WMD in IRaq: Scoop. I win!

[T-Bor]

Doesnt North Korea , part of the "axis of evil" have WMD's ? In fact they openly claim it... Yet we dont give a damn.. But we go to Iraq because hey, they have terrorists over there and we all know it was Saddam who brought down the twin towers. <end sarcasm>

 

[dilloduck]

Picture Bill Murray in Meatsballs telling the whole camp who is trying to win something that they never have.

"It just doesn't matter"
"It just doesn't matter"
"It just doesn't matter "


YOU CAN'T TELL A LIBERAL ANYTHING--THEY ARE STUCK THAT WAY.

 

[insein]

FYI
http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/Iraq_WMD_Declassified.pdf

Exactly. To further clarify your question from before, its not a good thing that Iraq indeed had WMD's, as everyone asserted before the war. IT is a good thing that the truth, that Bush DIDNT lie to get us into war, is now coming to light.

Now the question remains, where are the rest of the WMD's? That is a scary proposition but one that many conservatives have been screaming about for 4 years. I hate to think that a terrorist attack involving these WMD's on Americans or one of our allies were to occur because of incompetence by our government officials to find the truth about them. So many have been beating a drum of non-existence for 4 years now that we have lost so much time on tracking them. Of course the intelligence agencies were still looking but the popular opinion is now that they didnt exist. Now that we find that they indeed do exist and always have, we have a major problem on our hands.

 

[insein]

Doesnt North Korea , part of the "axis of evil" have WMD's ? In fact they openly claim it... Yet we dont give a damn.. But we go to Iraq because hey, they have terrorists over there and we all know it was Saddam who brought down the twin towers. <end sarcasm>

The assertion that Saddam brought down the Trade center towers was NEVER made. The only ones who made that claim were liberals trying to distort the issue. The claim was that Saddam supported terrorist organizations including Al Queda and needed to be removed in order to cut off funding and safe haven for those organizations. In essence, he was one of the countries that supplied the terrorists and that made him, like the taliban, a direct enemy to America. So he was removed.

 

[Redhots]

Originally Posted by dilloduck
"These aren't the droids (WMD's) we were looking for.

That is exactly what they are saying.

Your damn right.

They claimed that 500 chemical weapons shells allegedly containing degraded sarin or mustard gas have been recovered by coalition forces since 2003

So THIS is it eh? A bunch of rusty old crap that was leftover from the Iran / Iraq war... we already knew about this. Its even been reported on (years ago) before.

Doesn't anymore here remember?

They made a big stink about it untill it was pointed out that they were so old and beat up that detonating them wouldn't have much of an effect.

The war wasn't sold on this janky crap from the 80's, it was sold on nukes and an immenent threat of them.

 

[Gunny]

Well I guess thats it then.. Some guy from rawstory.com (LOL) says we have proof or WMD's. Of course no one else has heard of this except rightwing idiot and the nice folks at rawstory.com. Keep grasping right wing, and maybe one day ONE DAY you will be able to justify this war in your mind so you can sleep well at night.

Got news for you ... it wasn't "magic pixie dust" Saddam used on the Iranians and Kurds. And since our own CIA taught Saddam's henchmen how to refine his mustard gas.

That's worked for me, regardless this post, regardless the Bush Administration saying they were wrong in a vain attempt to shut you lefties up, and regardless the lies you lefties have been spewing since the day you decided "WMD's" meant only nuclear weapons capable of reaching the continental US.

 

[Gunny]

Your damn right.



So THIS is it eh? A bunch of rusty old crap that was leftover from the Iran / Iraq war... we already knew about this. Its even been reported on (years ago) before.

Doesn't anymore here remember?

They made a big stink about it untill it was pointed out that they were so old and beat up that detonating them wouldn't have much of an effect.

The war wasn't sold on this janky crap from the 80's, it was sold on nukes and an immenent threat of them.

Just never going to admit you are/were wrong, huh? What's it take? An ICMB with a nuclear, chemical or biological warhead flying up your ass to clue you in?

Better yet, you can explain to this Gunnery Sergeant who was there just exactly what those Iraqi troops were doing with that up-to-date NBC protective gear. Trying to start a new fashion fad?

 

[insein]

Your damn right.



So THIS is it eh? A bunch of rusty old crap that was leftover from the Iran / Iraq war... we already knew about this. Its even been reported on (years ago) before.

Doesn't anymore here remember?

They made a big stink about it untill it was pointed out that they were so old and beat up that detonating them wouldn't have much of an effect.

The war wasn't sold on this janky crap from the 80's, it was sold on nukes and an immenent threat of them.

The nuclear capabilites of Iraq were established yet largely ignored almost 2 years ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3872201.stm
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/07/07/iraq.nuclear/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124924,00.html
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/5/114239.shtml

 

[Emmett]

Doesnt North Korea , part of the "axis of evil" have WMD's ? In fact they openly claim it... Yet we dont give a damn.. But we go to Iraq because hey, they have terrorists over there and we all know it was Saddam who brought down the twin towers. <end sarcasm>

History Lesson:

Back in the early nineties we were engaged in a war with Saddam Hussein and his puppet Iraqi army because he forced them to invade and begin murdering the citizens of Kuwait. Kuwait is an independant nation soveriegn of themselves and were our allies. Because we are the world's police officer for some reason we immediately stuck up for them. This in essence was the right thing to do since everyone in the world knew Suddam would kill everyone in Kuwait in an attempt to control the oil fields of that country and expand his dominance over the region such as he had been trying to do in Iran while involved in war with them. It is known that Suddam killed or ordered the killing of thoudsands of Kurds who were innocent and couldn't even fight back. Hundreds were murdered on the side of a road while fleeing their homes and searching for a place to safely live.

After invading Kuwait and killing hundreds he was poised to kill all Shiates unless they bowed down to him and acknowledge him as supreme leader such as he had done in his own country while killing thousands.

The US took up for Kuwait and ran his silly ass back into Bagdad. After surrendering he made a deal by means of a treaty and it contained certains terms of agreement in order to remain in tact.

Over the next several years he violated the treaty many times and because of our intent to peacefully resolve all issues such as that we allowed his behavior even though we should not have. Finally after mNY YEARS OF HIS CONSTANT DEFIANCE OF HIS OWN AGREEMENT CONTAINED IN THE TREATY WE DID WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO AND INVADED IRAQ. As a result of this action Iraq is a free and soveriegn nation now with a democratically elected government and is preparing to continue on in the world without the tyrant Suddam Hussein.

As a precaution the US has kept troops in Iraq so as to insure it's progress toward it's democratic goals. People there are happy. Even CNN can't produce one single citizen on tape who is not a member of a radical group of killers who is unhappy about Suddam being ousted. Their people have had to make great sacrifice in order to acheieve the previous mentioned goal. They are doing it!

During the process of helping Iraq rid itself of this dictator, factions began to turn up that drew in Al-Queda members like magnets. These folks have no consciousness at all. They kill their own people to prove some stupid point about aspects of their religion that believe YOU deserve to die because you are a white devil infidel. Further actions are being taken to rid the country of these folks (such as Al-Zarqwaui) and other top tier leaders of this killing maCHJINE GROUP OF FOOLS AND SOON THE MISSION WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED AND WE CAN BRING HOME MOST OF THE TROOPS IT TOOK TO ACHEIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE.

There you go!

 

[Redhots]

Yeah, so... I hope you all enjoy the following.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/21/dod-disavows-santorum/

Defense Department Disavows Santorum’s WMD Claims

Today, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) held a press conference and announced “we have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” Santorum and Hoekstra are hyping a document that describes degraded, pre-1991 munitions that were already acknowledged by the White House’s Iraq Survey Group and dismissed.

Fox News’ Jim Angle contacted the Defense Department who quickly disavowed Santorum and Hoekstra’s claims. A Defense Department official told Angle flatly that the munitions hyped by Santorum and Hoekstra are “not the WMD’s for which this country went to war.”

Fox’s Alan Colmes broke the news to Santorum. Watch it:

Transcript:

COMBS: Congressman, Senator, it’s Alan Colmes. Senator, the Iraq Survey Group — let me go to the Duelfer Report — says that Iraq did not have the weapons our intelligence believed were there. And Jim Angle reported this for Fox News quotes a defense official who says these were pre-1991 weapons that could not have been fired as designed because they already been degraded. And the official went on to say these are not the WMD’s this country and the rest of the world believed Iraq had and not the WMD’s for which this country went to war. So the chest beating at this Republicans are doing tonight thinking this is a justification is not confirmed by the defense department.

SANTORUM: I’d like to know who that is. The fact of the matter is, I’ll wait and see what the actual Defense Department formally says or more important what the administration formally says.

 

[dilloduck]

Yeah, so... I hope you all enjoy the following.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/21/dod-disavows-santorum/

Defense Department Disavows Santorum’s WMD Claims

Today, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) held a press conference and announced “we have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.” Santorum and Hoekstra are hyping a document that describes degraded, pre-1991 munitions that were already acknowledged by the White House’s Iraq Survey Group and dismissed.

Fox News’ Jim Angle contacted the Defense Department who quickly disavowed Santorum and Hoekstra’s claims. A Defense Department official told Angle flatly that the munitions hyped by Santorum and Hoekstra are “not the WMD’s for which this country went to war.”

Fox’s Alan Colmes broke the news to Santorum. Watch it:

Transcript:

COMBS: Congressman, Senator, it’s Alan Colmes. Senator, the Iraq Survey Group — let me go to the Duelfer Report — says that Iraq did not have the weapons our intelligence believed were there. And Jim Angle reported this for Fox News quotes a defense official who says these were pre-1991 weapons that could not have been fired as designed because they already been degraded. And the official went on to say these are not the WMD’s this country and the rest of the world believed Iraq had and not the WMD’s for which this country went to war. So the chest beating at this Republicans are doing tonight thinking this is a justification is not confirmed by the defense department.

SANTORUM: I’d like to know who that is. The fact of the matter is, I’ll wait and see what the actual Defense Department formally says or more important what the administration formally says.

Santorum didn't expect to make you a believer. He understands that you don't understand that we are in a War on TERRORISM ( not bin laden, not al quaeda, not Iraq , not Iran, not Korea etc. etc.) You have no idea how to fight one so you refuse to acknowlege the real war. He's pumping up the base cause libs won't pull thier share.

Are we fighting terrorists now ? Yes or NO ????????????????????????????

 

[Annie]

Links at site:

http://austinbay.net/blog/?p=1210

6/21/2006
UPDATED: TV report: Artillery shells with chemical munitions found in Iraq
Filed under:

* General

— site admin @ 4:37 pm

I heard a report on Fox News about twenty minutes ago (5 PM Central) that Senator Rick Santorum claims coalition investigators in Iraq found chemical weapons — artillery shells filled with a chemical agent (perhaps sarin nerve agent). The Fox report said Santorum had fought with the Pentagon and White House to get the information declassified. I’d like to see Santorum put his evidence up on the web. Michelle Malkin and her team at Hot Air already had a post up on the story– Hot Air’s post says the artillery shells contained either “degraded mustard” or sarin. I gather the stocks are 1991 (Desert Storm-era) weapons (in other words, left over weapons). I’m not sure that means Saddam had an active chemical weapons program but if this report proves to be true chemical weapons stock would be a violation of UNSCR 687. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Captains Quarters has commentary. Santorum must provide more details and put the declassified documents up on the Web. Fox is replaying Rep Pete Hoekstra– he made the announcement with Senator Santorum. Fox’s Brit Hume says the declassified documents say that since 2003 coalition forces have found 500 weapons with degraded mustard or sarin nerve gas. Fred Barnes said that they are pre-1991 weapons.

Barnes noted Saddam’s chemical weapons program could have been cranked up quickly. That’s correct. Saddam played games with UN inspectors and was playing possum with his nuclear and chemical programs. This is not a large trove of weapons. Artillery rounds are tactical weapons–but nerve gas is still nerve gas and it puzzles me as to why this information took so long to release.

Saddam used WMD and once the Desert Storm sanctions were lifted I believe he intended to reconstitute his programs. To believe otherwise about Saddam is to put you in league with goofs like Michael Moore and George Galloway.

UPDATE 2: If this pans out the categorical statements that “Iraq did not have Weapons of Mass Destruction” will be political millstones and albatrosses. I suspect KosKidz and the like will note observations like mine that 500 shells is not a large stockpile. It’s not, but that’s consolation only for the most cynical of spinners and superficial of reporters. I suspect one conspiracy theory we’ll hear is that the shells were planted by the CIA or Pentagon– how long before that crops up?

When it comes to WMD, intent to acquire and use matters. UNSCR 687 and subsequent resolutions gave Saddam very specific guidance and requirements. He violated them in spirit and in fact (in 2003 post-invasion investigators found a handful of modified SCUD missiles violating the requirements).

UPDATE 3: A commenter notes a “wait a minute” from Rawstory. This is why Santorum must put his evidence up on the Web. His claims require evidence. (Thanks for the comment and link.)

UPDATE 4: Michael Ledeen takes me to task:

Austin, if you will read the floor statements by Hoekstra and Santorum you will see that they have read a classified file, of which DNI (Negroponte) declassified a few snippets. Both elected officials said several times that they were very unhappy at the miserly declassification, and they will fight for it all. Your legitimate request for “more information” has to be directed at Negroponte, not at Santorum and Hoekstra.



UPDATE 5:Here’s the document from Negroponte. He needs to release more– and provide more details. (See Michael Ledeen’s comment above.) The administration needs to replace its tin media ear and get off its dense duff. 500 shells is small and likely Iran-Iraq or Desert Storm leftovers– but sarin is sarin.

For readers new to this site–In my well-documented view Saddam had to go because (1) our presence in Saudi Arabia was an Al Qaeda recruiting tool; which is intimately tied to (2) our 12 year war against Saddam had to end with victory, if UN resolutions were to have any substance (and his sanctions evading routines, including Oil For Food, were working); (3) tyrannies are the grounds that breed terrorists, and that is especially true in the Middle East; (4) rogue states want WMD– they are the most-likely supplier of WMD to a terror organization, and post-9/11 we had to show tyrants we mean it about stopping WMD proliferation; (5) Iraq, with its water, source of capital (oil), and comparatively well educated and motivated populace is the prime place to affect democratic change in the politically dysfunctional Middle East.

 

[Redhots]

Santorum didn't expect to make you a believer. He understands that you don't understand that we are in a War on TERRORISM ( not bin laden, not al quaeda, not Iraq , not Iran, not Korea etc. etc.) You have no idea how to fight one so you refuse to acknowlege the real war. He's pumping up the base cause libs won't pull thier share.

The only thing that made a lick of sense WRT the topic at hand was the bit about Santorum trying to pump up the base (with trumped up claims of discovered WMD).

 

[dilloduck]

The only thing that made a lick of sense WRT the topic at hand was the bit about Santorum trying to pump up the base (with trumped up claims of discovered WMD).

I understand--I've already stated its over your head. At least stand back and let somebody do the right thing.

( ARE WE FIGHTING TERRORISTS?? YES OR NO? )

 

[Max Power]

Santorum didn't expect to make you a believer. He understands that you don't understand that we are in a War on TERRORISM ( not bin laden, not al quaeda, not Iraq , not Iran, not Korea etc. etc.) You have no idea how to fight one so you refuse to acknowlege the real war.

When's the last time we won a war against an idea?

I mean, certainly the wars on poverty and drugs were successes, yes? Poverty and drugs are a thing of the past now. It's a good thing we have politicians who know how to fight these wars.

 

[dilloduck]

When's the last time we won a war against an idea?

I mean, certainly the wars on poverty and drugs were successes, yes? Poverty and drugs are a thing of the past now. It's a good thing we have politicians who know how to fight these wars.

God knows you wouldn't lift a finger to save America.

 

[Max Power]

God knows you wouldn't lift a finger to save America.

You'd be surprised what I already do...

 

[dilloduck]

You'd be surprised what I already do...

I may well be but that doesn't change a thing--you still have no idea what the WOT is about or why it needs to be fought.

Are we fighting terrorists in Iraq? Yes or NO?

 

[Redhots]

I understand--I've already stated its over your head.

What is? That Santorum made a big public announcement that was all just another bullshit lie (or should I use the more PC term "misleading"), but he had to tell this lie in order rile up the base because you know, people like me have a hard time accepting lies and bullshit as a justifcation for much of anything much less a war and too much of his base was starting to come around to my way of thinking.... and if he loses them its all over and the terrorists win?

( ARE WE FIGHTING TERRORISTS?? YES OR NO? )

Yes?

 

[Max Power]

I may well be but that doesn't change a thing--you still have no idea what the WOT is about or why it needs to be fought.

You have any friends who CHOSE to go to Israel after 2000 to join the military? Because I do...
But I'm sure you know better than they do...

Are we fighting terrorists in Iraq? Yes or NO?

Yes. What's your point?