Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: okie01; All
I recently read of an arrest in New York City where possession of a mere pipe bomb was charged as possession of a "weapon of mass destruction." If a two pound pipe bomb is a "weapon of mass destruction," then what do people think that a 2,000-pound steel-encased bomb is?

I find it ironic, to say the least, that one of the aircraft that could be used to drop such a bomb on Iraq is dubbed "The Spirit of Oklahoma."

During the Gulf War, an F-117A (not "Spirit of Oklahoma," which is a B-2, I believe) dropped such a 2,000 lb bomb on the Al Firdos bunker, incinerating over two hundred men, women and children. Iraq scored a huge propaganda victory, putting the charred corpses on display for a photo-op press conference. It lead to Powell introducing restrictions on the bombing campaign to minimize civilian casualties. However, after the war, I remember reading a report that the Pentagon knew that the bunker held women and children, but that it also knew they were the families of the Iraqi high command. Supposedly, this bombing was considered quite effective in weakening the resolve of the Iraqi regime. I suspect it also provided motivation for a lot of the revenge attacks we have seen since, such as the attempted assassination of Bush 41, the OKC bombing, and the destruction of the WTC. Saddam was still going on about the bunker bombing in his last "commentary" on the September 11 situation. It seems to be a very sore point with the Iraqi leadership.

41 posted on 10/03/2002 11:32:32 AM PDT by The Great Satan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies ]


To: The Great Satan
Interesting hypothesis about the Al-Firdos bunker.

And, yes, it would've been an F-117A. The B-2 Spirits, with their "Spirit of _____" names, weren't in service at that time.

Note, FWIW, that McVeigh isn't claiming the "Spirit of Oklahoma" dropped any bombs on Iraq. Only that it is "one of the aircraft that could be used to drop such a bomb on Iraq..."

42 posted on 10/03/2002 11:56:41 AM PDT by okie01
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson