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| Axis of Evil |
| Iraqi oil minister forced out |
| 2003-01-08 |
| Saddam Hussein has unexpectedly removed from power his long-standing oil minister, General Amer Mohammad Rasheed. The official reason for General Rasheed's removal was that he was beyond Iraq's mandatory retirement age of 63. Sounds like age discrimination, to me But experts were questioning whether the sudden departure of General Rasheed was connected to the role of his wife, Dr Rihab Taha. Dr Taha is known to be near the top of a list of biological weapons scientists the UN inspectors are trying to interview. It is also alleged that General Rasheed has himself been involved in secret weapons manufacturing in the past. The 47-year-old Dr Taha is thought to have carried out work on germs that cause botulism poisoning and anthrax infections at the top-secret biological research laboratory al-Hakim in the late 1980s. At this time, she was reported to have ordered and received biological specimens from US companies. Later she earned the name Dr Germ from weapons inspectors who interviewed her in the mid-1990s. I don't know if I'd like being married to anyone nicknamed "Dr Germ". I do know I wouldn't cheat on her, you might come down with a cold, or something. General Rasheed will be replaced by a senior member of the ruling Baath party, Samir Abdulaziz. Iraq is a major oil producer but has been restricted to exporting under the UN's oil-for-food programme because of international sanctions. The country's dilapidated oil industry, still able to pump substantial exports, could be a target for missile strikes in order to disrupt fuel supplies to Iraqi defences. Nah, we want the oil industry intact, don't you know its all about the oil? The decision to remove General Rasheed was announced on Iraqi state television and was said to have come by decree from President Saddam Hussein. Most likely Saddam is pissed about General Rasheed's screwup in canceling the Russian oil contract. Sammy lost one of his few supporters when that happened. Rasheed is lucky he only lost his job. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 They also make you wear this weird blue "suit" of some kind...... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-01-08 17:06:37 |
| #2 When you are married to "Dr Germ", a .45 is somewhat redundant. Visitation hours 7-9 closed casket no flowers |
| Posted by: john 2003-01-08 13:11:16 |
| #1 So, is this the gold watch kind of retirement, or the .45 kind of retirement? |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-01-08 10:35:46 |