Heard of it on the radio this morning, but only from one source. The paper that printed the article does not have an english web site.
Article by Ronen Bergman in Israeli Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” of March 27th, 2002
(Taken from http://www.vicmord.com/newsletter/april02newsletter.htm)
EL-SOLAYIL MISSILE BASE – SAUDI DESERT
Article by Ronen Bergman in Israeli Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” of March 27th, 2002.
The El-Solayil desert oasis has been turned into a military base. Over the last few years, launch pads have been added. Access roads, command centers, a huge residential neighborhood. In addition a total territory of 1,400 square kilometers have been added, including unlimited bunkers for the storage of long-range missiles. The most recent peace initiative bestowed upon Saudi Arabia the image of moderation, but is only one side of a duplicitous game it is playing. Intelligence sources are disturbed, but official Israel, under heavy US pressure is keeping silent.
The computer at the command center of the CIA at Langley, Virginia, USA, chooses random code-names for subjects and operations it is following. “Deep Blue” is the codename for a cluster of worrisome pieces of information that have been received at the Agency since the beginning of 1988. The source of most of this information -- eavesdropping conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) for monitoring signals of the administration and the military of China. According to these signals, Saudi Arabia has been conducting advanced negotiations with China for the purpose of purchasing dozens of ground-to-ground missiles capable of carrying nuclear payloads.
The intelligence communities of the US and Israel were thunderstruck primarily because until that stage, they knew nothing about this. At the CIA and at the technical level of the Israeli Military Intelligence research division, compasses were taken out and radii drawn. The missiles that the Saudis intended to purchase, CSS-2 as they are called in the professional language, Dong-Peng 3, have a range of 2,500 – 3,500 km. The whole Middle East, parts of the former USSR, and of course, all of Israel are under the range of this missile.
CSS-2 missile
Map with missile range
The US and Israel did not understand why Saudi Arabia, professing a moderate political stance, needed this missile, that at that time represented China’s vanguard atomic offensive weapon. The concern increased when these reports were reconfirmed by the generous financial support the Saudis were providing for the development “the first Islamic bomb” as Pakistan’s atomic program was described.
Israeli and US intelligence undertook broad, all encompassing operations with a double objective: Collecting details regarding the purchase and an attempt to learn what the Saudis really intended to do with the missiles. The operation was partially successful. It turns out that the Saudis purchased 120 missiles, and with them 12 launchers. A special surprise was in store for the US, when it became clear that the Saudi negotiator was none other than US State Department favorite Prince Bandar bin-Sultan, the charming ambassador in Washington.
Prince Bandar bin-Sultan
The Saudis paid a fortune for the missiles. The Chinese received from their Saudi interlocutors the feeling that money would not be an obstacle and that Prince Bandar would pay any amount that would gain entry for his country into the prestigious (atomic-ballistic -VM) club.
The Blooming of the Desert with Missiles
The first CSS-2 missiles arrived in June 1990, and were deployed in two places, south of Riyadh: Most at the giant complex built north of the El Solayil desert oasis, about 500 km from the capital, and a smaller quantity at Al-Jofar, 100 km from the city. The remainder of the missiles arrived later.
About two weeks ago, the “Ikonos” the best civilian photography satellite in the world took a series of photographs at the behest of “Yediot Ahronot” over Al-Solayil. The pictures sent down from the heavens, and are shown in this article for the first time, proved that over the last few years, the Saudis have invested tremendous amounts in developing the “King Khaled” secret military city.
Compared to previously available pictures of the region, taken by the French satellite “Spot” in 1995, the intensive construction in the region stretching over an area of hundreds of square kilometers in the desert is clearly visible. The Saudis added missile launchers, approach roads, command centers, a huge residential area, a mosque for engineers and members of the staff, as well as a new and tremendous area, full of incalculable bunkers with conventional and non-conventional weapons, with a storage capacity of over 60,000 cubic meters. East of Al-Sulayil, out of the range of the cameras, is a Saudi Air Force base with two squadrons of Tornado jet fighters.
The enormous missile base has a support a |