Iraq chemical weapons too old to use: US intelligence officials

AFP via Yahoo ^ | 6/22/06 | Jim Mannion

[Cindy_Cin]

I remember when Bush finally took office in 2000, and Rush Limbaugh was going crazy because Bush wasn't getting rid of the Clinton left overs in the State Dept & the CIA.
Sure enough, those Clinton left overs have sabotaged Bush from day 1.

[Swiss]

I bet these sources also believe that food is uneatable if the "Use by" date is out of date.

Artillery Shells has to be tough to handle extreme stresses and able to sit around through extremes of the weather for long periods of time. I have seen 50 year old Korean War era rounds fired off with no problems even though there was surface rust on the shells.

I know there is chemical issues with chemical weapons but I would bet that those shells in Iraq would still be mostly good.

[Nothometoday]

I respect your point.
However, It was not the fear of a few that sold this war.
It was the theory that thousands if not millions could/would be killed by Saddam's " WMD's"
I believe you when you say the stuff is still very hazardous. I am not saying no at all.
But a regular soldier could have found this any day, on normal patrol.
I wish our troops a good, safe life. I am not arguing their lives, I am saying I wish things had been better planned out.
and NO.....I am NOT a bleeding heart liberal. I am a sane person, asking questions I feel are of merit.

[EDINVA]

Good! So let's put these degraded, useless chemicals in the homes of the unnamed intelligence officials, the media and certain members of Congress who believe they are not dangerous.

[moose2004]

"or (think about this one) a subway system."

Very good point.

[syriacus]

Bad static on FNC started during discussion of WMD on Hannity and Colmes and ended when discussion was over.

[muawiyah]

No doubt more of Mary McCarthy's CIA friends taking revenge on the elected representatives.

Or, alternatively, the reporter made up the story.

[muawiyah]

WAC training took place at Fort McClellan. They tested Agent Orange at the same place, and while WAC training was underway.

Everybody was warned to not go in certain thickets, sit on the ground drinking beer in the base parks, and don't use the golf courses when wet, or in the morning, or after a big rain, or when the helicopters were around the place, or..... well, just about any time you can imagine.

[Cementjungle]

AP and 'unnamed sources' are pretty much the same story tellers

I always figured "unnamed sources" meant "some guy at the bar".

[Thermalseeker]

It was the theory that thousands if not millions could/would be killed by Saddam's " WMD's"

That was the laimstream media's portrayal of why we invaded Iraq. If you recall, there were many others, not the least of which involved our aircraft being fired on daily by Iraqi forces in the so-called "No Fly Zones". Personally, I believe that both this war and the one in '91, whether or not anyone wants to admit it, were primarily over oil, or, more specifically, the free flow there of.

Oil is the linchpin that holds the western economy together and yes it is worth fighting for, IMHO. If somewhere along the way we stop the wholesale rape and murder of tens of thousands, remove a tyrannical dictator and encourage a stable democratic form of government to a beleaguered country in the most troubled region on the planet, then good for us! It's a long row to hoe, though.

It is my firm belief that thirty years from now our strategy in Iraq will go down in history as one of the most brilliant military campaigns in the history of warfare. We have liberated two countries who were clearly sponsoring terrorism and invited terrorists from around the globe to come to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan to fight our military on our terms, instead of having the terrorist come here and fight our law enforcement in our own streets. Nothing short of brilliant, IMHO.

[FrankR]

"Iraq chemical weapons too old to use: US intelligence officials..."

Yeah, well, so is that gallon of milk in the fridge, but it wasn't too old to use WHEN I ORGINALLY GOT IT.

How exactly did the conversation go from "proving there was WMD", to "it's too old to use". Were we planning to use it?

Are the core courses for a journalism degree "Stupid 101, 102, and 103"?

[DCBryan1]

If they WMD shells are to old to use, we should send each democrat senator and congress critter one of those shells for their showcase above the hearth.

[jwalsh07]

No, they're not fully informed. In fact the word "intelligence" is grossly misapplied.

I suggest the CBR geniuses enjoy their next hot dog with some of that Iraqi mustard on it. I mean what the hell, it was made before 1991, what can the harm be.

[The_Reader_David]

Right war, wrong decade. Make that from the 1910's.

[Thermalseeker]

Right war, wrong decade. Make that from the 1910's.

Um, "Reader David", you might just want to reread and actually comprehend what I wrote before you start attempting to flame me. The mustard gas shells I spoke of were from WWI, i.e. circa 1914-1917. Those shells I spoke of were unearthed in the late 1940's by a farmer plowing his fields in Germany, a field that also happened to be a battle field from WWI. After decades exposed to the elements the gas they contained was still lethal and killed several people when the shell was breached by the plow. I did not write nor imply that WWI happened in the 1940's as you claim. Get your facts straight before you light the fire.....