WMDs for the Taking? (Iraqis looted radioactive materials -- enough for Dirty bombs)

MSNBC ^ | May 19, 2003 | Rod Nordland

[FairOpinion]

Al Tuwaitha’s scientists still can’t fully assess the damage; some areas are too badly contaminated to inspect. “I saw empty uranium-oxide barrels lying around, and children playing with them,” says Fadil Mohsen Abed, head of the medical-isotopes department. Stainless-steel uranium canisters had been stolen.

The looted materials could not make a nuclear bomb, but IAEA officials worry that terrorists could build plenty of dirty bombs with some of the isotopes that may have gone missing.

[FairOpinion]

Wait a minute.

1. I thought liberals,the UN, Hans Blicks and the IAEA are telling us that therer are NO WMD-s in Iraq and the justification for war was never proven.

2. IMPORTANT NOTE: IAEA worries that "terrorists could build plenty of dirty bombs" with some of the isotopes that have gone missing. Excuuuuuuse me, and that was not WMD and was NOT considered dangerous when Saddam had all this?!!!!!!!!!! And this isn't enough justification for the war, to get this stuff out of Saddam's hands?

Why did the UN inspectors leave all this stuff in Iraq in Saddam's hands in the first place.

[FairOpinion]

For those who don't like to click on links, here is another small excerpt from the article:

"The well-known Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center, about 12 miles south of Baghdad, had nearly two tons of partially enriched uranium, along with significant quantities of highly radioactive medical and industrial isotopes, when International Atomic Energy Agency officials made their last visit in January."

And the UN left it in Saddam's hands and kept telling us how there is no danger.

[aristotleman]

All of what you say is true.

What do we do now though?

It seems that those materials have reached the hands of terrorists anyway. So, what are we to do? We tried our best to secure the darn things, and now they've been stolen. The next step is to be hit by that nasty stuff and we can't do much to prevent it.

Makes me mad.

All of this could've been prevented years ago if Hussein had been removed instead of negotiated with and stroked.

I'm afraid even the war hasn't solved our problems, it might be too late.

[FairOpinion]

"What do we do now though?"

First of all we should demand an answer from the UN inspectors and the IAEA why did they leave this over 2 tons of partially processed uranium and other highly radioactive isotopes in the hands of Saddam, and claimed that they didn't find any WMD. They said they were there and looked at this stuff in January 2003.

Second of all we should declare that by IAEA's own admission that they knew of these highly radioactive materials, which could be used to make multiple dirty bombs, which are now missing, is ABSOLUTE PROOF that Saddam did have WMD, therefore this fully justifies our war.

And of course we should make every effort to recover the radioactive materials.

[Destro]

Radioactive material is not WMD. Your local cancer hospital has radioactive material used to treat patients, etc. The people who looted what they looted have no idea what radiation is or what it can do.

[FairOpinion]

These radioactive isotopes were NOT in Iraqi hospitals, they were at Al Tuwaitha, one of Saddam's nuclear weapons sites. Dirty bombs ARE weapons of mass destruction.

IAEA is now saying that the material is enough for several "plenty of" dirty bombs. That would meet the definition of WMD by anyone.

[EaglesUpForever]

That's what gets me about the nature of the UN standards for Iraqi "disarmament." Still they were hitting us with missiles in Kuwait - "oh, those were allowed." Then we find radioactive materials - "oh, we knew about those." Next we are going to find more Al Queda links, they'll probably tell us they knew about those as well.

I really think a good part of the French and Russian population would love to see America nuked. I think they've made the UN a complete joke for all time and it needs to go the way of the League of Nations.

[Destro]

Fadil Mohsen Abed, head of the medical-isotopes department. Stainless-steel uranium canisters had been stolen.

There were medical use radiation items. Google search to see where we store our hospital radiation items (nuclear power plants are right up there).

[Amerigomag]

Radioactive material is not WMD

Packed around an explosive core and detonated at the site of the world trade center would render a great deal of lower Manhattan uninhabitable for years.

New York City/US would face the choice of bankrupting the city in the demolition/clean up effort or letting the contaminated zone remain unihabited for scores of years. In either case the US financial district would have to be moved out of lower Manhattan.

More accuratley it would be a weapon of mass disruption. Massive economic disruption, which was the original plan.

[FairOpinion]

Repeat: These isotopes were NOT in hospitals, were NOT being used for any medical purposes, they can be called medical isotopes, but they were all AT Al Tuwaitha, which IAEA ignored, even though they knew about them and are enough for "plenty of dirty bombs".

"The well-known Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center, about 12 miles south of Baghdad, had nearly two tons of partially enriched uranium, along with significant quantities of highly radioactive medical and industrial isotopes, when International Atomic Energy Agency officials made their last visit in January.

The looted materials could not make a nuclear bomb, but IAEA officials worry that terrorists could build plenty of dirty bombs with some of the isotopes that may have gone missing. "

[FairOpinion]

"Google search to see where we store our hospital radiation items (nuclear power plants are right up there). "
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WE have not been directed by UN resolutions to NOT possess WMD, which includes nuclear material.

[joesbucks]

There were medical use radiation items. Google search to see where we store our hospital radiation items (nuclear power plants are right up there).

You can't argue with these folks. In the search for anything that could be considered a WMD, they will cling to it as proof.

Look, we'll never know the Iraqi intention for these things. A certain, large and even all of the material could have been used for legit purposes. Now, however, it is in the hands of those who have no idea what it is or worse know the "dirty bomb" angle.

[Bill Davis FR]

bush...unintended consequences...

[Destro]

Let us take your point to its logical conclusion with teh easy shot at Hans Blix. If these were potential WMD items and a WMD site may I ask why we did not send our forces there to secure it from looters? I mean we semt troops to secure the oli ministry building in Baghdad but we had no troops available to secure this WMD site? If this is a WMD site then heads should role for it not being secured as soon as possible--hell it is not even secured by any troops right now!!

Incompetance on display? Court martials and firings are in order?

[FairOpinion]

Sure, everything is the fault of the US, right?

That IS your basic premise, isn't it?

Saddam is not guitly, the UN is not guilty, but we are. We should have left Saddam in charge and how wonderful would everything be, right? Is that your point?

[joesbucks]

Sure, everything is the fault of the US, right?

We should take our lumps when appropriate and stand tall when appropriate. If we surrounded an administration building, but failed to secure a "WMD" site from looters, then yes, we should be taking the blame. A rookie such as I know that you would need not only to take that type of site, it would need secured.

[joesbucks]

If this were an unliked Dem president, we would all be concluding in the same situation about how the Dem lacked knowledge of how to use and run the military.

[Destro]

You can do a real quick look at my posts to see that I am not a supporter of the UN. But your attempt to run from my question and smearing me as you do is telling.

I agree with joesbucks when he said "we'll never know the Iraqi intention for these things. A certain, large and even all of the material could have been used for legit purposes. Now, however, it is in the hands of those who have no idea what it is or worse know the "dirty bomb" angle."

Since you argue that these are WMD items my question and point is both damning and vital to ask: "If these were potential WMD items and a WMD site may I ask why we did not send our forces there to secure it from looters? I mean we semt troops to secure the oli ministry building in Baghdad but we had no troops available to secure this WMD site? If this is a WMD site then heads should role for it not being secured as soon as possible--hell it is not even secured by any troops right now!! Incompetance on display? Court martials and firings are in order?"

You can't scream WMD!!!!! and then not ask--why was it not secured? Still isn't???

[Destro]

see my 18

[FairOpinion]

"Since you argue that these are WMD items my question and point is both damning and vital to ask: "If these were potential WMD items and a WMD site may I ask why we did not send our forces there to secure it from looters?"

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Interesting that you don't ask THIS quesion:

"If these were KNOWN (by the IAEA, by their own admission) WMD items and a WMD site, why did the UN allowed these materials to stay under Saddam's control?"