Just in from a German reader:


Der Spiegel - Saddam legt Videos über mobile Labors vor

Die irakische Regierung haben den Uno-Waffeninspektoren Fotos und Videos vorgelegt, auf denen mobile Labors zu sehen sind.


Bagdad/Kairo - Wie der Sprecher der Uno-Waffenkontrollkommission (Unmovic), Hiero Ueki, gestern Abend in Bagdad berichtete, wurde das Bildmaterial von den im Irak eingesetzten Labors am Samstag übergeben. Die US-Regierung hatte mehrfach erklärt, Präsident Saddam Hussein verstecke in derartigen Labors verbotene Kampfstoffe. Ueki nahm keine Stellung dazu, ob die irakische Führung eine militärische Nutzung der Labors eingeräumt hat oder nicht.

Reader: "Here's a "rough and ready" translation (I've just woken up, so don't knock the style please ;-)"

Saddam submits videos of mobile laboratories


The Iraqi government has submitted photographic and video material to the UN weapons inspectors on which mobile laboratories can be seen.


Baghdad/Cairo - As reported by UNMOVIC spokesman Hiero Ueki yesterday evening in Baghdad, the photographic and video material of the laboratories deployed in Iraq was submitted on Saturday. The US government has declared on numerous occasions that President Saddam Hussein has concealed banned chemical and biological agents in such laboratories. Ueki refrained from commenting on whether or not the Iraqi leadership has admitted to a military utilization of the laboratories.

I've just gotten up and haven't had a chance to get to the papers and news sites yet, so it's the first I've heard. This sounds like a pretty big "11th Hour" admission to me. Stay tuned...


As further confirmation: UN News Centre:

Mr. Ueki also reported that the Baghdad Government yesterday gave UNMOVIC "photographs and videos showing the mobile laboratories that are in use in Iraq."

Does this delay things? No, at least it shouldn't. When you're Saddam Hussein and you're turning over things that are easily renewable, or might be giving a piece or two of the whole, it's just more of the same shell-game. It's just too late.


Update: Well, events are catching up to where it won't matter, since we'll come to the point of finding everything for ourselves soon, but I must say I'm kind of surprised I haven't been reading about this anywhere. I always thought the mere existence of such labs would have been fairly big news. Guess I won't be quitting my day job any time soon!