US to pay Saddam's scientists to keep them from working for others

[Judi Lynn]

US to pay Saddam's scientists to keep them from working for others
By Barry Schweid, Associated Press, 12/18/2003 13:37


WASHINGTON (AP) Hundreds of Iraqi scientists who worked on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs for Saddam Hussein will be paid by the United States to work on postwar projects, partly to keep them from selling their deadly expertise elsewhere.

The two-year program will begin with a $2 million U.S. contribution, and the United States may provide an additional $20 million later on, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher announced Thursday.

It will prevent the scientists ''from providing their expertise to countries of concern or groups of concern,'' he said.

The program has some similarities to the U.S. hiring of German scientists who worked in atomic and missile projects during World War II and payments to Russian scientists to discourage them from offering their skills to potential adversaries of the United States.
(snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/352/wash/US_to_pay_Saddam_s_scientists_:.shtml

[barbaraann]

1. You can google for Project Paperclip.

That's the code name for the program Truman enacted to bring Nazi scientists into our government.

This is tragic.

[Tempest]

2. Congress embarrassed them into this

Three members of Congress write Condi Rice asking why the US has spent hundreds of millions in an almost certainly fruitless search for WMD in Iraq and almost nothing making sure Iraqi weapons scientists don't sell their know-how to other countries.

See the letter here.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/wmd.priorities.letter.pdf

[Guaranteed]

10. Yup

Finally a good move on the administration's part.

God damn.

[Wetzelbill]

3. well, at least Bush created a few jobs anyway

[Tempest]

4. And naturally...

They're going overseas.

[Sequoia]

5. History Repeats: US Pays Hilter's Scientists....atomic bomb, etc.

Ah yes, bring them over here like we did with the Nazis and maybe we can get one to build another Tommorrow Land for another Walt Disney type person.

[Blue_Tires]

6. maybe

they can get our space program going again like the nazis did...maybe this is the help bush had in mind when he said he wanted a manned mission to mars

[Robb]

7. Yeah, except

with Project Paperclip, we were absconding with scientists who were ahead of those working in this country.

Seems like a pretty weak connection, actually. :shrug:

[loudnclear]

8. I guess they will make us some really neat gases.

We learn nothing from history. The really sick part of this is that they will be made heros and wealthy elitist in this country and around the world just like the Nazi demons. Their children will attend the best schools, business loans will be easy for them to get and they will be able to live in any neighborhood in the US...unlike many of our returning soldiers.

[daleo]

9. They have recent battlefield knowledge of gas warfare

That "deadly expertise" has to be worth something to Bush and PNAC.