Marines may have broken seals on known radioactive material

Christian Science Monitor via Drudge ^ | Thursday, April 10, 5:48pm EDT | unnamed idiot

[woofie]

Marines may have broken seals on known radioactive material

Posted: Thursday, April 10, 5:48pm EDT

American troops who suggested they uncovered evidence of an active nuclear weapons program in Iraq unwittingly may have stumbled across known stocks of low-grade uranium, officials said Thursday. They said the US troops may have broken UN seals meant to keep control of the radioactive material. Leaders of a US Marine Corps combat engineering unit claimed earlier this week to have found an underground network of laboratories, warehouses and bombproof offices beneath the closely monitored Tuwaitha nuclear research center just south of Baghdad.

The Marines said they discovered 14 buildings at the site which emitted unusually high levels of radiation, and that a search of one building revealed "many, many drums" containing highly radioactive material. If documented, such a discovery could bolster Bush administration claims that Saddam Hussein was trying to develop nuclear weaponry.

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Owens, a spokesman for the US Central Command, said officials there have not heard anything through military channels about a Marine inspection at Tuwaitha.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, which has inspected the Tuwaitha nuclear complex at least two dozen times and maintains a thick dossier on the site, had no immediate comment.

But an expert familiar with UN nuclear inspections told The Associated Press that it was implausible to believe that US forces had uncovered anything new at the site. Instead, the official said, the Marines apparently broke UN seals designed to ensure the materials aren't diverted for weapons use, or end up in the wrong hands.

"What happened apparently was that they broke IAEA seals, which is very unfortunate because those seals are integral to ensuring that nuclear material doesn't get diverted," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

[woofie]

"yea...So I saw this big UN seal and I told Joe 'Lets open it up and look inside,' "

[alisasny]

What bs..... I am so sick of the anti bush media....

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[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

The Marines also broke the seals on numerous barrels of "whoop-ass."

[billorites]

"Marines may have broken seals on known radioactive material"

Off with their heads.

[Drango]

In the twisted world of the media, the crime is not having the material...but breaking the seal.

[tutstar]

ooorah

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

So there's no possible way Blix and his blind mice missed those places. Or that if they were sealed, that there is no way the Iraqis could have broke them. Somebody needs to tell their unamed "expert" that they're full of it.

[Cate]

Gee, lets give our troops a little credit in the intelligence department. They have been briefed on what to look for, and how to handle what they find. Our Marines are following protocol and doing a most outstanding job.

[j_k_l]

"...integral to ensuring that nuclear material doesn't get diverted,"

What they are really saying...

"...integral to ensuring that nuclear material doesn't get diverted away from the sworn enemies of the U.S."

[1066AD]

Wasn't this found underground, where the UN didn't go ?

[Thinkin' Gal]

But an expert familiar with UN nuclear inspections told The Associated Press that it was implausible to believe that US forces had uncovered anything new at the site.

Scott Ritter?

[Steven W.]

yes, it's a smokescreen because ElBardei, Blix & Ritter look like fools & idiots.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Sounds to me like the IAEA is trying to cover their sorry butts. Then try to blame it on our troops to boot.

Considering how we are using video in this War, there is a good chance we filmed everything. Which would disprove the IAEA's attempt at excusing their unprofessionalism and neglectful behavior.

Everyone KNOWS that the Saddam would allow inspectors in, AFTER moving stuff.. then bring the stuff back in after they left. It was a constant cat and mouse game.

I hope this was another case where our troops had a video recorder.. or the embedded reporters did.

If for some reason they didn't.. they need to start doing so ASAP.

They WILL get blamed for everything and anything. I don't trust the IAEA or the UN. Not when it comes to Iraq.

I'll take the word from our Marines. If they say they screwed up.. ok, I'll believe it. But then and only then.

[kimchi lover]

"The Marines also broke the seals on numerous barrels of "whoop-ass."

Oh, now, that's GOOD! They don't even buy it in cans. They buy barrels of it, in bulk, at Costco! LOL!

[Paraclete]

Looks like the UN atomic inspectors are looking for cover.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Scott Ritter?

Almost a certainty. The leftist media wouldn't want to use him as anything other than an "annonymous expert" because if he wasn't annonymous everyone would know for a fact that he is an expert on nothing except pedophilia. Ritter has no credibility anywhere. But he's useful for propoganda as long as he's annonymous.

[MizSterious]

"...lets give our troops a little credit in the intelligence department. They have been briefed on what to look for, and how to handle what they find. Our Marines are following protocol and doing a most outstanding job."

Thank you for saying this. I suspect this is media and U.N. sour grapes, because this time, we might have hit paydirt with the WMDs.

[Sub-Driver]

baloney.........USMC is under very strict orders with this stuff, it's not like Blix and Inspector Clouseau...

[Joe 6-pack]

Figure 1. Broken UN Seal