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Maybe the media and Bush critics are jumping the gun on the "non-existent" WMD.
-- Iraqi scientist turns over centrifuge, needed to develop nuclear bomb, that had been hidden in Baghdad.
Watch CNN or log on to http://CNN.com (AOL Keyword: CNN) for the latest news.
Mike
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U.S.: Banned arms evidence in Iraq
MSNBC and NBC News
U.S. investigators in Iraq have found equipment for a nuclear weapons program and millions of detailed documents relating to chemical and biological weapons, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.
U.S. OFFICIALS said the discoveries were not proof that Iraq had managed to build or obtain banned weapons of mass destruction, as President Bush asserted before the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March. But they said the materials, some of which dated back to the first Gulf War, were compelling proof that Saddam was trying actively to acquire such weapons in defiance of the United Nations.
NBC News has learned of several recent discoveries, some within the past week, one related to nuclear weapons and the others to chemical, biological and banned conventional weapons.
Three U.S. officials told NBC's Andrea Mitchell that an Iraqi scientist who was part of what Saddam called his "nuclear mujahadeen" had led intelligence officials to a barrel in the back yard of his home in Baghdad, where they found plans for a gas centrifuge and components of a uranium enrichment system.
The Associated Press, citing a U.S. intelligence official, identified the scientist as Mahdi Shukur Obeidi, who headed Iraq's program to make centrifuges that would enrich uranium for nuclear weapons before the 1991 Gulf War. NBC's sources said the plans dated back to the end of the Gulf War, when Saddam was already widely known to be seeking such weapons, and came as no great surprise.
CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
The more significant discoveries were related to Saddam's attempts to rebuild chemical and biological arsenals like those he was known to have used during the Iran-Iraq War of the late 1980s, when he was supported by the U.S. government.
Sources told NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski that within just the past week, U.S. investigators had found two shipping containers filled with millions of much more recent documents relating to chemical and biological weapons.
One of the documents, from 2001, was titled "Document burial and U.N. activities in Iraq," the sources said. It gave detailed instructions on how to hide materials and deceive U.N. weapons inspectors, the sources said.
Other documents related to the concealment of VX nerve gas, the sources said.
The sources said U.S. troops also discovered about 300 sacks of castor beans, which are used to make the deadly biological agent ricin, hidden in a warehouse in the town of al-Aziziyah, 50 miles southeast of Baghdad, the capital. The castor beans were inaccurately labeled as fertilizer.
U.S. search teams have also been led to a site near Nasiriyah, a key Euphrates River crossing 200 miles south of Baghdad, where Iraqi informants said Scud missiles were buried.
COMPELLING EVIDENCE?
U.S. officials said the discoveries did not constitute final proof that Saddam had rebuilt his banned weapons program, as administration officials alleged in justifying the invasion of Iraq. But they said the materials were the best evidence so far that the Iraqi government could have done so and was actively trying to deceive U.N. inspectors before the war.
Richard Butler, the United Nations' former chief weapons inspector, told MSNBC TV's Lester Holt that he was "absolutely unsurprised" by the report. "We have known of [Saddam's previous plans] for a decade," he said.
Butler said that the discovery of components of a uranium enrichment system suggested that Iraq was far from production of actual weapons. The need for an enrichment system established that "Iraq does not have adequate sources of natural uranium," he said. "... It has to be, above all, enriched to get weapons grade."
"This all adds up and makes sense," Butler said.
NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC TV's Lester Holt and MSNBC.com's Alex Johnson contributed to this report.
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Oh please let this turn out to be a smoking gun. Still though, no matter what proof could come out of this, there are those who will find a way to say it's not real, was planted, whatever just to still bash this current administration.
It wouldn't surprise if they did plant something... but then again it wouldn't surprise if they find something. The whole ordeal has been about misleading evidence, forged documents, and lack of common sense IMO. It would be nice to prove something for once.
just my 0.02 cents worth... which I don't think means anything as i'm an Australian.
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Last edited by Billythekid; June 25th, 2003 at 08:17 PM.
Originally posted by WaywardFan Getting ready to say Bush planted it all, himself no less?
This has happened before though, so I'll wait to see what else they turn up.
SO effin crass, Wayward.
This is more evidence that will continue to improve my feelings about us going to war. Does it prove the imminent threat that GWB said Iraq was? Not even close.
BUT.
It does provide further credence to the U.S.'s stance that Saddam Hussein was indeed in violation of UN Resolution 1441, and that justifies our use of deadly force in removing him from power.
I still want a smoking gun though. Come on U.S. !!!
Gimme something!
Not trying to be a punk here, but where are the Bush-haters?
Mike
Quote:
Originally posted by WaywardFan Getting ready to say Bush planted it all, himself no less?
This has happened before though, so I'll wait to see what else they turn up.
It's a start, but lets be realistic. If they found a JellyBean and said it was used to build WMD people would be throwing their arms up saying, "Ha! Bush was right. Where's all the Bush haters now???" He hasn't found shyt just yet. A rusted up thing... which was planted 12 years ago in order to "reconstitute their nuclear program as soon as the world was no longer looking" ??
Or maybe more rose gardens have buried entire factories and stockpiles of CHEMICAL and BIOLOGICAL WMDs?? Who knows
Basically,
No weapons have been found yet, No matter how much you wish they have been.
I hope i'm dead wrong and the finding will justify whats taken place but as of now I don't buy anything until there's total and utter proof.
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Last edited by Billythekid; June 25th, 2003 at 09:19 PM.
Items buried for over 12 years under a Rose Bush do not come close to constituting an immediate and viable threat to the U.S.
How many "smoking guns" have we found so far (reported, that is) 20? 30? 100?. How many panned out? ZERO.
I have no doubt there will be more finds like this. We know he had WMD at one time. We know he wanted them. But did he have any that posed an immediate and viable threat to the U.S.? That is what we were told by Bush, that he did. That was the SOLE justification for the war.
what does it matter?
Anybody old enough to remember the Gulf of Tonkin?
Many of the wars our country has entered into, such as the Spanish-American war and the many incursions into central America were done so under totally false pretenses to sell it to a public that is not REALLY warlike. It takes a good deal of propaganda to soften us up for the rich man's wars.
Bush, and the other draft dodging right wing chickenhawks should be at the head of the invading column. John Kerry, Vietnam combat veteran is running for prez.
Originally posted by SirStefan32 Well, this sounds interesting, but let's wait for some solid evidence.
I agree 100%. While interesting, it still doesn't prove anything that we didn't already know.
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