Andrew Sullivan: READ THE (WMD) REPORT

andrewsullivan.com ^ | 10/03/03 | Andrew Sullivan

[Pokey78]

Sullivan ping!

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[maro]

Another useful bit of journalism by Mr. Sullivan.

[Samwise]

Bump

[Joe_October]

But, the Press said there were no weapons. They wouldn't lie would they?

[WOSG]

Fantastic commentary by Andrew Sullivan...

It's time to counterattack the Democrats' demagoguery.

[Pokey78]

Sorry, left off the last part:

FRACTION SO FAR: As for actual munitions, absorb this fact:

There are approximately 130 known Iraqi Ammunition Storage Points (ASP), many of which exceed 50 square miles in size and hold an estimated 600,000 tons of artillery shells, rockets, aviation bombs and other ordinance. Of these 130 ASPs, approximately 120 still remain unexamined. As Iraqi practice was not to mark much of their chemical ordinance and to store it at the same ASPs that held conventional rounds, the size of the required search effort is enormous.

Here are Kay's conclusions:

1. Saddam, at least as judged by those scientists and other insiders who worked in his military-industrial programs, had not given up his aspirations and intentions to continue to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Even those senior officials we have interviewed who claim no direct knowledge of any on-going prohibited activities readily acknowledge that Saddam intended to resume these programs whenever the external restrictions were removed. Several of these officials acknowledge receiving inquiries since 2000 from Saddam or his sons about how long it would take to either restart CW production or make available chemical weapons.
2. In the delivery systems area there were already well advanced, but undeclared, on-going activities that, if OIF had not intervened, would have resulted in the production of missiles with ranges at least up to 1000 km, well in excess of the UN permitted range of 150 km. These missile activities were supported by a serious clandestine procurement program about which we have much still to learn.
3. In the chemical and biological weapons area we have confidence that there were at a minimum clandestine on-going research and development activities that were embedded in the Iraqi Intelligence Service. While we have much yet to learn about the exact work programs and capabilities of these activities, it is already apparent that these undeclared activities would have at a minimum facilitated chemical and biological weapons activities and provided a technically trained cadre.

Could we have contained this indefinitely? If we'd wanted to continue to starve an entire country, make a mockery of U.N. resolutions, give new life to one of the most vicious dictatorships on the planet, and leave open the risk of this shadow but viable WMD program coming into the hands of any terrorist faction Saddam wanted to entertain. Were there risks of action? You bet. But most of the enormous risks did not come about: no use of such weapons, no massive destruction of oil wells, no fracturing of the country, no terrorist revenge or resurgence.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[Jewels1091]

I saw Kay today when he said that we'll be finding things underground in Irqa in 25 - 30 years. That the whold country has been dug up and things buried. That's scarey thought!

[GeronL]

WMD: Blair was right!

The Sun (UK) actually read the report!

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP - WMD

[doug from upland]

Great stuff from Sullivan.

[bunnypants]

from the state of the union:
The United Nations concluded in 1999 that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons sufficient to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax -- enough doses to kill several million people. He hasn't accounted for that material. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed it.

The United Nations concluded that Saddam Hussein had materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin -- enough to subject millions of people to death by respiratory failure. He hadn't accounted for that material. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed it.

Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. In such quantities, these chemical agents could also kill untold thousands. He's not accounted for these materials. He has given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

U.S. intelligence indicates that Saddam Hussein had upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents. Inspectors recently turned up 16 of them -- despite Iraq's recent declaration denying their existence. Saddam Hussein has not accounted for the remaining 29,984 of these prohibited munitions. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

From three Iraqi defectors we know that Iraq, in the late 1990s, had several mobile biological weapons labs. These are designed to produce germ warfare agents, and can be moved from place to a place to evade inspectors. Saddam Hussein has not disclosed these facilities. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in the 1990s that Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons development program, had a design for a nuclear weapon and was working on five different methods of enriching uranium for a bomb. The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production. Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities. He clearly has much to hide.

The dictator of Iraq is not disarming. To the contrary; he is deceiving. From intelligence sources we know, for instance, that thousands of Iraqi security personnel are at work hiding documents and materials from the U.N. inspectors, sanitizing inspection sites and monitoring the inspectors themselves. Iraqi officials accompany the inspectors in order to intimidate witnesses.

read it and weep...

[chance33_98]

But, the Press said there were no weapons. They wouldn't lie would they?

Would not matter. The lefties said before the war that we would find them becuase Bush would plant them. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Of course, if he finds them next year they will say it is an election ploy and he planted them, etc and so on.

[Mo1]

The Liberals and the Liberals Press are nothing but bold face Liers!!!

[MHGinTN]

Andrew has done his usual job of making the fuzzy more clear. I'll bet the democrat sleaze machine just hates this guy! But then I remember that the mainstream media will parse the truth to frame the democrat instructed lie and the Kay report will be filed away as proof no WMDs existed and that Saddam had no way to deliver them even if he were allowed to reamin in power and do his research best. [Lest we forget, one man, an agent for terrorism (like the ones Saddam trained for different organizations visiting Salman Pak) can trasport enough bioweapon in his airliner luggage to wipe out New York or Lost Angesleaze. That is precisely why our president has decalred the axis of evil and expressed our determination to stomp any nation that aids and abets (and harbors and trains) terrorists. I'm not about to trust the Deans, Gephardts, Kerrys, Daschles, Leahys, Schumers, and proven feckless clintons with the war against terrorists at this juncture. Losing Bin Laden proves how close degenerate clinton came to abetting our final demise. Scary reading, that!]

[okie01]

One can only conclude that the New York Times and al-Qaeda are........allies.

[Howlin]

I love this man, and this is why.

[Tribune7]

we won't find this in the Phila. Inquirer.