ABC News Video Suggests Explosives Looted After US Took Control

[NATO AIR]

make what you will out of it, this isn't dying any time soon

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=206847&page=1

Oct. 28, 2004 — The strongest evidence to date indicates that conventional explosives missing from Iraq's Al-Qaqaa installation disappeared after the United States had taken control of Iraq.

Barrels inside the Al-Qaqaa facility appear on videotape shot by ABC television affiliate KSTP of St. Paul, Minn., which had a crew embedded with the 101st Airborne Division when it passed through Al-Qaqaa on April 18, 2003 — nine days after Baghdad fell.

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Experts who have studied the images say the barrels on the tape contain the high explosive HMX, and the universal markings on the barrels are clear that these are highly dangerous explosives.

"I talked to a former inspector who's a colleague of mine, and he confirmed that, indeed, these pictures look just like what he remembers seeing inside those bunkers," said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington.

The barrels were found inside sealed bunkers, which American soldiers are seen on the videotape cutting through. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency sealed the bunkers where the explosives were kept just before the war began.

"The seal's critical," Albright said. "The fact that there's a photo of what looks like an IAEA seal means that what's behind those doors is HMX. They only sealed bunkers that had HMX in them."

After the bunkers were opened, the 101st was not ordered to secure the facility. A senior officer told ABC News the division would not have had nearly enough soldiers to do so.

It remains unclear how much HMX was at the facility, but what does seem clear is that the U.S. military opened the bunkers at Al-Qaqaa and left them unguarded. Since then, the material has disappeared

Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita said it's not clear what the photos indicate.

"We know there were other units in the area who acknowledged finding explosives," he said. "Some Explosive Ordnance Destruction units have a recollection that some high explosives in the area were taken out of there."

DiRita said the Pentagon is trying to contact the units of the 101st Airborne Division that may have been involved in the opening of these bunkers to get a better sense of what happened.

Late today, the Pentagon released a satellite image of Al-Qaqaa bunkers taken March 17, 2003, that shows the presence of two heavy-lift tractor trailers outside of a bunker. The Pentagon is uncertain about whether the specific bunker where the trucks are located actually contained explosives that are now missing.

Their intent in releasing the image is to demonstrate that on the same day that the IAEA inspectors left Iraq, Saddam Hussein's regime was in control of the facility, countering the impression that this was a "hermetically sealed" location and showing that access was available to non-U.N. personnel.

Not released today were images taken March 14, 2003, and March 20, 2003, that show no vehicles on the premises. There also was an image from April 1, 2003, that showed a large number of trucks at the nearby Iskandariyah airfield. Officials acknowledged they have no idea what those trucks were there for.

It is highly unusual for the Pentagon to release spy satellite imagery. Officials said today's decision was made with the full agreement of the intelligence community and that the White House did not have to approve the release.

ABC News' Martha Raddatz filed this report for World News Tonight. Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

 

[Avatar4321]

maybe not, but we might be if Kerry is elected.

I wish some news station would start playing the complete Al Queda type.

 

[NATO AIR]

maybe not, but we might be if Kerry is elected.

I wish some news station would start playing the complete Al Queda type.

what's the deal with that tape anyway?

 

[acludem]

I just read the same story on MSNBC. The news media was filming a story and caught a shot of the bunker. This looks like it refutes arguments made by the Bushies that the weapons disappeared before we got there. This is just one moe in a long string of screw-ups by the Bush administration in Iraq.

Here's the MSNBC link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6323933/

acludem

 

[dilloduck]

I just read the same story on MSNBC. The news media was filming a story and caught a shot of the bunker. This looks like it refutes arguments made by the Bushies that the weapons disappeared before we got there. This is just one moe in a long string of screw-ups by the Bush administration in Iraq.

Here's the MSNBC link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6323933/

acludem

Nice try aclu------US troops took 200 tons of these munitions to baghdad

 

[acludem]

According to the MSNBC story, IAEA has confirmed that the materials were their as of April 2003, when another site was looted. This would directly refute Bush adminstration claims that the weapons were gone before troops arrived. IAEA reports to the UN Security council directly.

acludem

 

[dmp]

According to the MSNBC story, IAEA has confirmed that the materials were their as of April 2003, when another site was looted. This would directly refute Bush adminstration claims that the weapons were gone before troops arrived. IAEA reports to the National Security Agency.

acludem

...not exactly - IAEA confirmed their SEALS were there...or what looked like their seals. Big Difference.

 

[acludem]

IAEA stated they sealed the weapons there before the war started. Beyond that, they don't know what happened. They warned the U.S. on April 10, 2003 of the Al Qaqaa site after another site was looted that day. Clearly, regardless of this site, security of munitions that U.S. was supposed to be overseeing has been a repeated problem.

acludem

 

[dilloduck]

IAEA stated they sealed the weapons there before the war started. Beyond that, they don't know what happened. They warned the U.S. on April 10, 2003 of the Al Qaqaa site after another site was looted that day. Clearly, regardless of this site, security of munitions that U.S. was supposed to be overseeing has been a repeated problem.

acludem

Watch Fox----they will explain the truth to you soon!

 

[Mr. P]

I wish the left wing Dems would stop trying to convince the population to eject Bush from
office based on errors that occur in war and focus on why Kerry is better for the Country.

On second thought, I guess if they could do that, they would. Wouldn't they?

 

[Bonnie]

...not exactly - IAEA confirmed their SEALS were there...or what looked like their seals. Big Difference.

That's really an either or proposition. Either it is or it isn't, and I suspect it isn't but remember what the press did to Bush Sr three days before the election with Clinton. They floated unsubstantiated claims about Bush and Iran which was entirely unfounded, but just the fact it was out there was enough to put Clinton in office. A day after the election the papers printed retractions.............How gracious of them!

 

[trobinett]

I realize, that the buck must stop on the Presidents desk, but how many of you are getting just a little taken aback by the "elite medias" effort to heap ALL the blame for every little thing that takes place in the administration/military on Bush`s desk ?

Conversely, when the current administration/miltary does something good, seems like the President receives little or no credit.

The whole deal just seems a LITTLE out of balance.

My observation.

My suggestion, pay LITTLE to NO attention to the "elite media".

 

[Bonnie]

Major Austin held a press conference describing how he personally destroyed some 250 tons of ammunition whihc he believes to include the missing weaponry.

 

[White knight]

How many of you are getting to the point where you are starting to realize that Bush and his blind followers can do no wrong no matter what evidence you present them.

If you told them they had a swoop over hairstyle when in fact they did, they would surely deny it.

I can admit Kerry is flawed, and I can also admit that Bush is flawed. We did not get allot of great choices this year.

 

[Fmr jarhead]

How many of you are getting to the point where you are starting to realize that Bush and his blind followers can do no wrong no matter what evidence you present them.

If you told them they had a swoop over hairstyle when in fact they did, they would surely deny it.

I can admit Kerry is flawed, and I can also admit that Bush is flawed. We did not get allot of great choices this year.

Got it! I will let you know, based on facts what I disagree with, when Bush starts floating his plans during his next administration.

Why do you insist on supportin Kerry when he doesn't have all the facts, and starts making assertions that the President of the United States is responsible for the looting of weapons caches that were not supposed to be in Saddam's possession, in first place, and that the US military actually accounted for 250 tons, and there were russian trucks parked outside the facility before we even got there.....

Whole lot to digest, but I think you are smart enough to come to a conclusion that......give it to me......

Looters took 377 tons of explosives, after US troops were there and on the 2 roads leading in and out of the facility?

Try another answer, please.

 

[jimnyc]

How many of you are getting to the point where you are starting to realize that Bush and his blind followers can do no wrong no matter what evidence you present them.

How many of you are getting to the point where you are starting to realize that the liberals and their sheep believe everything they hear or see, whether it has supporting facts or not?

White knight, why not let the full investigation complete before assuming anything. And if it does play out that the weapons disappeared for lack of security on the US's watch, then the proper military personnel should be held accountable.

Why immediately blame Bush or his administration? Oh, that's right, because that's what the other liberals are saying.

 

[Palestinian Jew]

From the evidence I've seen so far, the case that the weapons were looted seems stronger based on reporting and statements from the IAEA.

So far the Pentagon has only given out one picture of a truck by the compound. I seriously doubt that 300 tons of explosives could be loaded onto one truck.

Shouldn't there also be sattelite pictures of the same compound after the war happened showing people ransacking the place, if that was the case?

 

[White knight]

I don’t care much for liberals, the view I have of them is they want things for free, and don’t believe in hard work and personal responsibilities, self-reliance and strength of the individual, these are the values I would more associate with a conservative.

What I was referring to was not being able to get a Bush/GOP supporter to admit that they are human and make mistakes, now matter what evidence or argument I posted. Nobody, no party can be that perfect.

I can't believe that the entire world media is biased in favor of Kerry.

 

[Fmr jarhead]

I don’t care much for liberals, the view I have of them is they want things for free, and don’t believe in hard work and personal responsibilities, self-reliance and strength of the individual, that most conservative do.

What I was referring to was not being able to get a Bush/GOP supporter to admit that they are human and make mistakes, now matter what evidence or argument I posted. Nobody, no party can be that perfect.

I can't believe that the entire world media is biased in favor of Kerry.

It isn't...there is Fox news....

It is odd that Peter Jennings was, "concerned about this notion everybody wants us to be objective." When asked about biased reporting.

Or that Halperin sent this memo out to the ABC news team:

It goes without saying that the stakes are getting very high for the country and the campaigns - and our responsibilities become quite grave

I do not want to set off and [sic] endless colloquy that none of us have time for today - nor do I want to stifle one. Please respond if you feel you can advance the discussion.

The New York Times (Nagourney/Stevenson) and Howard Fineman on the web both make the same point today: the current Bush attacks on Kerry involve distortions and taking things out of context in a way that goes beyond what Kerry has done.

Kerry distorts, takes out of context, and mistakes all the time, but these are not central to his efforts to win.

We have a responsibility to hold both sides accountable to the public interest, but that doesn't mean we reflexively and artificially hold both sides "equally" accountable when the facts don't warrant that.

I'm sure many of you have this week felt the stepped up Bush efforts to complain about our coverage. This is all part of their efforts to get away with as much as possible with the stepped up, renewed efforts to win the election by destroying Senator Kerry at least partly through distortions.

It's up to Kerry to defend himself, of course. But as one of the few news organizations with the skill and strength to help voters evaluate what the candidates are saying to serve the public interest. Now is the time for all of us to step up and do that right.

....and we all know about the CBS fake documents that could not be authenticated, but the information was "accurate." (I guess they must have gone to the Clinton school of parsing the English language....")

 

[jimnyc]

From the evidence I've seen so far, the case that the weapons were looted seems stronger based on reporting and statements from the IAEA.

So far the Pentagon has only given out one picture of a truck by the compound. I seriously doubt that 300 tons of explosives could be loaded onto one truck.

Shouldn't there also be sattelite pictures of the same compound after the war happened showing people ransacking the place, if that was the case?

Don't forget the major who spoke out today and said he can account for at least 250 tons of the explosives.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137017,00.html

I don’t care much for liberals, the view I have of them is they want things for free, and don’t believe in hard work and personal responsibilities, self-reliance and strength of the individual, these are the values I would more associate with a conservative.

What I was referring to was not being able to get a Bush/GOP supporter to admit that they are human and make mistakes, now matter what evidence or argument I posted. Nobody, no party can be that perfect.

I can't believe that the entire world media is biased in favor of Kerry.
10-29-2004 02:17 PM

Does Bush and his administration make mistakes? Sure they do. But that doesn't mean we, as supporters, must immediately place blame on them immediately when accusations and/or propoganda come out.