Posted on 05/18/2004 8:21:40 AM PDT by JohnGalt
Washington-AP -- Don't jump to any conclusions just yet. That warning comes from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, after the U-S military in Iraq announced that a roadside bomb containing sarin nerve gas had exploded near a U-S military convoy.
Rumsfeld told a Washington, D-C audience that the "field test" showing the presence of sarin may not be accurate. He says more analysis needs to be done -- and that it may take some time to find out just what the chemical was.
In Baghdad, officials said the bomb was apparently left over from the Saddam era. They said two members of a military bomb squad were treated for "minor exposure" -- but that there were no serious injuries.
One official says the shell apparently contained two chemicals that are designed to combine and create sarin -- but that they didn't mix properly.
Peach,
This time Galt is in trouble. If it turns out to be sarin, he'll have to eat a ton of words. If it turns out to be something else, he'll have to acknowlege that Rumsfeld is an honest man and a patriot.
GC/MS (Gas Chromatographic / Mass Spectrometry) analysis of a small drop of the liquid substance found within the 155mm artillery shell will confirm whether or not it is Sarin. What is the problem???
Very good points all! Never considered them!
1. Rummy's protecting the troops.
2. By saying this, he guarantees that the WMDs will get more coverage. If it is Sarin after all, the media will be forced to follow up.
3. He also gets the Democrats/Media off his back for his resignation.
I take my words back! He's as dumb as a fox!
Gezzz. I hope for Rumsfelds sake it's sarin. This guys had enough of a mess to deal with lately.
Hi Peach,
Everyone (dems, reps, UN) has said that Iraq had WMD. Saddam never provided proof that he destroyed his WMD. Our ramp up to war (very slow) allowed him to hide and/or transport whatever WMD he had.
Since we've occupied Iraq, we have not found stockpiles of WMD. This concerns me, and President Bush has stated the same thing.
What I find most interesting and sad in this whole debate are the reactions of some people. Some people use this situation to blast the President's integrity. Some people choose to attack the President's credibility, knowing full well that Iraq did not live up the UN resolutions. This is not rational.
Here is the rational viewpoint: Given the above, where are the WMD?? Not, gotcha President Bush, but where are the WMD?? I have a genuine concern for all freedom-loving people. Therefore, the situation about Iraq's WMD leaves me wanting to know what happened to them. We should pursue this issue to it's finality. Are the weapons skillfully hidden in Iraq, have they been transported out of Iraq, do terrorists have control of the WMD, or were they indeed destroyed without documentation??
Does this not seem reasonable??
Spoken with tongue largely in cheek, of course - I do understand your point.
Powell showed satellite photos to the UN pre-war that showed convoys of trucks leaving Iraq and going into Syria.
The Al Qaeda terrorists who were captured and confessed to the thwarted WMD attack in Jordan have admitted on videotape shown in this country that they operated out of Iraq and Jordan and learned how to use WMD in Iraq.
Many terrorist experts who have seen the 71 or 72 chemicals that were to be used in that attack, including VX nerve gas, have said they believe the chemicals themselves came from Syria via Iraq.
Last night FNC had a former UN inspector on who said that all the chemicals they knew that Saddam had would fit into three tanker trucks. Considering that we have found buried airplanes, you can imagine how easy it would be to transport the chemicals and/or bury them.
See. I told you it was not Sarin. Move along. No story here. Move along please, keep moving like nice cattle. Thank you. signed: Flip Kerry
It has been confirmed as sarin gas. This thread is old news within five minutes of your posting it.
Keep hope alive!
Is this another case of Republicans snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? We have found so much over there (as recent Insight Magazine articles detail), yet every time one more thing turns up, someone from the admin comes out to tell us "it's nothing." They can continue this at their own peril: the election is looming, and it wouldn't hurt to be able to say, "Yes, there were in fact WMDs, and here's what we've found, and when, and where."
Amazingly, this should be the number one concern...especially with recent events in Jordan and even N.Korea with Syrians and the train explosion. Instead of worrying where these WMDs have gone and what harm they could further cause us, Democrats are busy palying a game of gotcha. They disgust me to no end.
Oh, it's even worse than that. Someone emailed me something from a 'Rat source stating that if it was sarin, then probably Rumsfield himself planted it on his recent visit. Groannnnnn.
It's been pointed out that one of the reasons the administration may not want to confirm the finding of WMDs is because the terrorists would engage in a treasure hunt to locate what's still left. With our troops still vulnerable, this may be their thinking...for now.
One concern I have is that some of the WMDs might have found their way to this country, and they're waiting for an opportune time (the election this fall?) to use some of them.
"Ray! Next time, if someone asks you if you're a God, you say 'YES!'"
I agree with you completely and have written the administration and members of both Intelligence Committees (House and Senate) about this matter.
I have seen reporters wonder if the reason they aren't releasing information is they don't want to the terrorists to know just how much is hidden in fear THEY will search for it and find stockpiles before we do.
IF that is the reason, it's foolish in my view. The chances of terrorists happening on stockpiles before the UN did or our soldiers do is nil. As well, I personally think the stockpiles were transferred via convoys of trucks to Syria pre-war.
Yep...and Fox is even reporting that the two soldiers exposed to the Sarin exhibited all the symptons of the poisoning. Thankfully, treatment and time, allowed it to run its course.
Having been an NBC Defense specialist, and attending the NBC defense course at Fort McClellan, and working in related areas: Sarin is a nerve agent, and is a WMD according to the Department of Defense definition. I don't know of any other definition. Pesticides have a very similar chemical structure (both act by the same mechanism, acetylcholenesterase inhibitors)and would test positive for this activity, but as far as I know should be distinguishable by more sensitive analysis.
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