Libya's Disclosures Put Weapons in New Light

Washington Post ^ | 03/02/04 | Joby Warrick and Peter Slevin

[Pokey78]

Programs for Unconventional Arms Were Ambitious, but Plagued With Problems

The small desert ranch near Tripoli was described as a turkey farm, but there were no birds in sight when a group of U.S. weapons experts visited six weeks ago. Guided by Libyan officials, the Americans entered a plain metal barn to discover the farm's true purpose: a hiding place for hundreds of chemical bombs.

Inside the barn were stacks upon stacks of wooden boxes, each containing a single torpedo-shaped shell. The olive-green weapons were specially designed to spread deadly mustard gas and nerve agents that were stored separately, said two senior U.S. officials familiar with the surprise disclosure. "The Libyans took us right to them," said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It was not a place where we would have looked."

[edwin hubble]

"The Libyans took us right to them,"

This is actually the model of what 'arms inspection' in Iraq was supposed to be like.

Libya is not the first country to 'come clean'. Ukraine was probably the first.

[woofie]

"WMD are lot a problem"...Sean Penn (expert,Academy Award winner)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And from a Clintonista:

"The Libyans certainly accumulated a lot of bits and pieces, but that's very different from putting it all together," said Gary Samore, a top nonproliferation official in the Clinton administration and now a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, based in London. "I may have all the bits and pieces of a car in my garage, but that's not the same as having a working automobile."

[woofie]

Should read, "not a problem, man"

[TaxPayer2000]

WMD's recently imported from Iraq I am sure.

[1066AD]

I wonder what info on terrorists etc Libya could quietly provide if they were encouraged to do so ;)

[Texasforever]

I think South Africa (pre-Mandella) was the first to be completely transparent with weapons inspectors.

[COEXERJ145]

I think South Africa (pre-Mandella) was the first to be completely transparent with weapons inspectors.

One of the first for sure. South Africa so far is the only nation to develop nuclear weapons and voluntarily give them up. After announcing the weapons existence, they allowed IAEA inspectors to visit all the sites and confirm that not only the weapons had been destroyed but all the equipment, materials, documentation, and all other related items had been destroyed as well.

[okie01]

"The country's cooperation increased dramatically in October, after the discovery of nuclear components on a German freighter bound for Libya, and again in December following Gaddafi's dramatic pledge to give up nuclear and chemical weapons."

Odd how the Post manages to overlook any contribution a certain video of a certain ex-dictator undergoing a lice inspection might have made to Gaddafi's being so forthcoming.

[Texasforever]

Semms like a long time ago doesn't it?

[okie01]

I wonder what info on terrorists etc Libya could quietly provide if they were encouraged to do so ;)

Reportedly, that was part of the initial package that Gaddafi offered. Free dish on terrorists in order to avoid lice inspection video...

[COEXERJ145]

Around 15 years ago if I remember correctly.

[Texasforever]

Odd how the Post manages to overlook any contribution a certain video of a certain ex-dictator undergoing a lice inspection might have made to Gaddafi's being so forthcoming.

Yep he made up his mind in October but waited until the video to pick up the phone. It was just a coincidence.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Right, I think that plus RR's overhead campaign sharpened his mind and brought a clear picture into focus!

[freebacon]

I wonder what the senseless narcissist will care more about. When the lining of his lungs blisters and all he can feel is a piercing burn all over his body as the plume of mustard gas envelopes him. The fact that he's about to die.. or that he was embarrassingly wrong on national T.V.