The NYT/Drudge Bombshell: Huge Cache of Explosives Vanished From Site in Iraq

NY Times ^ | JAMES GLANZ, WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER

[icecold]

Huge Cache of Explosives Vanished From Site in Iraq By JAMES GLANZ, WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER

Published: October 25, 2004

This article was reported and written by James Glanz, William J. Broad and David E. Sanger.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 24 - The Iraqi interim government has warned the United States and international nuclear inspectors that nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives - used to demolish buildings, produce missile warheads and detonate nuclear weapons - are missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations.

The huge facility, called Al Qaqaa, was supposed to be under American military control but is now a no man's land, still picked over by looters as recently as Sunday. United Nations weapons inspectors had monitored the explosives for many years, but White House and Pentagon officials acknowledge that the explosives vanished sometime after the American-led invasion last year.

The White House said President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, was informed within the past month that the explosives were missing. It is unclear whether President Bush was informed. American officials have never publicly announced the disappearance, but beginning last week they answered questions about it posed by The New York Times and the CBS News program "60 Minutes......"

[xzins]

No it wasn't! The article Clearly states that IAEA abandoned the site BEFORE the invasion and clearly admits in the very beginning days of the war the marines went through the site and NOTHING was there. Any moron (yes even a DU'er) will know that Saddam moved the material during the WEEKS that the IAEA abandoned the site until the U.S. Marines arrived.

Can you post the sections of the article that say the above? Thanks.

[cookcounty]

"on Feb. 14, (2003).......... Dr. ElBaradei reported that the I.A.E.A. had found no sign of new atom endeavors but "has continued to investigate the relocation and consumption of the high explosive HMX."

So five weeks before the invasion, the relocation was well under way. Where, pray tell was it relocated to? Blixie's Boys were in country at the time. Didn't they bother to follow the trucks? After all, the UN's access was supposedly pretty well unrestricted. At least that's what Blixie told us.

[Semi Civil Servant]

This will be all over the MSM this week. It's the last push of the presstitutes to elect the UberSocialist Kerry. It's a relatively small story, but the media scum will trumpet it like the Second Coming. In baseball they would call this "manufacturing a run". I don't think it will matter much, but I sure hope the Swift Boat vets have a surprise coming out this week to balance things out.

[RabidBartender]

johannes is an agent provocateur.

Heh..... was.

This account has been banned or suspended.

[Petronski]

[Monty Burns voice] Excellent.

[Syncro]

This is 350 tons of explosives that disappeared before the war.

Along with Semi's full of hundred $ bills and more WMD's to Syria and Iran.

Geeze, France was negotiating to sell more armaments to Saddam just THREE WEEKS before the war started.

Money was more important to them then American lives, that's why they stalled the war as long as possible.

Oil for Food Weapons France, Germany China etc etc.

[Tuxedo]

OK, not gonna wade through this whole thread.... this appears to be a whole lot of nothing.

[mystery-ak]

All this proves is that Sadaam had WMD and Bush was right all along..

[TexKat]

Also in Breaking News right below your Breaking News thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1255701/posts

October Surprise? NYT DEVELOPING EXCLUSIVE FRONT PAGE STORY ON TERRORISTS AND EXPLOSIVES

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick

[Petronski]

OK, not gonna wade through this whole thread.... this appears to be a whole lot of nothing. . . . with chocolate jimmies and whipped cream on top.

[SeaBiscuit]

my take is that the NYT is doing their demonrat partisan bit like the rest of the left MSM have done to date, to fool their dumbed down readers with the idea that this makes GWB look inept. It plays into skerry's bs that GWB has handled it all badly and we are less safe than before the war because now gobs of terrorists have truck loads of explosives blah blah blah.

The MSM mindset (just like the demonrats) has the tendency to underestimate the intelligence of most AMERICANS so to them, this is a big story like blather thought he had, and we here have the tendency to read too much into what they do, the truth is their just not that smart.

Whether Rove and co. set this up for a counter punch we shall see. I sure hope so, because the rest of the MSM rats could have a field day with this because they know that the sheeple only see, "terrorists obtain tons of explosives under Bush watch".

either that or I am just getting too damn nervous and paranoid with all the plethora of phoney attacks against GWB. I swear there really is a conspiracy going on in this country to keep President Bush from wining.

[DBeers]

speaking of calm down...


-Lawrence O'Donnell will probably have a coronary on MSNBC during a 'spin' frenzy...

liar liar liar hider hider hider...

[Free Trapper]

Any explosives that I know of wouldn't create any volume problem for a flatbed or a box in a 20 - 40 ton load.

40 tons "is" an overweight load but I've done it before.Slow starts and stops is the only real concern unless the trailer can't take it and breaks in the middle. ;)

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I have never seen anything like it in my life. How about "you creepy liar"... Lawrence O'Donnell to John O'Neil. This after blathering and shouting during an entire segment. What a joke of a "man" O'D is.

[crushelits]

CONTENTS

Summary

What is RDX?

What happens to RDX when it enters the environment?

How might I be exposed to RDX?

How can RDX affect my health?

How likely is RDX to cause cancer?

Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to RDX?

Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?

Glossary

References

Contact Information

September 1996

ToxFAQs™

for

RDX

(RDX)

CAS#

121-82-4

---

This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about RDX. For more information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.

---

SUMMARY: RDX is an explosive. Few people will be exposed to RDX. Exposure to large amounts can cause seizures. RDX has been found in at least 16 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is RDX?

RDX stands for Royal Demolition eXplosive. It is also known as cyclonite or hexogen. The chemical name for RDX is 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine. It is a white powder and is very explosive.

RDX is used as an explosive and is also used in combination with other ingredients in explosives. Its odor and taste are unknown. It is a synthetic product that does not occur naturally in the environment. It creates fumes when it is burned with other substances.

---

What happens to RDX when it enters the environment?

• Particles of RDX can enter the air when it is disposed of by burning.
• RDX can enter the water from disposal of waste water from Army ammunitions plants, and it can enter water or soil from spills or leaks from improper disposal at these plants or at hazardous waste sites.
• RDX dissolves very slowly in water, and it also evaporates very slowly from water.
• It does not cling to soil very strongly and can move into the groundwater from soil.
• RDX can be broken down in air and water in a few hours, but it breaks down more slowly in soil.
• RDX does not build up in fish or in people.

---

How might I be exposed to RDX?

• Breathing dust with RDX in it.
• Getting RDX on their skin.
• Drinking contaminated water or touching contaminated soil near factories that produce RDX.

---

How can RDX affect my health?

RDX can cause seizures (a problem of the nervous system) in humans and animals when large amounts are inhaled or eaten. The effects of long-term (365 days or longer), low-level exposure on the nervous system are not known. Nausea and vomiting have also been seen. No other significant health effects have been seen in humans.

Rats and mice that ate RDX for 3 months or more had decreased body weights and slight liver and kidney damage.

It is not known whether RDX causes birth defects in humans; it did not cause birth defects in rabbits, but it did result in smaller offspring in rats. It is not known whether RDX affects reproduction in people.

---

How likely is RDX to cause cancer?

The EPA has determined that RDX is a possible human carcinogen.

In one study, RDX caused liver tumors in mice that were exposed to it in the food. However, carcinogenic effects were not noted in rat studies and no human data are available.

---

Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to RDX?

Medical tests are available that can measure RDX levels in your blood or urine. However, these tests can only be used if you have come in contact with RDX in the last few days. These tests can determine if you have been exposed to RDX, but they cannot be used to determine how much RDX entered your body.

These tests aren't available at most doctors' offices, but can be done at special laboratories that have the right equipment. However, they cannot be used to determine long-term health effects from RDX.

The usual immediate health effects (seizures, muscle twitching, or vomiting) from very high exposures would probably occur before you had the blood or urine test.

---

Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has many regulations on the transportation of explosives.

The EPA recommends a drinking water guideline of 2 micrograms (µg) RDX per liter for lifetime exposure for adults.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recommended an exposure limit of 1.5 milligrams RDX per cubic meter of air (1.5 mg/m³) for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.

The NIOSH short-term exposure limit, which is the highest level of RDX that they recommend workers be exposed to for 15 minutes, is 3 mg/m³.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) also recommends an exposure limit of 1.5 mg/m³ in workplace air for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.

---

Glossary

Carcinogen: A substance that can cause cancer.

CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.

Dissolve: To disappear gradually.

Evaporate: To change into a vapor or a gas.

Microgram (µg): One millionth of a gram.

Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue.

---

References

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological Profile for RDX. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

---

Where can I get more information?

ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.

For more information, contact:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX:   (770)-488-4178
Email:

---

 

---

[Yardstick]

They use conventional explosives to start the chain reaction in nuclear weapons. The conventional explosion compresses the nuclear material to critical mass, which then sets off the nuclear explosion.

I'm guessing the NYT mentioned nukes in the first sentence in order to give the story maximum oomph and to do the most damage to Bush.

[stylin19a]

not news...we sliced & diced this at FreeRepublic.
No MSM did any followup to verify this,
nor did any foreign leaders comment one way or the other.
The news is...they have now.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20041024-110609-9428r.htm

[PowerPro]

Okay - i'm getting conflicting signals here. Is this bad for bush or not? And what I mean by this is can this be spun to make Bush look bad?

You know, this entire election really floors me. I don't understand how it's possible that a traitor who consorts with our enemy can get a free pass yet if something goes unexpectedly in a war (imagine that), then it's all Bush's fault and "we need a change of direction"?

I think I'll hibernate until the 2nd, go vote, then hibernate until the final count is in. Okay, no I won't but I gotta tell you, the media's obvious bias toward Kerry and anti-Bush compiled with their absolute dereliction of duty with regard to reporting about who Kerry is, is just maddening...

So, back to my original thought, can the media make this look bad for Bush somehow or is this just a bunch of nothing?

[AmishDude]

Actually, I'm just talking about perception.

The IAEA isn't so bad. I do think it's less effective than Bush's Proliferation Security Initiative and the IAEA suffers from the same problems as the UN, ultimately. Bureaucratic inertia, pressure from rogue and thug states, institutional insecurity -- these all infest broad international institutions.

But none of this matters. 8 days out from an election, coming from a partisan newspaper like the Times, it's all about perception and not sharing info with the "international community" will not hurt Bush.

Kerry will try to capitalize, but he'll have a hard time making the case, because it sounds exactly like what he has been saying all along.