White House promises 'smoking gun intelligence'

The Daily Telegraph ^ | January 16, 2003 | Toby Harnden

[Wallaby]

Concerning GS's predictions, I am agnostic. I think the issue between ND and GS boils down to timing. I take GS to believe that Bush will do something about the blackmail before his first term expires, though he sometimes waffles on that. I am less sanguine that we will be able to transform this game of chicken into something a lot safer in several months. I do agree that Bush is not going to punt this problem to his successor as Clinton did. So, I expect he will continue to escalate the pressure in pursuit of an outcome where Saddam swerves. That's the way a game of chicken works, and that's what we're playing right now. So, another level of GS's theory has to do with his predictions. He's had an impressive record so far, and he convinced me in 2002 there would be no attack then. I'm less convinced there will be no attack in 2003. Whatever we do, whether action or inaction, we are risking disaster. There's just no way around that.

[freeperfromnj]

But give Illbay and freeperfromnj a try.

It has been proven that Ames from USAMRIID is an EXACT match.

I haven't ruled out the "rogue scientist working in collaboration with Iraq" theory. One would have never thought that an American, former military and UN inspector such as Scott Ritter would be defending the likes of Sadam Hussein. Turn on C-Span this morning and check out all of the American (or should we say, anti-American), pro-Iraq demonstrators undermining our President and our Military as we prepare for war and tell me it's not possible to have traitors (such as a rogue scientist) in our midst.

[Wallaby]

I agree that Amerithrax is a charade, but I do not think it is Bush's ploy. It is those who sympathize with the previous administration who do not want a casus belli.

[The Great Satan]

Okay. I guess that puts you somewhere about 5.5 on the Satanic Scale.

[Mitchell]

1. The spores did not come from the USA.

You still have the very interesting question of how the starter anthrax was obtained. This probably happened within the U.S.

[niman]

Mort is British. He uses British spellings of unit measurements.

Mort has also used American spellings like bio-defense (instead of bio-defence), so one or two examples don't mean much.

[niman]

A terrific play and film.

Remember, both stories (Leopold and Loeb as well as Rope) involve TWO murderers each. I have a pretty good idea who Morton D Ballard is and now I'm working on Louis Mason.

[lawdude]

" Senator Kit Bond of Missouri said more information should be released and asked: "What is the connection between Iraq and al-Qa'eda?" According to sources at the private meeting, Mr Card is understood to have urged him: "Don't worry." "

There is no proof in the world that would sway Bond. They could have a shot of Saddam and Osama holding a picture of the Towers showing the exact points of impact dated one day before Sept 11, and Bond and his ilk would demand more!

F'em.

[RightWingJailBird]

Don't know nothing about that Anthrax guy but we sure got a xxxxload of you Badabing pizanos here. bunch of them are waiting to see if you say grammes. Yo! how many TGS of you is there.??

[niman]

I've been following your posting antics on this board and other boards.

As Morton D Ballard, mort, Clinton is a rapist, The Great Satan, Badabing Badaboom (or other newbies that might pop up tonight)?

[Fred Mertz]

I am going to reply without having taken the time to read this thread.

I visited DC this weekend for the Patriots Rally and spoke briefly with a good friend of mine who currently works for Homeland Security. Aristeides has met him before. I mentioned that I felt that anthrax in this country could be the real threat, as I've pretty much bought into TGS's theory as being accurate.

My buddy pretty much said that it isn't anthrax so much that is the threat, but smallpox is. He thinks Saddam has it and got it from the Russians and it could destroy continents, i.e. Africa. If Saddam released it in a dozen airports in this country it could seriously damage us and put our country into a spiraling depression.

Our discussion was small talk between two good friends and former college roommates. I thought I'd share this with you since I bounced the anthrax threat off him and he threw me this curve ball back.

[okie01]

Fred, thanks for the heads up.

[txhurl]

Your story makes much more sense. :(

[niman]

They say smallpox, but they mean anthrax.

Mort, Why do you need more than one handle to get this message out?

[keri]

Thanks for the ping, Fred. I think Smallpox a much worse threat than anthrax, too. Anthrax isn't contagious...

[okie01]

In your view, smallpox developed by a "rogue American scientist", I trust.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for the insight and the heads up!