Posted on 10/28/2004 9:29:42 PM PDT by KFAT
videotape made by a television crew with American troops when they opened bunkers at a sprawling Iraqi munitions complex south of Baghdad shows a huge supply of explosives still there nine days after the fall of Saddam Hussein, apparently including some sealed earlier by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The tape, broadcast on Wednesday night by the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis, appeared to confirm a warning given earlier this month to the agency by Iraqi officials, who said that hundreds of tons of high-grade explosives, powerful enough to bring down buildings or detonate nuclear weapons, had vanished from the site after the invasion of Iraq.
The question of whether the material was removed by Mr. Hussein's forces in the days before the invasion, or looted later because it was unguarded, has become a heated dispute on the campaign trail, with Senator John Kerry accusing President Bush of incompetence, and Mr. Bush saying it is unclear when the material disappeared and rejecting what he calls Mr. Kerry's "wild charges."
The entire new York Times is a D.N.C ad.
The Times is changing the story. The original affiliate report said the troops did not cut the seal they found. It's very clear in their video and story.
"A 5 Eyewitness News crew in Iraq may have been just a door away from materials that could be used to detonate nuclear weapons. "
They were a door away and did not break the seal so they dont know if anything was really in the bunker.
The footage of bunkers seems to be from bunkers without seals.
Bump!
On a story like this you always have to consider whose writing it - where's it coming from.
The NY Times is the last place I'd go to for factual information. I'll stick with Drudge, and FR.
FWIW, Ted Koppel closed Nightline tonight with the revelation that he personally was present at Al Qaaqaa the night before the Baghdad invasion. He showed an interview with a commander who said the walled compound had mainly rocket fuel. Koppel said there would have been insufficient manpower and time to do a complete search, as the mission was to invade Baghdad. He has recontacted the same officer, who has told him that he is certain all explosives were removed before we ever got there. He said the Iraqis were convinced the place would be one of our prime bombing targets.
I'm sure ABC will have its story coordinated by tomorrow...
Local news is usually more independent and balanced.
I will take their report over the word of the NYT any day.
Whoa nellie.
We are getting 101st Airborne guys saying one thing, and we are getting Caffrey and the other fellow saying another thing. AND we have the footage. The footage may or may not prove any thing. Someone needs to have an interview with Caffrey and the other guy ... Forget the footage, they are eyewitnesses and can say either I saw this stuff or I didn't -- and the soldiers with me were named ??? Also, remember, the official ordinance destruction guys were down there 3 weeks later from what I understand ...
In some ways I see this as a positive in that it plays out the QaQa Gate to the very end of the campaign. Because even if they PROVE that 3 tons was there, then was looted ... SO WHAT, we are supposed to conclude from that the it's ALL BUSH'S FAULT !!! It's very mysterious this is happening at a local affiliate in MN -- A MAJOR SWING STATE !!!
The KSTP report claims using GPS technology. Utilizing the below coordinates and the fact that the news crew was in Iskandariyah and traveled 2-3 miles to their NW to find the bunkers shows that they were not at the al QaQaa facility, which is in Yusufiyah, a full 35 miles to the NNE. The bunkers they were at WERE NOT the al QaQaa bunkers.
Al Qa Qaa General Establishment
Al Qaqa State Establishment
Badr General Establishment
Al Yusufiyah [Yousefiya / Yusufiya / Yusufiyah]
PPL 33°04'56"N 44°15'10"E
Nahr al Yusufiyah [Nahr al Yusufiya /
Jadwal al Yusufiyah / Nahr al Yusufiyah al Hadis]
STM 33°08'00"N 44°04'00"E
Iskandariya [Al Iskandariyah]
PPL 32°53'36"N 44°21'06"E
Al Qa Qaa is located in Yousefiya 30-38 km South of Baghdad, near Iskandariya.
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iraq/facility/al_qa_qaa.htm
The photos were taken in a bunker that did NOT have the IAEA seal on it as the reporter himself said he did not go into any bunker that had been sealed by the IAEA. In fact, there is nothing that proves that any of the soldiers broke any IAEA seals. Thus, the photos of the explosives are NOT the ones the IAEA has been referring to. Also, it seems the location is not Al-QaQaa either.
could always throw Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Center into the mix, only other place with IAEA seals on bunkers and in the same general area.
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