Chemical weapons stored near Capital, captured Iraqi claims

Stars and Stripes European edition ^ | March 29, 2003 | Mark Oliva

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

An Iraqi soldier captured in the battle for An Nasiriyah claims that Saddam Hussein’s chemical weapons are stored closer to Baghdad.

No brainer. Baghdad is where Saddam always intended to do his "rope-a-dope". Gotta keep his aces nearby.

[dark_lord]

In my more paranoid moments I suspect that Saddam has a nuke. Probably a big ol "Fat-Boy" type nuke - not very transportable (and he has no air force anyway.) But -- he could sit in his bunker w/ a "deadman switch" and when the Colition forces are in Baghdad and Special Ops kicks down his door - KABLOOIE!

Of course, I don't think he has a nuke. But if he did -- I would bet on this as being a credible scenario.

[Gracey]

Blix is an idiot.

IGNORANCE is BLIX

[blam]

"clarification: The BLU-82 is not a bunker buster. But I haven't heard that we used it yet for shock value."

The BLU-82 is the 'Daisy Cutter.' (15,000 pounds, delivered by a C-130 cargo plane.)

The MOAB is 21,000 pounds and has a 'stand-off' capability.(The C-130 plane can drop it from a farther distance)

[M Kehoe]

Saddam may rather level Baghdad flat or turn it into a total biohazard zone rather than let it be occupied by the US.

Kind of like, "if I can't have it, you can't have it either."

That would be consistent with the history of tyrants. The Butcher of Baghdad truely believes he owns everything in Iraq. Including the people.

5.56mm

[supercat]

Saddam may rather level Baghdad flat or turn it into a total biohazard zone rather than let it be occupied by the US.

Could a large bomb or small nuke outside Baghdad diffuse any chem/biohazards in the city without causing undue collateral damage? Highly risky I'm sure, but if Saddam has remote-controlled gas dispensers throughout the city I'm not sure what better alternatives would exist.

[El Gato]

When we get close enough, a few of those air sucker (I forget the real name of it) bombs can be placed at one or more of the bunker's entrance

Hyperbaric perhaps? Designed to create a sharp pressure wave, but the suck up a lot of air too. Or maybe you just mean a fuel air explosive? Since they use air as the oxidizer, they use up quite a bit of it.

[El Gato]

I dont think this Guy has any idea we have a 21000lb bunker bomb we Just tested.....

that's not a bunker buster. However, in the article referanced he didn't seem to know about the real bunker busters, which weigh about 5,000 lbs but only contain about 650 lbs of explosives. The key is that the explosives go off *inside* the bunker, after the rest of that weight and strength allows the bomb to penetrate the overburdern and the few feet of concrete of the bunker itself. The contents tend to get emulsified.

[El Gato]

We havent even used our big serious bunker busting stuff yet. Not the BLU-82. Didn't we especially design some more new goodies for use in Afghanistans cave networks?

BLU-82, aka Daisy Cutter, is not a bunker buster. GBU-28 is and we've reported dropped several on bunkers in the Baghdad area.

The hyperbaric bomb was rushed through developement and production, just in time for the caves of Afghanistan.

[El Gato]

The hyperbaric bomb

Make that thermobaric. Brain fade.

[buwaya]

Just FWIW, the 2/23 Marines are a reserve unit from Northern California, mostly from the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 23rd Regt depot is in San Bruno, just south of SF.

[MagnusMat]

BLIX PLAYS TRICKS!

[Gracey]

LOL. What a useless piece of trix.

Say, regarding your dear Senator Clintoon, you would have liked my sign at the 1st FReeper event in Washington D.C. 1998, to impeach Clinton. My sign read:

IMPEACH HILARY

I always though and still do, that SHE's the real DANGER in the Clinton duo.

[Starrgaizr]

He is going to cause tens of thousands of Iraqi civilian casualties by releasing the gas in Baghdad.

[Orlando]

I think the SADDAM RATS do have WMD in place in Baghdad, I think SADDAM SS RATS is going to use it,once we enter the city. The Best thing to do is surround the city. Set-up more
Allied Free-Iraqi TV and stronger signal RADIO into the city. Get better and more intel, spec-ops,snipers inside baghdad, before sending in any troops.

[jerseygirl]

Amen.

[MagnusMat]

I agree that Hilary is the real danger. I think is an opportunist who goes for the ride - chicks and fame. Blessings to you!

[cynicom]

The major has to be a liar. Fox had an expert on last nite that pooh poohed the entire Iraqi WMD story.

[Enterprise]

Saddam must a fricking genius. One good bomb hit and those chemical weapons are going to be stored ALL OVER Baghdad. Maybe they will even seep down to the lower levels of the bunker he's trapped in.