posted on January 16, 2003 12:10:25 PM new
U.N. inspectors today found 11 empty chemical warheads in "excellent" condition at an ammunition storage area where they were inspecting bunkers built in the late 1990s, a U.N. spokesman reported.
The weapons components found today were not part of Iraq's declaration given to the U.N. in December under which Baghdad was required to itemize its doomsday weapons.
"It was a discovery. They were not declared," Hiro Ueki, the spokesman for U.N. weapons inspectors in Baghdad, told The Associated Press.
Iraq dismissed the discovery as a "storm in a teacup" over arms that had long passed their expiration date.
"These are 122 mm rockets with an empty warhead. There are no chemical or biological agents or weapons of mass destruction or linked to weapons of mass destruction," said the head of the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate, Gen. Hussam Mohammad Amin.
"These rockets are expired ... they were in closed wooden boxes ... that we had forgotten about," he told a news conference.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan, traveling with President Bush in Scranton, Pa., said the administration was "aware of the reports and we look forward to receiving information from the inspectors."
McClellan would not comment on how significant the find was.
At the United Nations, however, a U.S. official said the discovery only raised more questions.
"It's something that's going to have to be looked at really closely," said U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Williamson. "It raises a lot of questions from the declaration and other things."
Inspectors found a 12th warhead that requires further evaluation, Ueki said in a statement.
The inspectors used portable X-ray equipment for a preliminary analysis of one of the 122 mm warheads and collected samples for chemical testing, Ueki's statement said.
"The warheads were in excellent condition and were similar to ones imported by Iraq during the late 1980's," the statement said.
The weapons components were found during a visit by inspectors to the Ukhaider Ammunition Storage Area, 75 miles south of Baghdad. It was one of several sites inspectors checked today.
Inspectors do not usually report specific discoveries, which made today's announcement unusual. It is up to the U.N. Security Council to determine whether the find would amount to a breach of U.N. resolutions.
On Dec. 7, a chemical team secured a dozen artillery shells filled with mustard gas that had been inventoried by inspectors in the 1990s before the program was halted.
The mustard gas shells were the first batch of weapons of mass destruction brought under their control in the current round of inspections in Iraq.
U.N. inspectors have said Iraq's final weapons declaration made in December failed to support its claims to have destroyed missiles, warheads and chemical agents such as VX nerve gas.
The United States and Britain doubt Iraq is committed to giving up its weapons of mass destruction and have dispatched thousands more troops to the Gulf region for a possible military showdown.
Washington has cited nine areas in which it said Iraq's declaration fails to give a complete picture of weapons holdings. These include thousands of pounds of unaccounted-for materials for producing anthrax, and the chemical precursors for manufacturing mustard gas.
posted on January 16, 2003 12:21:12 PM new
Hot Damn! T*H*E*S*M*O*K*I*N*G*G*U*N! Let's go blow them all to HELL! Let's KILL those Iraqi Women and Children and Grandparents and TEACH THEM A LESSON - Americans WANT you to fly airplanes into our buildings!! Y-e-a-a-a-a-y!!
posted on January 16, 2003 12:41:17 PM new
The History Channel had a show last night on Iraqi violations on the agreements. Buying or attempting to buy hundreds of banned items. Diverting upwards of $1 Billion/yr from the food for oil program. Take him out now and be done with it.
posted on January 16, 2003 01:18:09 PM new
Yes, another breach. Surprise, surprise.
Do you guys know why the inspectors would take only one away to test?
Have you read if this discovery could have/did come from any of the information the Bush administration may have recently given to the top-level UN inspectors? I've heard that Blix was pressuring the President to make them aware of any information we have to help with their investigation. The concern has been that it would be hard to do without revealing anything that would jeopardize our sources.
posted on January 16, 2003 04:34:58 PM newHot Damn! T*H*E*S*M*O*K*I*N*G*G*U*N Read the following article on the number of Iraqi citizens have been killed by Saadam's chemical weapons.
posted on January 16, 2003 09:36:16 PM new
L@@K! There's PLENTY of bloodthirsty monsters in power throughout the world killing their own people! What patch of sand have you been sticking your head in? Just because THIS one is the Bush Family's Pet Whipping Boy doesn't impress me at all! Did Saddam break agreements? Yes! Did Bush break agreements? Yes! Did Saddam thumb his nose at UN Resolutions that he didn't care for? Yes! Did Bush thumb his nose at UN Resolutions that he doesn't care for? Yes! Has Saddam broken International Laws? Yes! Has Bush broken International laws? Yes! Jesus Christ, Man! The list goes on and on and on! Every reason Bush has given to go after Saddam, he's DONE THE SAME OR WORSE!! So why don't you go after Bush with the same enthuseam that you do with Saddam, then?
HIPOCRIT?
BIGOT?
STUPID?
ALL OF THE ABOVE?
When will it penetrate Bush supporter's heads that WE HAVE NO MORAL AUTHORITY? That attacking Sadam is HYPOCRITICAL and that it will make HYPOCRITS of us all and give peopole throughout the world JUSTIFICATION to bomb US!?
posted on January 17, 2003 06:03:01 AM new
BORILLAR IF THIS COUNTRY UPSETS YOU SO MUCH, WHY DON'T YOU FIND ONE THAT MEETS WITH YOUR CONVOLUTED IDEAS AND LEFTIST WAYS?
YOU ARE LIKE A PISS ANT THAT IS ANNOYING BUT WE ALL KNOW IS HARMLESS.
OH WAIT YOU'RE A TREE HUGGER TOO... THAT EXPLAINS ALOT.
posted on January 17, 2003 11:53:51 AM new
Many facilities have underground bunkers including all of the dozens of Hussein's "palaces". These are off-limits and the reason he kicked out the inspectors years ago was because they were starting to look other pklaces than the grand tour.
