Posted on 10/26/2004 12:31:01 PM PDT by Prince Charles
Exactly right.
wow
Wichita Eagle ^
Posted on 10/26/2004 7:33:42 PM CDT by mister_jones
Al-Qaqaa Spokesman Says No Weapons Search
KIMBERLY HEFLING
Associated Press
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The first U.S. military unit to reach the Al-Qaqaa military installation after the invasion of Iraq did not have orders to search for the nearly 400 tons of explosives that Iraqi officials say were stolen from the site sometime following the fall of Baghdad, the unit spokesman said Tuesday.
When the troops from the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade arrived at the Al-Qaqaa base a day or so after Baghdad's fall on April 9, 2003, there were already looters throughout the facility, Lt. Col. Fred Wellman, deputy public affairs officer for the unit, told The Associated Press.
The soldiers "secured the area they were in and looked in a limited amount of bunkers to ensure chemical weapons were not present in their area," Wellman wrote in an e-mail message. "Bombs were found but not chemical weapons in that immediate area.
"Orders were not given from higher to search or to secure the facility or to search for HE type munitions, as they (high-explosive weapons) were everywhere in Iraq," he wrote.
His remarks appeared to confirm the observations of an NBC reporter embedded with the army unit who said Tuesday that she saw no signs that the Americans searched for the powerful explosives during their 24 hours at the facility en route to Baghdad, 30 miles to the north.
The disappearance, which the International Atomic Energy Agency reported Monday to the U.N. Security Council, has raised questions about why the United States didn't do more to secure the facility and failed to allow full international inspections to resume after the March 2003 invasion.
On Tuesday, Russia, citing the disappearance, called on the U.N. Security Council to discuss the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq. But the United States said American inspectors were investigating the loss and that there is no need for U.N. experts to return.
Does Drudge have this yet?
Associated Press? That's the best you can do?
Two NBC Reporters say there was a search and no explosives with a IAEA seal were found on April 9th and the facility remained in 3rd ID hands through May as their Engineering Bat conducted tests and demolished weapons, explosives, etc. One NBC Reporter (who did not actually go into the weapons facility) says there was only a cursory search on April 10th by the 101st 2nd Brigade.
Hmmm whom to believe.......................
Note the 101st 2nd Brigade is a light infantry airborne unit and the 3rd ID is a Heavy Mechanized unit. Now who would be in a better position to set up and secure a facility as big as Al-Qaqaa?
Obviously the spineless left who abhor the military wouldn't have a clue.
This is the Story of Record (the one reported on April 4th, 2003) It seems the MSM is too stupid and lazy to fact check their own story's againt their own reports from a year and a half ago.
Bwhahahahaha!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/04/iraq/main547667.shtml
Lots of claims, no sources
what? No Sources?
It was a report from reporters embedded with the 3rd ID, whom were on site since before the 3rd of April conducting searches and inventory of Al-Qaqaa for god sakes. There is even film footage to go with it.
How in the hell can you claim no sources! That's Laughable.
The commander of the 3rd ID unit at Al Qaqaa says they didn't do a search and then they left. The commander of the 101st unit says they didn't do a search, and then they left. I'll take their word for it. You can take a spin on an NBC report that the source is disputing accurately reflects their reporting all you want. I prefer factual information.
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