Coalition provides arms for terrorists

[nigel99 151]

Well our "war" to prevent terror has scored another resounding success - not

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3950493.stm

350 tons of conventional military explosives have gone "missing" since the US led invasion. Explosives were previously monitored by the UN prior to the invasion...

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Not to worry.
If we can't find them..... then they never existed.

[bigway 4]

if you cant find them i am sure someone will show you that they work one day.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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if you cant find them i am sure someone will show you that they work one day.

Gee, you sound like GWB.

[rhino 0]

"How did they fail to secure nearly 380 tons of known, deadly explosives despite clear warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so? And why was this information unearthed by reporters -- and was it covered up by our national security officials?"

"These explosives can be used to blow up airplanes, level buildings, attack our troops and detonate nuclear weapons. The Bush administration knew where this stockpile was, but took no action to secure the site."

Lockhart criticized Bush for his "stunning incompetence."

[Gravitymaster 0]

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"How did they fail to secure nearly 380 tons of known, deadly explosives despite clear warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so? And why was this information unearthed by reporters -- and was it covered up by our national security officials?"

"These explosives can be used to blow up airplanes, level buildings, attack our troops and detonate nuclear weapons. The Bush administration knew where this stockpile was, but took no action to secure the site."

Lockhart criticized Bush for his "stunning incompetence."

There is no evidence they existed. We have searched the site and found no evidence of these weapons, therefore they never were there. Are you suggesting we go after Zarqwi and invade a city when there isn't any evidence he has these weapons? We should work through the U.N. and inspect sites in Iraq until we find them. If we can't find them, then we have no choice but to conclude they never existed.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"We should work through the U.N. and inspect sites in Iraq until we find them. "

Hehe, sarcasm and sardonic wit acknowledged, however its a wee bit wide of the mark.

The IAEA knew where the explosives were, they specifically tasked the coalition to look after them. The coalition failed to do this, obviously.....
"the explosives had been kept under seal by the IAEA until the US-led invasion of Iraq, after which point it had not been allowed to access the site.
"

Nice try, almost irony, but not quite.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[nigel99 151]

What concerns me is - surely this comes under gross negligence/incompetance?

The IAEA clearly had documented sites with known explosives/military equipment. Surely the first thing you do when you invade is to "secure" these sites. I mean they planned for the oil sites why not these?

350 tons is probably a decent supply for the "insurgents" - a standard 18 wheeler is 30 tons I guess so its dozen 18 wheelers full of explosives.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"What concerns me is - surely this comes under gross negligence/incompetance?"

Not for me to say, I know nothing of how a modern army of occupation should be managed.

Incompetence? yes, but who's? My finger would be pointing at the Hill.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[nigel99 151]

I realise the question is based on the armchair general - 20/20 hindsight principle
I would have thought it would be the US military planners fault - & I hope it was not a case of a US/UN split causing 1 side or the other to be reluctant to pass on or request information in a grown ups version of pre-school type politics

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[kiltboy 0]

I remember reading that there were arms dumps in Iraq stretching over several square miles.

If I recall the rhetoric properly, there was no need to guard the arms dumps as the coalition would be welcomed as liberators. The WMD sites under monitoring (IAEA, UN) should have been a different story given the reasons for the invasion.

The post-invasion plan would appear to have been a bit poor and more information on how poor is coming to light.

David

[billvon 2,436]

Of course, the biggest question is not how to get the explosives back, it's how to put a good spin on it. Perhaps the Bush administration might try these tacks:

- See? Saddam really DID have WMD's! And we could prove it if terrorists hadn't stolen them.

- We are cleverly helping them blow up US troops in Iraq so they'll get it out of their system, and won't try anything in the US. By the way, we need another 15,000 troops.

- What explosives?

- This just underscores how we are winning the war on terror. Over 90% of the stolen explosives have NOT been used yet - but you don't see the liberal media reporting on that!

- France did it.

- John Kerry is clearly responsible for the loss of those explosives. He voted for the "let terrorists have tons of explosives" senate bill 117 times!

- I thought that UN inspector guy had the keys to that warehouse . . . .

[kallend 1,651]

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What concerns me is - surely this comes under gross negligence/incompetance?

The IAEA clearly had documented sites with known explosives/military equipment. Surely the first thing you do when you invade is to "secure" these sites. I mean they planned for the oil sites why not these?

.

It should concern you but not surprise you, given who's in charge.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[nigel99 151]

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I thought that UN inspector guy had the keys to that warehouse . . . .

agh I see it was all Blix's fault

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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I thought that UN inspector guy had the keys to that warehouse . . . .

agh I see it was all Blix's fault

No actually, it's the NYT's and NBC's fault:

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Report: Explosives already gone when U.S. troops arrived
NBC News says its crew was embedded with soldiers at time
Tuesday, October 26, 2004 Posted: 3:01 AM EDT (0701 GMT)


(CNN) -- The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 380 tons of powerful explosives from a storage depot in Iraq has taken a new twist, after a network embedded with the U.S. military during the invasion of Iraq reported that the material had already vanished by the time American troops arrived.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/26/iraq.explosives/index.html

Anybody surprised this story appeared a week before the election?

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Of course, the biggest question is not how to get the explosives back, it's how to put a good spin on it. Perhaps the Bush administration might try these tacks:

- See? Saddam really DID have WMD's! And we could prove it if terrorists hadn't stolen them.

- We are cleverly helping them blow up US troops in Iraq so they'll get it out of their system, and won't try anything in the US. By the way, we need another 15,000 troops.

- What explosives?

- This just underscores how we are winning the war on terror. Over 90% of the stolen explosives have NOT been used yet - but you don't see the liberal media reporting on that!

- France did it.

- John Kerry is clearly responsible for the loss of those explosives. He voted for the "let terrorists have tons of explosives" senate bill 117 times!

- I thought that UN inspector guy had the keys to that warehouse . . . .

How about... The left-wing media, in a rabid attempt to get Kerry elected, planted a fake story and you believed it?





edited to add: media instead of NYT.

[pajarito 0]

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How about... The left-wing NYT's in a rabid attempt to get Kerry elected, planted a fake story and you believed it?

Wouldn't be the first time in this election year now would it?...

It's a year old story brought up one week before election. Suspicious? I think so.

[kallend 1,651]

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How about... The left-wing NYT's in a rabid attempt to get Kerry elected, planted a fake story and you believed it?

Wouldn't be the first time in this election year now would it?...

It's a year old story brought up one week before election. Suspicious? I think so.

The IAEA told the US government on October 15, 2004 that the explosives had disappeared "sometime after September 2003".

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,436]

>How about... The left-wing media, in a rabid attempt to get Kerry
>elected, planted a fake story and you believed it?

This is for you, GM. Gotta get those freedom plugs!

[pajarito 0]

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The IAEA told the US government on October 15, 2004 that the explosives had disappeared "sometime after September 2003".

So why wasn’t it reported then as opposed to 1 week before Election Day? Left wing media agenda maybe? Pathetic disorganized panic.

[PhillyKev 0]

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There is no evidence they existed. We have searched the site and found no evidence of these weapons, therefore they never were there. Are you suggesting we go after Zarqwi and invade a city when there isn't any evidence he has these weapons? We should work through the U.N. and inspect sites in Iraq until we find them. If we can't find them, then we have no choice but to conclude they never existed.

Or they did exist and our actions allowed them to fall into the hands of terrorists. You always seem to overlook that point.

[billvon 2,436]

>So why wasn’t it reported then as opposed to 1 week before Election Day?

Because Rice et al kept it quiet for quite a while; she knew about it a month ago. It was originally reported to our government by the Iraqi government. Why did they choose to keep it quiet for so long? You'd have to ask them.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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There is no evidence they existed. We have searched the site and found no evidence of these weapons, therefore they never were there. Are you suggesting we go after Zarqwi and invade a city when there isn't any evidence he has these weapons? We should work through the U.N. and inspect sites in Iraq until we find them. If we can't find them, then we have no choice but to conclude they never existed.

Or they did exist and our actions allowed them to fall into the hands of terrorists. You always seem to overlook that point.

And you seem to overlook what was obviously sarcastic humor even when it was pointed out by Nacmacfeegle. You also seem oblivious to the fact this is a bogus story.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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>How about... The left-wing media, in a rabid attempt to get Kerry
>elected, planted a fake story and you believed it?

This is for you, GM. Gotta get those freedom plugs!

Thats pretty funny. Is this your attempt at misdirecting the fact you got faked out by a bogus news story?

Don't worry, it will all be over in a few days.

[billvon 2,436]

>Is this your attempt at misdirecting the fact you got faked out by a bogus news story?

Are you really going to claim a story that the Bush administration has admitted is true is fake? Hey, you could try that on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal! Perhaps even the Iraq war. Just claim we actually found WMD's. Credibility problem solved.