Blix: Sarin gas used in Iraq attack not likely sign of WMDs... (Drudge)

Drudge Report | 5/17/04 | Drudge

[aft_lizard]

Blix is still spending Saddams money. At least Saddam got what he paid for in Blix.

[Pete]

There were two to begin with. The media got the story screwed up as usual.

I think you may be right. Sounds like someone read the following and reported two sarin bombs.

From a Fox News story

A senior Bush administration official told Fox News that the sarin gas shell is the second chemical weapon discovered recently. Two weeks ago, U.S. military units discovered mustard gas that was used as part of an IED.

[epluribus_2]

or an airburst over a bowl game.

[haywoodwebb]

HA HA HA!!

[Steven W.]

As I recall, that mustard shell was not part of an IED but, rather, one of the hidden shells in a town where the children pointed it out to the soldiers.

[Eva]

The point is that the failure of the media and the public to properly parse the statements of Blix and other investigators regarding WMD, is the cause of the whole bruhaha over the WMDs. What was actually said was that they had not found any evidence of large STOCKPILES of WMDs, not that they had not found ANY WMDs. I can't understand why the administration has not come forward and explained this.

[paulsy]

"I don't get it, how can the presence of a WMD not be a sign of WMDs?"

It's like, "I voted FOR the $87 billion, before I voted against it." They speak in like tones.

[1Old Pro]

Blix "Who am I and what am I doing here and why do have any credibility at all?"

[cake_crumb]

"I hope this is the beginning of a long drawn out release of info rather than a data dump. It would be good to have regular reminders throughout the coming months rather than be accused of an October surprise. These reports will be viciously spun but the balance scales can swing slowly against the spin if good news is persistent enough."

Agreed. However, now that we know how to identify at least the sarin shells, we'll probably re-search ammo dumps already gone over once by the Survey Group. In addition, we SHOULD be more suspicious of all innocuous-seeming shells, because now we know some have been turned into chem weapons. So we should be hearing of more and more discoveries over the summer, probably dying down over the fall and winter.

[oceanview]

for goodness sake - Get Bush to a microphone for a press briefing NOW, before the nightly news!!

[TomasUSMC]

Tomahawk Damascus and Tehran for supplying the guerrillas.

Get Israel to go after Syria, we take Iran.
Mobilize the USA. Draft, close the border, the whole nine yards, MARTIAL LAW.

Unlike what Condi Rice says, doing nothing is exactly what will embolden the enemy.

They have used WMDs against US! Mr. President React or get out of the way.

We are being tested by the enemy and the whole world is watching.

Speak to the American People, mobilize US like WW2. Martial Law, Draft and for Gods Sake Close the Stinking Border!

This is not about winning the WMD debate in the political arena anymore, it is about winning the War on terror, in the field of battle. If the President doesn't make Iran and Syria suffer for this, it will continue unabated. Now our troops are going to have to suit up and still be restricted by Nam rules of engagement and Nam strategy while the enemy runs around with a tee shirt and body armor and WMDs against US.

Use the weapons we have or they will be used against US.

Time is not on our side.

Give Sadr 12 hours to surrender himself and all his troops or the "Holy shiite whole" will be leveled. If the Shiite don't like it, they can root him out. Either way, the Shiite can have Sadr or the holy shrine, not both. 12 hours, decision up to them, result up to us.

Mr. President you have been given a nice fat easy pitch right over the plate, take advantage of it or strike out.

[BurbankKarl]

Blix, the former U.N. weapons inspector, said in Sweden Monday that before the war, his team found 16 empty warheads that were marked for use with sarin.

He said it was likely the sarin gas used could have been from a leftover shell found in a chemical dump.

``It doesn't sound absurd at all. There can be debris from the past and that's a very different thing from have stocks and supplies,'' he said.

[Snake65]

Let's see if I understand this:

In the 70s and 80s we know Iraq had WMD because he used them on the Iranians and Kurds.

In the early 90s we know Iraq had WMD because we found evidence of them in the Gulf War and just after.

In the late 90s we know Iraq had WMD because Bill Clinton said so.

WMD are found in Iraq beside a road in May 2004.

So the only time Iraq did not have WMD is between George W. Bush's inauguration and May, 2004?

Okay, Hans, whatever...

[cake_crumb]

The way I understood the two sarin shells was that two of them were rigged as roadside bombs in the same area. One detonated prematurely as they tried to disarm it, but as the casing wasn't designed to such jury rigging the sarin didn't mix right. IF I understood correctly, the other was successfully disarmed.

[BurbankKarl]

the sarin shell mixes the chemicals when it is fired from an artillery piece.....blowing it up doesnt necessarily mix the deadly toxins together "efficiently"

[cake_crumb]

"or an airburst over a bowl game."

Exactly.

[Pete]

The way I understood the two sarin shells was that two of them were rigged as roadside bombs in the same area. One detonated prematurely as they tried to disarm it, but as the casing wasn't designed to such jury rigging the sarin didn't mix right. IF I understood correctly, the other was successfully disarmed.

It may be the way you describe. However, I have not seen a report of two sarin bombs in the articles I have read. IMHO, this is even a bigger story if two sarin bombs were found.

[VRWC_minion]

Assuimg Blix knows what and where the real stuff is, we ought to take this under advisement.

[cake_crumb]

" 'It doesn't sound absurd at all. There can be debris from the past and that's a very different thing from have stocks and supplies,' he said"

Yes it IS absurd, Blixie you ignorant twit. The shells contained two types of chemicals, seperated from one another by membranes, which only mix to create sarin when the shell is fired and impacts properly. That method keeps the weapon viable for a very long time.

The weapon wasn't detonated the way it was designed to. The chemicals hardly mixed. Therefore, little sarin was created.

[cake_crumb]

"the sarin shell mixes the chemicals when it is fired from an artillery piece.....blowing it up doesnt necessarily mix the deadly toxins together 'efficiently' "

Errr...right. You beat me to the punch line ;- )