All those explosives gone missing, and it’s all the personal fault of [[wp:George Bush]] – at least that’s what [[wp:John Kerry]] wants you to believe. Read this whole entry, there is a lot here to digest…
“Although these bunkers were still under IAEA seal, the inspectors said the seals may be potentially ineffective because they had ventilation slats on the sides. These slats could be easily removed to remove the materials inside the bunkers without breaking the seals, the inspectors noted.” – quote in context
There are just a few problems with the story he is shouting from the rooftops with such glee… not that a little thing like the truth is going to slow him down. As a side thought, if Kerry is now so upset that we might have lost what he claims are 380- tons of explosives that he now is screaming have put the world at risk of a wave of terrorism why wasn’t he upset before the war about Saddam having the same explosives? Well, I mean he wasn’t upset about it before as he says now, though back then he was upset about it enough to vote for the war… which he denies doing. I think. It’s very confusing with this guy.
The current controversy over the IAEA report and the missing explosives must be viewed against the backdrop of mounting U.N. hostility toward the Bush Administration. The strong possibility that Mr. ElBaradei and the IAEA deliberately sought to influence the electoral debate in the United States should be thoroughly investigated. In the face of growing scandal and declining credibility, accountability and transparency must be the watchwords that govern the U.N.” – quote in context
Here’s the chronology:
- The IAEA was aware that the [[wp:Al-Qaqaa]] site was a danger zone. They had made multiple inspections and sealed portions of the bunkers with seals that they knew were inadequate. Quoting from the report: “The shafts were not sealed and could provide removal routes for the HMX and RDX while leaving the front door locked.” [1]
- In the year before the war the amount of explosives stored seems to have dropped from 140 tons to 3 tons and that the rumors of 380 tons are completely false. It looks like they were slowly removed without breaking the seals potentially with Russian help.
- When the US troops got there they found residue and leftovers but no large weapons cache. You can read a transcript of an interview from a soldier who was there or see a video report from the time.
- Something fishy happens and the IAEA writes a letter about the issue to the US media. The IAEA is not at all neutral in this election as it’s head Mohammed El Baradei is currently facing US opposition to a second term at the IAEA.
- CBS tried to hold onto this report until October 31 but failed and the NYT spun the story.
- Kerry tries to make a big thing of it, it looks like it will flop.
- ABC news refutes much of the story, Drudge gets in on the act and the blogsphere rips it to bloody shreds.
- The NYT claims that the blogsphere made them screw it all up. Of course, the Times already has it’s own credibility problems.
Some other bullet points and references:
- A fairly complete chronology is available in the transcript of a FOX News appearance of the [[wp:Karl Rove]] that discusses some dates.
- You would think the partisan morons at CBS would learn eventually. They were obviously hoping that they could cause a last minute swing away from Bush. However, I am speculating that their damaged credibility (thanks Dan!) from several past attempts at manipulation caused then to give it to the NYT to spin.
- There is good reason to suspect that despite the [[wp:IAEA]] “seals” that were put on the bunkers storing the explosives they were being moved away in secret. This is exactly the sort of thing that made the invasion of Iraq time sensitive. The more the Kerry folks tell us how dangerous these explosives were the more they make the case for war.
- It is possible that the Russians may have helped move the explosives before the invasion – possibly a tie to UNSCAM?
Rampant linking!
- Michelle Malkin- MOSCOW AND THE MISSING CACHE
- Kerry- -This President misled us into an unnecessary war…before he didn’t mislead us into a necessary one.-
- ABC News- Discrepancy Found in Explosives Amounts
- Roger L. Simon- Liar, Liar, Al Qaqaa Pants on Fire
- Holbrooke- -I Don’t Know the Truth-
- Wizbang – CBS/NYT story crumbles overnight
- Editor- Leaks Hastened Report on Missing Explosives (washingtonpost.com)
- Roger L. Simon- How Duranty Happened
- Belmont Club – That Missing RDX
- Is the U.N. Meddling in the U.S. Presidential Election-
- Captain’s Quarters – CBS Reported Suspicious Powder At Al Qaqaa In April 2003
- David Limbaugh – Kerry’s 377 Ton Pile of B.S.
- The Daily Recycler- NYTrogate