WMD in IRaq: Scoop. I win!

[Avatar4321]

Communism, Japanese imperialism, Nazism, slavery....independence from tyranny, gosh don't you know any history?

Since when do Americans know history? its ridiculous how many people dont know history. And those who dont know it are doomed to repeat it.

 

[Annie]

Speculation on why it took so long for this to come out? I've heard the Russians, Frence, etc., reason before. Anyone have better ideas about the others?

http://www.theadventuresofchester.com/archives/2006/06/the_reasons_wer.html

June 21, 2006
The Reasons We're Only Learning About the 500 Shells Now . . .

The announcement by Senator Santorum that the US has uncovered over 500 sarin and mustard gas chemical artillery rounds comes as quite an interesting development and deserves a bit of thought. The obvious question is: why are we only learning of this now?

The details of the revelation itself are telling: Sen. Santorum revealed in his interview with Hugh Hewitt that he first learned of this information some 10 weeks ago, and has been working on getting a sanitized, declassified version of the existence of these shells released since then. He learned via a tip, and after his own efforts came to naught, he implored upon Rep. Hoekstra to do what he could as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Soon enough, a sanitized version of the document in question, describing the shells, was produced. To hear Santorum tell the story, he nearly immediately held a press conference.

Someone has been sitting on this information for awhile. Why? Here are four scenarios:

1. Sources and Methods: The discovery of the shells was kept under wraps because of the sources and methods used to find them. This could mean both technical means or human information. Moreover, the fact of the shells' very existence might have necessitated security. If there are 500, there may be more, and there are many who would like to get their hands on them. I'll be the first to testify that Iraq has more ammunition depots than Texas has barbecue. They may still be in the process of discovery today.

2. CIA = CYA Perhaps the CIA was underplaying the existence of the shells to cover its own poor estimates of Iraq's capabilities? This explanation is less plausible to me. According to Santorum, the report comes from the National Ground Intelligence Center, or NGIC to the military. This is not part of the CIA. Unless I'm mistaken, and I hope a military reader will correct me if so, NGIC is a DoD facility, run and mainly staffed by the Army, but serving all services. If memory serves, Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel regularly train and take classes at NGIC, and much of what they learn there (how to defuse nukes, for a made-for-tv example) is understandably classified. It makes sense that any chemical munitions discovered would be tallied, and probably even examined in the field, by NGIC; NGIC, after all, would be in charge of promulgating procedures for the handling of shells if more were discovered in the future.

On the other hand, the stonewalling of Santorum came from the DNI, John Negroponte. He's the man who runs everything, CIA, NGIC and other DoD intelligence agencies, supposedly. So he is the one to ask about this scenario . . .

3. Covert Action It's always impossible to tell with such things, and absolutely futile to speculate, but there is the chance that some recovered shells have been used in covert action operations by the US. Many people in the world would like to have chemical artillery shells; why not put them up for sale and see who comes a-knockin? Or perhaps there's an underground railroad leading out of Iraq for these things; who's on the other end of it, and was it set up by the former regime, or just entrepreneurs?

I mention these possibilities only because they are worth mentioning. To think though that the US might have conceived of such covert action, and then succeeded in executing it, is to assume a level of competence within our clandestine services that seems unlikely. There's no way to prove or disprove this scenario. And that's all I'll say about that.

4.They Don't Know What They Know If this scenario is true, someone will be reading the paper in the morning and saying, "Oh yeah . . . I guess chemical artillery rounds kind of are WMD, huh?" The government is large. It is unwieldy. It doesn't always talk to itself. RIght hand, meet the left hand.

Whatever the explanation, it'll get interesting. The key is: did the White House know about them? The answer to that question will go a long way toward figuring out which of the above scenarios might be correct.

Posted by Chester at June 21, 2006 11:55 PM

 

[dmp]

$10 says within a bit Somebody in congress - (Odds-on favourite is John Kerry) will lament:

"We can NO LONGER trust our President - He lied when he lied about Iraq's WMDs. He FOOLED Me into thinking he was lying the first time."

 

[Max Power]

Things pretty rough in Israel these days huh?

Rougher than over here.

 

[Max Power]

I'm sure he's a spy or something and can't tell us all the details.

You'd be surprised as to what information I'm privy to.

Btw, I'm not a spy.

 

[Max Power]

Communism,

Except in Cuba... and China are our friends

Japanese imperialism,

Oh, we defeated Japanese IMPERIALISM? Not Japan?

Nazism

We defeated Nazism? No... we defeated Nazi Germany...

, slavery

Good to know you're not from the south (and if you are, you don't hold any grudges).

....independence from tyranny,

We defeated independence from tyranny? When was this?

 

[dilloduck]

You'd be surprised as to what information I'm privy to.

Btw, I'm not a spy.

You and nuclear winter need to get together and gloat about all this secret stuff you know.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Except in Cuba... and China are our friends

Cuba is hardly the threat of the former Soviet Union, and China has always had more of an open Communism, it's a different story.

Oh, we defeated Japanese IMPERIALISM? Not Japan?

Yes, that's why we are now allies with Japan. Roll your eyes all you want.

We defeated Nazism? No... we defeated Nazi Germany...

Only you could compare a bunch of skin heads with the murderous, hell bent on world domination Nazi Germany. "See! We didn't defeat Nazism! There are Nazi's in Illinois!"

Good to know you're not from the south (and if you are, you don't hold any grudges)....

Good to see you openly show your complete ignorance. Nice stereotyping.

We defeated independence from tyranny? When was this?

I didn't get that one either, but I'm pretty sure the ... means he was breaking to another point.

In short: Are you speaking German? With the means to do so, could you vacation in Japan? Are we all part of a "master race"? Do you know anybody that owns a slave? Seen the Berlin Wall lately?

I know it pains you to admit it, but all those things were defeated.