DoD News Briefing with Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Casey from the Pentagon (500 WMDs found in Iraq)

DoD News Briefing with Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Casey from the Pentagon ^ | June 22, 2006 | Donald Rumsfeld

[FreedomPoster]

Q Mr. Secretary, there's been a lot made on Capitol Hill about the chemical weapons that were found and may be quite old. But do you have a real concern of these weapons from Saddam's past perhaps having an impact on U.S. troops who are on the ground in Iraq right now?

SEC. RUMSFELD: Certainly. What's been announced is accurate, that there have been hundreds of canisters or weapons of various types found that either currently have sarin in them or had sarin in them. And sarin's dangerous. And it's dangerous to our forces and it's a concern. So, obviously, to the extent we can locate these and destroy them, it's important that we do so. They are dangerous. And anyone, I'm sure, General Casey or anyone else in that country, would be concerned if they got in the wrong hands. They are weapons of mass destruction. They're harmful to human beings. And they have been found. And they had not been reported by Saddam Hussein as he inaccurately alleged that he had reported all of his weapons. And they are still being found and discovered.

[FreedomPoster]

This excerpt is from about half-way into the transcript.

Posted since there are so many stories on the Santorum/500 WMDs news, that are quoting "anonymous Pentagon sources" as saying that these weapons weren't a danger. Well, Donald Rumsfeld disagrees, and he's hardly anonymous.

[hershey]

It would be unfortunate, but interesting nonetheless, if a journalist died because a sarin cannister exploded. Would the MSM suddenly admit Iraq had WMD's all along? Probably not. They'd blame the army/admin. for not disposing of the gas earlier.

[madconserv]

Another key statement is: "And they are still being found and discovered."
Stale or not, more are being found that may not be as old and stale.

[Darkwolf377]

This story doesn't seem to be getting a whole lotta play. Just sayin'.

[FreedomPoster]

Of course not.

[Echo Talon]

when liberals say that they are degraded WMD's, ask them if they would volunteer to drink some of it. :)

[mainepatsfan]

I guess the libs don't want to clear out any old mine fields because they're now degraded.

[FreedomPoster]

I've suggested to a couple that we explode one in their neighborhood to test it.

[BluH2o]

... quoting "anonymous Pentagon sources" as saying that these weapons weren't a danger.

Favorite fallback of the liberal drive by MSM ... "anonymous sources". As perky Katie Couric likes to put it "some people say" or "some are saying".

[ChadGore]

Some how Rummy always finds a way to make it easy:

They are weapons of mass destruction.

They're harmful to human beings.

And they have been found.

[elli1]

Mr. Secretary, there's been a lot made on Capitol Hill about the chemical weapons that were found and may be quite old.

Almost sounds like this reporter was willing to be a guinea pig for testing 'quite old' poison gas.

[Jackknife]

"They are weapons of mass destruction. They're harmful to human beings. And they have been found. And they had not been reported by Saddam Hussein as he inaccurately alleged that he had reported all of his weapons. And they are still being found and discovered."

'Nuff said.

[madconserv]

FOMCLOL The Dimorats still will not "get it".

[madconserv]

Yo, Kerry, Murtha(traitor), wanna be a guinea pig?

[Sprite518]

Rummy says it best at the end,

" And they are still being found and discovered."

I just wish Bush would let out the info. I do not care if it embarrasses China, Russia, Germany or France.

[The G Man]

You said it Jackknife! Well said, Rummy!

[FreedomPoster]

Enjoy your short stay at FR.

[FreedomPoster]

Agitpropagandist in the wire.

[hawkaw]

Since the SOD talks officially for the department, I wonder if al AP, al Reuters and al AFP will stop using an unnamed official or officials in the government.

[tiredoflaundry]

hmmmmmm

[FreedomPoster]

I'm not holding my breath.

[hawkaw]

No neither am I. At least they reported it unlike the Old Grey Lady.

I am sure glad dbs like this site, FOX, AM radio hosts are around to get the message out.

[verity]

OPSEC precludes me from responding to your questions.

[FreedomPoster]

We should pop one in his neighborhood to test their condition.

[Thermalseeker]

They'd blame the army/admin. for not disposing of the gas earlier

Using typical DemocRat inconsistency, many of these same Leftist Congresscritters who are saying this stuff is "stale" and "no threat" were all in a twither back in the Clintoon Administration when we began disposing of "dangerous" chemical weaponry in our own arsenal left over from WWII, Korea and Viet Nam......

[LachlanMinnesota]

It would certainly advance the story and provide a lot of credibility if the details were provided, for I have seen many posts indicating that even though they are dangerous in the sense that they could hurt someone, they are:

1. old and made before 1990,

2. not capable of being fired,

3. not ever used by any terrorists,

4. not used by Sadam.

All I can say is that the word must be spread that old ammunition and weapons are as capable of killing as any new weapons. I've been using my Dad's leftover shotgun shells to hunt ducks for years, and the ducks are still good eaten! Ask a duck if old ammo still works!

[Coop]

Another key statement is: "And they are still being found and discovered." Stale or not, more are being found that may not be as old and stale.

Yup. On Hannity's show Wednesday Rick Santorum seemed to be itching to say more about the classified portions of the report (which he and Rep. Hoekstra are trying to get declassified). Sen. Santorum was skirting around the issue, but certainly implied that there are more WMD discoveries still unreported in the open press.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"when liberals say that they are degraded WMD's, ask them if they would volunteer to drink some of it. :)"

I have simply been asking them, "So there were NO WMD in Iraq and Bush lied. So now that there are WMD, did Bush still lie?"

And then the move the goalposts and say the WMD was not harmful.

Maroons

[ClaireSolt]

Be patient. This is a Chinese water torture technique. drip, drip, drip. It builds until November.

[Sprite518]

I hope your right, but I have a feeling that its not going to play out that way. Did you read this transcript from Rush? See below;


Last night on Hannity & Colmes, Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, who is a Fox News military analyst, said this: "[M]y personal opinion is, I think the fact is that the Russians moved large stocks of weapons of mass destruction out of Baghdad and Iraq in the fall of 2002. We've all heard what General Sada, the Iraqi defector said. He said that they went into three locations in Syria and one location in the Bekaa Valley, and if you get in there and if you found those weapons and found the precursors, the fingerprints would go back to Russia, China and France." This is McInerney last night on Fox.

Now... "Those are the three countries that had the most conventional weapon sales to Saddam Hussein. We've done an inventory on that, so that's public, and I believe they were complicit, so I don't think the administration wants to trash three of the five members of this Security Council." Let me translate. What McInerney is saying is what a number of people think. Those weapons were there and they were moved out by the Russians and by the French, by the Chinese, primarily the Russians providing most of the actual manpower and equipment to do it. They were moved to Syria, Bekaa Valley and three other locations.

China and France and Russia -- we all know this from the oil-for-food program, by the way -- were all engaged in selling large stockpiles of conventional weapons to Saddam and in some cases some people think maybe weapons that could be converted to the so-called biological or chemical weapons of mass destruction. But McInerney says I just don't think this administration is going to force the issue because he doesn't want to accuse three of our allies on the Security Council of being complicit here. So, folks, that's why it's going to require alternative voices to keep the pressure on, keep the heat on, and it can be done. Believe me, there are people livid about this, and the fact that it's being ignored and swept under the rug is only going to fuel the energy of those of us who want to spend time getting the information out."

[AFPhys]

"And then the move the goalposts and say the WMD was not harmful."
----

In a discussion with a lib yesterday, he had yet another way of moving the goalpost: "Chemical weapons aren't really weapons of mass destruction"...

LOL

I simply agreed with him that I didn't particularly like the way that had been defined either, and he was tongue tied.

[syriacus]

If some enterprising Iraqi bottles the chemicals and sells them as aftershave to the libs, I doubt that the libs will slap it on each other and say,

Thanks, I needed that"

[FreedomPoster]

Here's a nice graphic on those weapons sales. I throw it in the face of Libs, every time they throw out that pic of Rumsfeld and Saddam shaking hands in the 80s.

http://www.solport.com/resources/Iraqi%20Weapons.JPG

[Echo Talon]

And then they move the goalposts and say the WMD was not harmful.

yea that looks like their strategy.. move the goalpost.

[LachlanMinnesota]

Love the graphic...thanks!

[Republican Wildcat]

bump

[branch1]

Last week John Batchelor interviewed a weapons inspector who stated a report designating a potential burial site for saddam's weapons had been sent to Saudia Arabia and inexplicably the report was deleted!!! According to the source, saddam buried the weapons and then flooded the site to make it appear as a swamp. I believe the area is near Najariyaf or Najaf. At any rate the UN weapons inspectors visited a cement plant but did not inspect a similar looking facility that turned out to have trace elements of nerve gas. If this story is true: WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!!!? The same person also said that included in the report two Russian generals facilitated in the removal of the weapons. Both received the highest Iraqi civilain awards. One general's expertise was in transportation and while the other's was logistics. Could somebody please acknowledge that this matter has been investigated. I'm getting damn sick and tired of all this secrecy and cover-up.

[branch1]

Last week John Batchelor interviewed a weapons inspector who stated a report designating a potential burial site for saddam's weapons had been sent to Saudia Arabia and inexplicably the report was deleted!!! According to the source, saddam buried the weapons and then flooded the site to make it appear as a swamp. I believe the area is near Najariyaf or Najaf. At any rate the UN weapons inspectors visited a cement plant but did not inspect a similar looking facility that turned out to have trace elements of nerve gas. If this story is true: WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!!!? The same person also said that included in the report two Russian generals facilitated in the removal of the weapons. Both received the highest Iraqi civilain awards. One general's expertise was in transportation and while the other's was logistics. Could somebody please acknowledge that this matter has been investigated. I'm getting damn sick and tired of all this secrecy and cover-up.