EXCLUSIVE: "No Signs of Chemical Weapons. No 'Smoking Gun' at Ansar Al-Islam Camp" (ABC Alert)

ABC NEWS ^ | March 30 | By Jim Sciutto

[A_Niceguy_in_CA]

EXCLUSIVE: "No Signs of Chemical Weapons. No 'Smoking Gun' at Ansar Al-Islam Camp"

U.S. Special Forces troops went on the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in northeastern Iraq Saturday but came up empty-handed.

By Jim Sciutto

March 30-The site they hit was identified by Secretary of State Colin Powell in his argument for war before the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5 as a base for the radical group Ansar al-Islam. Powell said the group linked Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network to Saddam Hussein, and had plotted chemical attacks across Europe.

Powell showed a satellite photograph of what he said was a chemical weapons training center in northern Iraq used by al Qaeda and protected by Ansar al-Islam, calling it evidence of a "sinister nexus between Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network."

Intelligence officials were convinced they would find the toxin known as ricin, which is deadlier than cyanide, or the apparatus to make chemicals at the facility. They were so concerned about the facility that plans were drawn up to attack it long before the war, although they were not carried out.

Scouring the Rubble for Samples

Special Forces teams, many of whom had trained for months for the Ansar raid, left base early in the morning for the camp. ABCNEWS was the only news organization allowed to join them.

The base had been secured just hours earlier, after fierce combat against Ansar al-Islam fighters. "We weren't able to take any POWs because once we got close, they would detonate explosives on their bodies or kill themselves with a grenade," one of the American troops said.

The teams came to the camp expecting to find hard evidence Ansar al-Islam has biological and chemical weapons.

What they found was a camp devastated by cruise missile strikes from the first days of the war. A specialized biochemical team scoured the rubble for samples. They wore protective masks as they entered a building they suspected was a weapons lab, but found nothing.

In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABCNEWS' This Week today, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that there were still numerous places to search in the former Ansar territory, and suggested that the evidence may have been removed from the main compound that forces hit Saturday.

"We saw from the air that there were dozens of trucks that went into that facility after the existence of it became public in the press, and they moved things out," said Rumsfeld. "They dispersed them and took them away. So there may be nothing left. I don't know that. But it's way too soon to know."

He also said there were dozens of facilities spread over a large area, and that it would take time to check them all.

While the weapons could indeed have been moved out, for this unit, such evidence would have been a smoking gun — proof that Ansar has banned weapons. And in the end, it was a disappointing day for these troops on the front line of the hunt for weapons of mass destruction.

[Militiaman7]

They were there alright, they moved the stuff before we got there thanks to all the UN diplomacy BS!

[egarvue]

And ABC is deleiriously happy to report this "setback". One can almost hear the applause for Saddam in the ABC newsroom...

[Dialup Llama]

I doubt Sadaams jewels would be secured at a small, frontier base. ABC news was using a straw man argument: setting up a false expectation that WMDs should be there and then pointing out wil glee that none were found.

[WarSlut]

Gee ABC, do you think maybe it has something to do with the fact that they've had nearly TWO MONTHS to move the stuff? Maybe?

Keep talking, keep pissing off your viewership in the name of the cause... you'll learn. Just ask the Dixie Chicks.

Effin' idiots.

[MHGinTN]

Yep, just like Always Bull Crap to try and sow discord and doubt. Maybe their designation should read ABC-DDT

[Diogenesis]

Well, this means we must give up, right?

Also, George Stephanopoulos can now reasonably demand that
Blair and Pres. Bush resign as he demanded last week of Blair.

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[shamusotoole]

According to a CNN International embedded reporter, he said he saw what appeared to be "poisons and chemicals" in containers. He said they would be further tested before any conclusions were to be drawn. Thisw was about 0400 EST.

It could be that ABC has seen the test results, but I doubt it. Too soon.

[1 spark]

It's been posted before,
ABC = Aljazeera Broadcasting Company

Disgusting.

[McGruff]

I'll wait till I get confirmation from one our major media outlets.

[browardchad]

It may take months to find this stuff, which is most likely distributed in small quantities throughout Iraq, if not already moved to Iran or Syria.

Saddam and his minions have had 12 years to develop hiding skills, is known by intelligence services to have moved the stuff constantly, and the media stamps its ignorant foot in impatience after less than two weeks.

[1 spark]

Great picture. You can see the life and the hope in his eyes.

[Republican Wildcat]

While the weapons could indeed have been moved out, for this unit, such evidence would have been a smoking gun — proof that Ansar has banned weapons. And in the end, it was a disappointing day for these troops on the front line of the hunt for weapons of mass destruction.

And some still argue the press is not biased.

[Sacajaweau]

Notice that the men are wearing no headwear. Also, remember the one who was hitting the Saddam poster with his shoe and smiling big. He had what I think was a red checkered head band. When I first saw that photo, I thought, oh, oh, watch out (thinking about our guys). I keep seeing these red checkered headpieces and they always raise my suspicions. Just a gut thing I guess.

[syriacus]

March 30-The site they hit was identified by Secretary of State Colin Powell in his argument for war before the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5 as a base for the radical group Ansar al-Islam

I'm not sure that Powell told the UN that WMD were stored at the camp. He said Al-Qaeda types trained there and he said they plotted chemical attacks.

When he mentioned the camp, wasn't Powell mostly interested in showing a connection between international terror groups and Saddam?

Wasn't the camp mentioned as an answer to the naysayers who were telling us that Saddam wasn't a threat to the US, like terrorists are, so Saddam should be left alone?

[KG Peiper]

I heard ABC had sent Hans Blix and Scott Ritter up there to guide the troops in their search, no wonder they haven,t been able to come up with anything yet.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Saddam and his minions have had 12 years to develop hiding skills, is known by intelligence services to have moved the stuff constantly, and the media stamps its ignorant foot in impatience after less than two weeks.

Yep- Anyone who thinks that any of the number of 'terrorist' groups are a fly-by-night, spontaneous sort of operation and have not lived, eaten and breathed multiple contingency plans for every situation should blissfully stick their head back into the sand and keep quiet.

[CyberAnt]

Some of the people we have captured have told us that the chemicals are stored close in to Baghdad.

That seems to make a lot of sense to me. Saddam is very paranoid and believes people are out to get him. With that view, why would he allow WMD's to be out there loose within Iraq ...?? He wouldn't! Several of the facilities which were found by the Brits/SAS have been chemical disbursement stations. All that was needed was the chem stuff.

I believe it will be found in abundance in Baghdad.

[Fresh Wind]

When he mentioned the camp, wasn't Powell mostly interested in showing a connection between international terror groups and Saddam?

Yes, absolutely.