(Picture Courtesy of Michelle Malkin)
Emerging buzz seems to be focused on why it took so long to release info about 500 chemical-weapons shells found in Iraq.
Austin Bay predicts conspiracy-mongering. Ed Morrissey remembers a sarin gas shell discovery in May 2004. Ed theorizes:
Some will claim that the release is strictly for political purposes. They may have a point, but I doubt it will have anything to do with domestic politics. If Bush wanted to use it for that, he would have done so in October 2004 and not in June 2006. This information changes the picture about our pre-war intelligence in time for the Iranian confrontation — and I suspect that the White House wants to declassify it in order to convince European leaders that our intel actually paid off.
Glenn Reynolds has the press conference transcript with Santorum and Hoekstra.
Allah has good links
Linked with:
Sorry, it was PCD that made the comment about ground zero with SF in it. I thought it was you.
I’m not rushing to anyone’s aid, I just don’t agree with blanket statements made about a group of people. Doesn’t it irk you when people make statements like that about conservatives? I don’t agree with it, no matter who is making the statement. The reason I it bugs me is because, like I said, I know and love many people that are liberals. While I may disagree with them on some political issues, it doesn’t make them insane, stupid, fags, or hatemongers.
I have some liberal views, but am overall conservative. This isn’t about choosing sides, it’s about arguing a fair argument without name-calling, assumptions, and blanket statements. I’m not on a fence just because I want to see a fair, grown-up disagreement.
Alyssa, please! “without name-calling, assumptions, and blanket statements” That dude comes here just to stir up shit. There use to be some libs who would come and debate, however this guy is a blind partisan. I DONT agree with the president on everything, however, I do support him and don’t think his is hitler evil incarnate. Geeze! Nothing against you Alyssa, I come home for a few weeks and get saturated with the freakin negetaive crap these libs spew.
If you feel he comes here to stir stuff up, then don’t let him rile you up.
***Rumsfeld on WMDs, Today [Kathryn Jean Lopez] from NRO
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, there has been a lot made on Capitol
Hill about these chemical weapons that were found and may be quite
old. But do you a real concern of these weapons from Saddam’s past
perhaps having an impact on U.S. troops who are on the ground in Iraq
right now?
RUMSFELD : Certainly. What has been announced is accurate, that
there have been hundreds of canisters or weapons of various types
found that either currently have sarin in them or had sarin in them,
and sarin is dangerous. And it’s dangerous to our forces, and it’s a
concern.
So obviously, to the extent we can locate these and destroy them,
it is important that we do so. And they are dangerous. Anyone ” I’m
sure General Casey or anyone else in that country would be concerned
if they got in the wrong hands.
They are weapons of mass destruction . They are harmful to human
beings. And they have been found. And that had not been by Saddam
Hussein, as he inaccurately alleged that he had reported all of his
weapons . And they are still being found and discovered.
And I don’t think SF just comes here to rile people, I think he finds it beneficial to get other points of view. He doesn’t agree with us, but it makes for some good discussions. Please don’t compare him to shiloh..he was just an ass! And Canadian Sandy? A tad bit odd, but she could surprise the stuffing out of me on points she did agree with us on!
I’ve been reading some older posts, so the names Shiloh and Sandy were familiar. Shiloh did seem like a bit of an ass, and I agree with you Peejz from what I’ve read about Sandy. I might get some flak for this, but I like SF! I may not agree with him about everything, but he makes good points and doesn’t just sling insults at people that disagree. I like his attitude.
“Show me ONE comment supporting the United States that this fag is written.”
Guy.
Who’s hate filled?
Ummmm…yeah.
I don’t deny what I feel. Perhaps you examine your own words vs. your illusion of peace and love BS.
“Why are the two dumbest f*cks (John Galt and PCD) on this board the only one talking today???”
:lol::lol::roll:
“Why are the two dumbest f*cks (John Galt and PCD) on this board the only one talking today???”
:lol::lol::roll:
That was a good one!!!
55. ONE comment.:neutral:
…and thanks to the above for the kind words.
We may not agree, but at least we can try and have fun and talk like adults.
It is easy to get riled up because all of us like politics (why else would we be here) and because we all obviously care deeply for our country, but there is no need to be rude and try to attack the person and not the politic.
But we all slip up once in awhile…:wink:
John, you and that other dude can be pretty aggressive in an annoying way.
And like I just said, we all slip once in awhile…
Truce. Good Night.
It is my nature, and I survive by being aggressive
Sarin can be lethal in even very small doses. Mustard gas is another story. While it may degrade over time, it is only fatal when inhaled, unlike Sarin which can be absorbed in lethal quantities through skin contact. As for the rounds being ineffective, that could be from the fuse mechanism becoming nonfunctional not necessarily from the chemicals from becoming inert. Two US soldiers were hospitalized for exposure to Sarin after one of these shells was used in an IED they were attempting to disarm. It failed to detonate but still managed to expose them to the agent inside. That would lead me to believe that while the fuse mechanism had become defective over time, the chemicals inside the projectile had remained intact.
Chemical weapons are like any other chemical compound. Some are more stable than others and most can be effected by the environment in which they are stored. Kept in a cool dry place, they may last almost indefinitely. An easy example of the effect of storage on a chemical compound is Nutrasweet. If you take two cans of diet Soda and leave one outside in a hot car for a few hours before refrigerating it and put the other in the fridge immediately. Despite both being chilled to the same temperature eventually, the heated one will taste somewhat bitter and can cause severe stomach craps and diarrhea in people with sensitve stomachs. The aspartame breaks down into another compound when exposed to temps in excess of 85 degrees for extended periods. That’s the reason why I buy Diet Coke with Splenda in the summer. Sucralose is more stable in heat than aspartame.
To John Gault, re: 47
I just want you to know that I honor you, believe in you and trust in you. I thank God that we have men in our military like you and want you to know that I thank you and appreciate you.
I have often been offended and at times attacked by liberals for the way I think. It’s hurtful and in the end I do question the motives of people who would allow our country to be destroyed. It just doesn’t make sense.
The mentality that SF has that it’s no big deal weapons were found. I happen to think it’s a HUGE deal and just like the lead up to 9/11 if we don’t stay vigilant and BELIEVE in the fact that muslim extremists only wish to kill us, then we will die ourselves. I do not want that.
Alyssa, you have not provided John Galt one positive quote of SF’s concerning the US. John has a point.
SF, I believe in Robert Heinlein’s vision of “Balancing”. For you, try the code of Hamaruabi (SP?). You say the shells are not dangerous, experience say they are. By either Balancing or the Code, a fair test would be to expose you to the contents of those shells as a trial of fact. This is the only way people like you learn is to have reality smack you full force.
SF Liberal does not apparently have the experiemce or knowledge to be making the pronouncements he makes.
“They probably would have been intended for chemical attacks during the Iran-Iraq War, said David Kay, who headed the U.S. weapons-hunting team in Iraq from 2003 until early 2004.
He said experts on Iraq’s chemical weapons are in “almost 100% agreement” that sarin nerve agent produced from the 1980s would no longer be dangerous.
“It is less toxic than most things that Americans have under their kitchen sink at this point,” Kay said.
And any of Iraq’s 1980s-era mustard would produce burns, but it is unlikely to be lethal, Kay said.”
————————————————
Less toxic than most things under your kitchen sink.
…yet again another wild goose chase from the Iraq War apologists.
and once again it falls far short of the mark.
I guess it just takes more time for some than others to come to the right conclusion.
66–I know. I had a root canal yesterday, and the left side of my face is still puffed up like a chipmunk; I haven’t had the energy. Besides, no matter what I point out about SF, I have the feeling that you might deny any goodness I see in his comments. He may have a different view, but I don’t believe for a second that he hates the US….I really don’t.
I used the word “goodness” in a weird way.
I know it might not make sense.
SF- I am waiting to be able to get the transcript of the Hannity & Colmes show from last night..on the panel were a former weapons inspector and an analyst from I believe the Pentagon..They are in disagreement with your statement cited from the USA today..I will post my source when available so at this point I am going from memory..I had intended to write a post on it as a topic of discussion:
What both said were that these mutitions found can not be discredited..are they as powerful as they were? Both said no, but they are not something to be taken lightly and yes they could still kill you..Neither feel these date back to the 80′s…If you look at the post I posted yester, reviewing the ISG report, WMD’s are covered extensively. I am paraphrasing, but WMD’s was the direction Saddam felt he should go in…
Alyssa, I am sure that one day, and it might be a tragic one, will see the world as I do. I hope it never comes to that, but it might.
Bon Bon, Thanks.
We got you covered.
I can see both sides of the argument on this one. This find is obviously not the stockpiles we were told he had plus they are apparently old…but I am not saying the stockpiles didn’t exist. Saddam could have pushed them over the Syrian border between now and since the inspectors left Iraq in the ’90′s. With the Saddam/terrorists connection (although the left denies it), he could have moved the stockpiles before 9-11 knowing darn well that we would target him after the WTC attacks.
I also don’t think you can totally disregard the WMD’s they found. Whether they work or not is not really the point. The left always claimed it was an illegal war because he did not have WMD’s. With the Kurds being gassed and now these munitions being found, I think we all know he had them and had the capabilility to produce them and pass them on to terrorists. No one in their right (or left) mind can say that Saddam would not have been happy to give sarin and mustard gases to a terrorist group. He would have loved to see the US get attacked anyway possible. No one can deny that…well, they will try to deny it, but they’re nuts.
Alyssa, I’ll take your answer as “I can’t produce any of SF’s postings where SF said good thinsg about the US or defending the US. Therefore, I’ll just blow some BS about goodness and hope no one notices I didn’t answer.”
SF, You, I take your answers as “There’s no way PCD can make me back up my words. I’ll just keep peddling the same crap, but run like a deserter if I am called to try Saddam’s WMD for myself.”
75–Where do you come up with this stuff?
Did you miss the part about my root canal and how I don’t really feel like going through old comments today? Sheesh. If it would really make you feel better, I’ll do it in a couple days when I feel better.
Is that all right with you?
77, frankly, I don’t care. You made a generalization about SF you can’t back up. You got called on it. Live with it.
BTW, it doesn’t take days to get over a root canal. I’ve had one, and a bad one. You can’t BS me on that either.
PCD, you crack me up. Taking yourself a little too seriously is always good for a laugh.
You talk about making a generalization I can’t back up–dude, it seems like all you do is make generalizations about people! Relax…deep breath…repeat.
I’m glad you were able to get over your root canal quickly–they suck, as you know. They weren’t even able to finish, since they couldn’t get my mouth numb enough to scrape out all of the nerve. So they packed it with something (I don’t know the name of it) to kill off the nerve, and I go back on Tuesday to finish it. Given that it was less than 24 hours ago, I still feel like shit. I won’t be home over the weekend, which is why I said in a few days. I’ll be more careful with my wording next time.
78, Alyssa, you disappoint me, and you never fail to do so.
I’m glad to know that when it comes to disappointing you, I never let you down.
I’m going to take a nap now. See you in a couple days.
Alyssa – good luck with the root canal. I had my first one last month, and it obviously isn’t fun. But it does get better. Just takes time.
Others – regarding positive comments about the US, I’m sure if you look you’ll find many.
But here are some more for you; SF Liberal loves his country, SF Liberal respects and honors americas fighting men and women, SF Liberal lost a dear friend in Iraq and would never slander the troops who are only doing what they’re told, but SF Liberal will gladly slander the incompetent civilian military leadership and the Bush Admin and all others involved in sending my buddy to his needless death.
what else…ummmm….SF liberal loves and values conservative americans just as much as he loves liberal americans. My whole family except me are die-hard conservs and SF Liberal once was as well. Owned the first two Rush books from the early 90′s and loved them…I went to Clintons first inaug. in 1993, and didn’t like the man at all at the time.
We all need to put aside our fears and prejudices from time to time and understand that your fellow americans -with few obvious exceptions – are NOT the enemy, liberals aren’t out to “destroy america” any more than conservatives are.
Where’s Mike Kilo and Robert?
They’re much more knowledgable and sensible than these two…
SF, liberals view anyone not with them as the enemy. Read any KOS diary. You think slander is a virtue. I don’t and the crime of slander makes you a lesser person, SF.
People like you constandly undermine America asn spit on all your buddy fought for.
WTF SF,, 83. I havent said a fukin word to you today?
SF, David Kay may be right in saying that the remaining Sarin may have degraded to the point of being less than fully operational. However, seeing as two US soldiers were hospitalized for sarin exposure, I would have to hazard a guess that he is probably wrong. Taking into account his previous statements that Iraq had no WMDs, any new finds would have to be declared inert in order for him to retain his reputation. In other words, my money is on his new statement being simply CYA for his previous ones.
BTW He’s probably right about having more dangerous stuff under your kitchen sink. NEVER mix chlorine bleach with ammonia cleaner. The resulting gas is actually at least as lethal if not more so than Mustard gas if inhaled. It doesn’t cause blistering of skin like Mustard gas, but can cause chemical burns to the throat, nasal passages and lungs if inhaled. I highly recommend that if anyone uses chlorine bleach (Purex or generic brands, Chlorox brand is different chemically) and generic ammonia cleaners that they store them in separate locations and NEVER in unmarked bottles. I once went into a drug store and they were displaying bleach and ammonia cleaner on the same shelf. If anyone had stumbled into the shelf and the bottles opened upon hitting the floor, half of the store would’ve become a hazmat site. I suggested to them that that might not be the best way to display them.
One more point on the David Kay et al comments on the WMDs being “not usable as designed” or “might not have worked if deployed” does NOT equate to harmless. Rifle ammunition with degraded primers can still explode if burned. Would they be considered “Not usable as designed” or “might not have worked if deployed”? Yes. Would they then be harmless when they exploded in a fire? No.
If a chemical round will no longer explode and disperse the chemicals, it won’t work if deployed as an artillery shell. Drill a hole in the base, drain out the Sarin into a container and release it into a ventilation system (much more practical for terrorists, smuggling a backpack of plastic containers into the US is substantially easier than a 2 ton howitzer)it will kill people. Is it being used as designed? No. Is it still dangerous? Yes.
Just because a weapon won’t function as designed, doesn’t mean it isn’t still a weapon.That’s like saying that since an axe is too dull to cut, it’s no longer an effective weapon. It’s BS.