No Bunker where U.S. Bombs Targeted Saddam-CBS

cbs news ^

[Maringa]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Baghdad bunker which the United States said it bombed on the opening night of the Iraq (news - web sites) war in a bid to kill Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) never existed, CBS Evening News reported Wednesday.

The network quoted a U.S. Army colonel in charge of inspecting key sites in Baghdad as saying no trace of a bunker or of bodies had been found at the site on the southern outskirts of the Iraqi capital, known as Dora Farms.

"When we came out here, the primary thing they were looking for was an underground facility, or bodies, forensics, and basically, what they saw was giant holes created. No underground facilities, no bodies," Col. Tim Madere said.

CBS, saying it was the first news organization to visit the site, reported that the CIA (news - web sites) had searched it once and Col. Madere had searched it twice as part of efforts to find traces of DNA that could indicate if Saddam or his sons had been killed or wounded.

The network said the main palace in the compound remained standing despite the surrounding destruction. It quoted Madere as saying anyone who had been in the building could have survived the raid.

Shortly after the attack, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters: "There's no question but that the strike on that leadership headquarters was successful. We have photographs of what took place. The question is, what was in there?"

The United States effectively acknowledged that the March 20 raid failed to kill Saddam when it launched a second air attack aimed at the Iraqi president on April 7.

The fate of Saddam and his sons Uday and Qusay is still unclear.

Rumsfeld said earlier this month, "If you don't have evidence he's dead, you've probably got to assume he's alive."

[Maringa]

Hummm...this is going to raise some questions about our intelligence sources...

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

Looks like the Psyops folks duped everyone. All is fair...

[Timesink]

Funny, the first question it raises to me is about the credibility of CBS.

[WSGilcrest]

no trace of a bunker


Try looking for a hole, instead.

[demlosers]

I'd like hear Saddam and Boys with Castro in Havana. And then Castro taunt Bush to take him and Saddam out.

I'm wishing Hehehe...

[oceanview]

not at all, this is true, its been true for all along. why do you think we have never heard any reports about the excavations at the two "decapitation strike" locations? none, no stories, no reports (until this one). did we even excavate them? how about the second location, the restaurant, any reports about that one? Nope.

Saddam is in Belarus, taken by the Russians, almost certainly with our consent, as part of an exile deal.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I heard it was a "safe house", but not necessarily a bunker.

Screw See BS "news"...it is RATHERBIASED.com if you know what I mean.

[Parley Baer]

I have to agree with #3. Being that Dan Blather and CBS Evening News is behind the story all credibility is off the table. It may be true than again only parts may be true than again the whole thing could be a lie. Parley

[Blueflag]

I recall the same -- that Saddam et ux were at a private residence, not a bunker.

[Ramius]

Saddam is in Belarus, taken by the Russians, almost certainly with our consent, as part of an exile deal.

Wow... can I get your doctor's number? Those meds must be a blast.

[oceanview]

Gen Paul Vallely reported on Fox several weeks back about the "story" that Saddam was in Belarus. If that story is true, then of course these decapitation strikes were either failures or ruses. The simple fact that there has been no reporting on the aftermath of these strikes, not a word about the searches, nothing, ought to tell us something about what really happened there.

[oceanview]

OK, me and Paul Vallely and his sources, we are all on the same drugs.

[Wordsmith]

Big ping on a possible confirmation of one element of your theory.

[Ramius]

Cool. I'll take some, but I'll start out at half the dosage.

[oceanview]

for a while, I was thinking he was dead also. but then after baghdad fell, no reports coming out about searches for the two strike locations, day after day, week after week, you would think we would have been all over those locations. not good. then, that video of saddam cheering at the street festival. then, the report by Vallely about the Belarus rumor, coupled with what we know about the russians being the last to evacuate. it all adds up to exile with the Russians having a hand in it.

[yooper]

"The network quoted a U.S. Army colonel in charge of inspecting key sites in Baghdad as saying no trace of a bunker or of bodies had been found at the site on the southern outskirts of the Iraqi capital, known as Dora Farms."

What, we drop several bunker busters followed up by many cruise missiles into this hole and someone actually goes looking for evidence that the place existed before these attacks?!

The evidence they should have been looking for is DUST. I find it hard to believe that we couldn't find dust at this site....

[Archangelsk]

Hummm...this is going to raise some questions about our intelligence sources...

Really? You mean people who are paid informants may sometimes deceive us? What's this world coming to? :-)

[yooper]

"Wow... can I get your doctor's number? Those meds must be a blast."

Stop it. I'm no tin foil type, but this guy's comments make sense, and in fact have been forworded by others.

FWIW, I believe Saddam is dead, but if he isn't he is very likely in France, Germany, or the former Soviet Union.....

[justshe]

Think I'll wait for a second source....or confirmation from the DOD/Pentagon. I believe NOTHING I hear from CBS news.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Saddam is in Belarus, taken by the Russians, almost certainly with our consent, as part of an exile deal.