Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

EXPERT TELLS OF DESTROYING MOST OF SADDAM'S CACHE
New York Post ^ | 10/30/04 | Niles Lathem

Posted on 10/30/2004 12:25:54 AM PDT by kattracks

WASHINGTON - An Army ordnance expert stepped into the furious campaign fray over missing explosives in Iraq yesterday - declaring his unit removed and destroyed 250 tons of ammunition from Saddam's massive weapons depot in April 2003.

Maj. Austin Pearson of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division told reporters at a Pentagon news conference yesterday that his unit was at the Al-Qaqaa weapons depot on April 13, 2003, 10 days after U.S. forces reached the site.

He said 250 tons of plastic explosive, TNT, detonation cords and white phosphorous rounds were removed on nine forklifts and tractor-trailers and later destroyed at a nearby U.S. military base.

That was part of a massive U.S. effort that has resulted in the destruction of 400,000 tons of ammunition and explosives from Saddam Hussein's arsenal since the end of the war.

Pentagon spokesman Larry DiRita said Pearson's report could help explain what happened to the 377 tons of the high-energy explosive RDX that was officially marked by inspectors from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency before the war - but has gone missing.

RDX is often considered plastic explosive, or plastique.


(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 10/30/2004 12:25:54 AM PDT by kattracks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: kattracks

Who is actually covering these latest very significant facts...anyone in the MSM?


2 posted on 10/30/2004 12:30:10 AM PDT by BonnieJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BonnieJ

He was interviewed on FOX, Hannity & Comes last night.


3 posted on 10/30/2004 12:35:41 AM PDT by ancient_geezer (Equality, the French disease: Everyone is equal beneath the guillotine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

I'm cornfused, the IAEA says it marked this stuff but Pearson saw no markings? There was even more of it at the site before the IAEA arrived?

But again what concern does an atomic energy agency have with conventional explosives?


4 posted on 10/30/2004 12:38:40 AM PDT by The Red Zone (The reason they're trying to starve her isn't because she's dying, but because she isn't. [Supercat])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Red Zone

These were nuclear bomb triggering explosives. Baaad stuff.


5 posted on 10/30/2004 12:40:44 AM PDT by RGT (We are a tribe of pygmies. You are a women's track team.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: The Red Zone
But again what concern does an atomic energy agency have with conventional explosives?

RDX can be used as a nuclear "trigger" charge. I am not really a nuclear scientist. Don't ask me anything further about it. I just slept in a Holiday Inn Express and install auto glass as my real job.

6 posted on 10/30/2004 12:47:52 AM PDT by Unruly Human (An Khe, Pleiku, DakTo 68-69)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RGT
They are conventional explosives that can be used to detonate a nuclear device. There are many other uses as well.

The nuclear material for a nuclear weapon is the hard part not the conventional explosives to detonate it.

7 posted on 10/30/2004 1:13:10 AM PDT by DB (©)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: DB; The Red Zone; RGT; Unruly Human
Actually the explosives used to detonate Saddam's bomb was difficult to produce (into a nuclear detonator)

The explosive is press formed, molded or machined into a lens shape to be used cylindrically around the round implosion device. It's just not packing explosives next to uranium, but much more complicated than that.


8 posted on 10/30/2004 1:35:15 AM PDT by endthematrix (10 out of 10 terrorists agree-Anybody but Bush!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Unruly Human

LOL!


9 posted on 10/30/2004 1:38:32 AM PDT by patriciaruth (They are all Mike Spanns)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: endthematrix

In terms of making a nuke the RDX in powder form was not the difficult material to acquire and does not represent some great forward step towards that goal.


10 posted on 10/30/2004 3:09:14 AM PDT by DB (©)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: endthematrix; Velveeta; Revel; Alabama MOM; Calpernia

Ping to a drawing that makes sense.


11 posted on 10/30/2004 3:09:37 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny (On this day your Prayers are needed!!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: DB

Yep. And all that data on his nuclear program is buried (or sold) for sure.


12 posted on 10/30/2004 3:35:30 AM PDT by endthematrix (10 out of 10 terrorists agree-Anybody but Bush!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson