(Cross-posted here, at Phillybits.)
Or so one diarist over at RedState would like you to believe, or whom he believes himself.
A diary showed up on RedState today linking to a site called The Intelligence Summit within which resides an article about some newly discovered Saddam WMD Tapes. The assertion, in the RS diary, is that Saddam apparently had his own office "bugged" with a microphone to record his office meetings with his aides for future use in a book he was going to write.
According to the site referenced:
A former military intelligence analyst, who currently works as a civilian contractor, believes he has found a cache of extremely confidential--and very shocking--audio recordings of Saddam Hussein's office meetings. The audiotapes, which had apparently been overlooked, were found in a warehouse along with many other untranslated Iraqi intelligence files. These tapes are extremely significant, since they may be the best evidence yet of Saddam's secret intentions concerning weapons of mass destruction.
...
Because of the considerable historical importance of this stunning recent development, the contractor who obtained and reviewed these tapes plans to release them to the public on February 17, 2006 at the Intelligence Summitsm, a non-partisan, non-profit conference open to the public, scheduled to be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia that weekend.
After his presentation, a panel of intelligence experts will discuss the ways in which experts may verify the fact that Hussein in fact recorded these audiotapes. These procedures include utilization of voiceprint analysis and other technical means of voice verification.
...
In regard to these highly confidential audiotapes, Attorney John Loftus, President of the Intelligence Summitsm, recently stated that, "Saddam's secret office recordings continued well into the year 2000. In all, they contain at least 12 hours of totally candid discussions with his senior aides. Clearly, after these tapes have been verified and corroborated, they will be able to provide a few definitive answers to some very important-and controversial-weapons of mass destruction questions." Loftus went on to say that the contractor who found and recovered the tapes has requested that his identity remain anonymous until he makes his presentation.
I will now close with the same two comments I left on the diary at RedState.
I, too, have a dose of skepticism. The header on the page dealing with the news release states:
SADDAM'S PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION TAPES TO BE UNVEILED AT THE INTELLIGENCE SUMMIT
Apparent proof of WMD possession by Saddam and this information is going to be released at this intelligence conference, not within the halls of Congress, or the Senate, or by President Bush's Security Coucil for further review and analysis.
As liberal as I am, if I were a Republican, or the President for that matter, and I had what appeared to be solid proof that would likely deal a vigorous blow to the Dems in regards to the call that Saddam never had WMD's post-'91, I wouldn't let it be released in some Intelligence Conference.
Instead, I'd issue a WoT news break and flood the media, expose the documents as definitive proof for the rationale to go to war in Iraq, deal a crushing defeat to the Dems and all those who were against the war and cried about faulty intelligence, the lies that got us to war, etc, announce a stunning victory with all the proper talking points, and finish it all off by calling it a day, and retiring that night with a warm cup of hot chocolate.
If that happens, I may have to accept it as truth. Until then, my skepticism needle is pushing towards high.
And...
Furthermore, after re-reading the article, I see no mention of speculation that Saddam was recording his own office meetings as fodder for a possible book he may write.
Ironically, though, on the topic of writing books:
John Loftus, who formerly served as a Federal Prosecutor, currently works as an intelligence consultant for various television networks. He has also authored four books, one of which was a Pulitzer Prize nominee. Loftus' "60 Minutes" interview won an Emmy award for TV journalist Mike Wallace.
Little publicity push, perhaps? Maybe Mr. Loftus is the one working on a book.
I'll admit I may have missed the part about Saddam saving his meetings for future use in a book. If I did, I apologize. If you found it and choose to cite it, that'd be cool and would be appreciated.
I think that about wraps up another episode of "Oooooh, close but....nice try!"
Thoughts? Comments? Need to pick it even further apart?
And don't forget the poll...
