also cause discomfort for the British authorities because the Iraqi army's original system was sold to it by the British company, Marconi Command & Control."

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003

You would have to have a 3rd grade education Diogenes to believe that phony article. Those mobile labs had slurry tanks and you sure the hell don't use a a biological slurry to blow up a balloon.

That's like saying the Iraqis were using a petri dishs to manfacturer Hydrogen. It just can't happen. Basically this article is ether a lie and or the poster is an idiot.

Although I doubt the Iraqis used the mobile labs to fill balloons, it is possible to use a fermentor to make H2.

Various bacteria and algae, for example Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium acetobutylicum, and Clostridium perfringens have been found to be active in hydrogen production under anaerobic conditions.

The simple fact remains that Diogene thinks that the Iraqis would waste their money building expensive mobile labs for hydrogen production. The very idea is so outlandish even the Iraqis would laugh at Diogene for posting that phony story.

Talk about blowing smoke up our asses. Those labs were to expensive to use for any reasonable production hence their use for germ warfare.

No, not the desperate wailing about this 'biolab' but

the poverty of any kind of supporting data. Getting

pretty thin on excuses huh?

"No, not the desperate wailing about this 'biolab' but

the poverty of any kind of supporting data. Getting

pretty thin on excuses huh?"

Sorry but I'm sure you had a point but what was it. What thin facts regarding a mobile lab were you refering to.

Well show me some data. Speculation is all I've seen on this. Could be is not a valid point. No evidence of biologicals were found.

Sheepdog,

Getting Real has a point. It would be a stupid method of filling balloons. Expensive and overly complex. Why not just carry a tank of H2 around in a truck? There is no need to produce it on the fly. And just because they found no trace of biologicals in the fermentor doesn't mean it was never there. One can clean these things, you know.

It will be interesting to read more about this (from the legitimate media).

Have you ever seen a cylinder of pressurized hydrogen?

Probaly not. There are reasons.

-Do not allow hydrogen from a high pressure cylinder to

vent directly to atmosphere (danger of self ignition).

Use a hydrogen generator instead of bottled hydrogen.-

http://www.chem.agilent.com/cag/servsup/psnews/h2safety.html

People have been using hydrogen balloons for more than 200 years. And tanks of compressed H2 are used these days. Dangerous? Can be. But since they use tanks of compressed H2 in fuel cell city buses, I imagine they can safely use them for military applications...

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