Posted on 10/25/2004 8:20:39 PM PDT by gmoore57
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON OCT 25 2004 22:45:05 ET XXXXX
NBCNEWS: HUGE CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ -- AT LEAST 18 MONTHS AGO -- BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED
The NYTIMES urgently reported on Monday how the Iraqi interim government has warned the United States and international nuclear inspectors that nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives are now missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations.
Jumping on the TIMES exclusive, Dem presidential candidate John Kerry blasted the Bush administration for its failure to "guard those stockpiles."
"This is one of the great blunders of Iraq, one of the great blunders of this administration," Kerry said.
In an election week rush:
**ABCNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 4 Times **CBSNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 7 Times **MSNBC Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 37 Times **CNN Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 50 Times
But tonight, NBCNEWS reported, once: The 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives were already missing back in April 10, 2003 -- when U.S. troops arrived at the installation south of Baghdad!
An NBCNEWS crew embedded with troops moved in to secure the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility on April 10, 2003, one day after the liberation of Iraq.
According to NBCNEWS, the HMX and RDX explosives were already missing when the American troops arrived.
It is not clear why the NYTIMES failed to report the cache had been missing for 18 months -- and was reportedly missing before troops even arrived.
"The U.S. Army was at the sight one day after the liberation and the weapons were already gone," a top Republican blasted from Washington late Monday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors last saw the explosives in January 2003 when they took an inventory and placed fresh seals on the bunkers.
Dem vp hopeful John Edwards blasted Bush for not securing the explosives: "It is reckless and irresponsible to fail to protect and safeguard one of the largest weapons sites in the country. And by either ignoring these mistakes or being clueless about them, George Bush has failed. He has failed as our commander in chief; he has failed as president."
A top Bush official e-mailed DRUDGE late Monday: "Let me get this straight, are Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards now saying we did not go into Iraq soon enough? We should have invaded and liberated Iraq sooner?"
Top Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart fired back: "In a shameless attempt to cover up its failure to secure 380 tons of highly explosive material in Iraq, the White House is desperately flailing in an effort to escape blame. Instead of distorting John Kerry’s words, the Bush campaign is now falsely and deliberately twisting the reports of journalists. It is the latest pathetic excuse from an administration that never admits a mistake, no matter how disastrous."
Developing...
Already under discussion, see below for the latest posts...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1256853/posts
ROTFLMAO
Oh, it's very clear why. They suck.
I don't know, Joe. This sure sounds like YOU'RE the one FLAILING to me.....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1256810/posts
one more that beat drudge.
Not clear to those who choose not to see. This is Dan Rather and the forged memos, all over again.
Why don't you get on your cell phone and try to find some more forged documents, Joe?
Sniff! Sniff! Do I smell Karl Rove whipsawing the media and JFKerry? LOL!
Mr. Memo speaks!
Need to send Cheney on offensive to attack Kerry for not taking time to verify his attack based on bad intelligence from MSM.
Somewhere Sandy Burgler is stuffing those reports in his pants
So why did al-qaeda have a weapons facility in Iraq? Saddams Iraq. I thought they were not connected. /sarc
btt
That's good!
Talk about idiots acting on bad intel:
Lockhart Statement on Reports of Missing Explosives in Iraq
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_1025.html
Kerry Statement on Bush’s Failure to Secure Explosives in Iraq
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_1025a.html
Hope Hannity and Rush rip them a major leaque new one for this.
Joe: "Sandy, is that a memo in your pants or are you just glad to see me?"
Top Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart fired back: "In a shameless attempt to cover up its failure to secure 380 tons of highly explosive material in Iraq, the White House is desperately flailing in an effort to escape blame. Instead of distorting John Kerry’s words, the Bush campaign is now falsely and deliberately twisting the reports of journalists. It is the latest pathetic excuse from an administration that never admits a mistake, no matter how disastrous."
That would be NBC News "twisting the reports of journalists." Journalists wouldn't twist the reports of their fellow MSM journalists, would they?
Post a complaint to the NYT ombudsman
public@nytimes.com
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