Radioactive Material Found at Test Site Near Baghdad [Amiriya-Readings 1,000x Normal Levels]

NY Times ^ | May 12, 2003 | Judith Miller

[ewing]

An American team searching for unconventional weapons has uncovered what is thought to be the strongest source of radiation in Iraq, at a long abandoned test range near Amiriya, just west of the capitol, nuclear experts and military officials said today.

According to the initial report, one of the pits was registering radiation levels 1,000 times nornal background radiation levels.

But when the team got to the site, it found relatively moderate levels of radiation at the base of each of the eight poles, along with signs in German warning about exposure to radiation.

[ewing]

Maybe we are sending these guys home because their work is done..

[mewzilla]

I heard we're replacing them with civilians. But if figures, doesn't it, that the signs were in German.

[ewing]

I thought that was Verrrry Interesting myself..

[b4its2late]

Vey Series!

[ewing]

Where the Artie Johnson pic when we need it!

[hnorris]

Can you post the entire article? I don't want to have to subscriber to the NYT spam machine, just to read it. Thanks.

[ewing]

NYT name ID:hillary_clinton

password:isaliar

[AMNZ]

But it isn't smoking!!! Nothing here, time to move on.

[ewing]

I don't think anythin would satisfy the DUmmies..

[ewing]

[eyespysomething]

Yes, because Garner is leaving Iraq now because he was only there to pant the evidence, so Bush could have his white man's war. Now he can send in this other guy, and they will find the evidence, because now there has been time to plant it. Warmongering! Oh, and what did Bush know and when did he know it? And tax cuts for the people who don't pay taxes. Oh, and the AWOL selected not elected president is a cowboy who only flew ont eh jet for a photo-op for the 2004 election.

< /sarcasm>

Did I forget anything?

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Is that Fred Barnes? : )

[DannyTN]

"Drew said he was not concerned that terrorists or elements of the deposed government might try to steal the material to make a crude nuclear bomb. He said exposure to the radioactive material itself would be lethal to anyone who tried to move or steal it. "It is a self-solving problem," he said."

Somehow I'm not reassured. For one, these suicide killers don't mind dying. Couldn't they go in there with a lead suit and obtain some material?

[MindBender26]

Any word on how many counts per minute? Typical at sea level is about 50 +/1. Base reading in Kiev is about 80. Inside plant grounds at Chernobyl is now about 500. Some hotspots there are 3000 to 5000. This would be 50,000! +/-

[ewing]

The 'Fred Barnes' of Laugh in..!

[DannyTN]

"Frugal is such an ugly word"

A cajun down in Baton Rouge once told me this story...

Dis boy and dis girl, day were walkin down tru de woods. And the girl she slipped and slid down into dis deep dark hole. And she hollered up to her boyfriend, "Frugal me!!, Frugal Me!!". An' he jumped down in dat pit and frugaled her and dey lived happily ever after.

I used to think I'm knew what frugal meant. Ever since he told me that story, I'm not so sure. But I think I'm in favor of it.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

[Note to self: Change tag ASAP.]

LOL

[John H K]

It certainly isn't smoking, because it's not an Iraqi indication of a violation of anything.

They were never banned from having radioactive material. This stuff is used in X-ray machines. Hundreds of countries have potential "dirty bomb" material.

The UN sanctions were against an actual nuclear WEAPONS program.

[shhrubbery!]

But when the team got to the site, it found relatively moderate levels of radiation at the base of each of the eight poles, along with signs in German warning about exposure to radiation.

Achtung! Achtung! Hier is das Nuklear Stoff! Das ist ein Gift fuer Iraq! Es macht -- BIG BOOM und KAPUT! Danke schoen fuer das Geld! Ihre Freunde, Jacques und Gerhard

[Nick Danger]