Weapons of Mass Destruction

[Animal]

Originally posted by Ar-Cunin: It may be too late for Sh to use WoMD. The Coalition troops are so close to the Iraqis that chemical (and certainly biological) will be likely to hit the Iraqis themselves should they be deployed.

If in fact Saddam is the madman that he is reported to be, you would think he would use chemical weapons IF he has them.

Reports have been flying regarding the gassing of his own people during the last several years, so why would it matter to him now?

[Sir Taliesin]

MSNBC is reporting that tests have come up positive for traces of nerve and blister agent at a site south of Baghdad. Just got the breaking news e-mail.

I also heard on NPR this moning coming into work that around twenty armed medium range missiles were found with warheads containing serin and mustard gas. There was also a missile launcher. They were all found in a warehouse. The thought was that they could pull out of the warehouse set up and fire the missile, then takeback down and pull back into the warehouse without being seen. Apparently the soldiers who manned the launcher fled, without firing a shot. this was found by the 101st Airbourne Division.

Sorry, no links. Though you might go look on NPR's website.

I heard the same news on FOX this morning as well as seeing a very short clip of soldiers being decomtaminated...there are likely to be links galore by mid-afternoon. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Mordenheim]

I am sure some will be found soon but more will be found when certain key scientists are found.

[Skunk]

Leastways when we've had enough time to plant some...

[Sir Kenyth]

Chemical agents are hard to deploy without accurate long range ballistics and properly timed fuses that detonate the rounds above ground. They also poison the land for a period of time. Using them would also invite us to use WOMD in response.

Originally posted by Skunk: Leastways when we've had enough time to plant some...

OOF! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I've been waiting for this to come out.

[Bardan the Slayer]

Originally posted by Skunk: Leastways when we've had enough time to plant some...

Of course we'll plant them. The democratic countries taking part in this war, who have graciously allowed embedded reporting to view all of their actions in minute detail, will go to a great deal of trouble to ship over and plant chemical weapons just to prove to the world that this guy really does have them.

That's *far* more likely to be the case than assuming an insane despot who has a proven track record of using chemical weapons and ruling his country with a reign of terror, actually has them.

[/sarcasm]

I'm as distrustful of and cynical about the actions of the western governments as the next anarchist ( ), but I think you are a little too quick to assume that we are the bad guys in this war, rather than the mass murderer on the other side with the track history of using the very weapons he claims not to have.

But then, you probably believe that the Iraqi Information Minister is correct, and there are no tanks of US origin in Bagdhad, that US soldiers are being slaughtered in their thousands in the city, and that Iraq is on the verge of a glorious victory resulting in the complete destruction of the coalition forces. After all, we all claim the exact opposite, and anything the coalition says must be a lie.

Yes, we should question the actions of governments and organisations that we are suspicious of, and yes - speaking out in opposition to the government is one of those rights that we (as opposed to Saddam) hold dear. I would think the least reward we could actually get would be a bit of trust when it came to life or death matters like WoMD.

If I know a cop (even one with previous rumours of excessive use of force) who has arrested a drug dealer with previous convictions and beat him up in the process, but afterwards evidence is found that the drug dealer drew a gun, then i will believe the cop is being truthful and the dealer is a scumbag. I will keep an open mind, and allow myself to believe that any evidence against the cop may well be verifiable, but until that evidence is shown, I believe the cop.

If we find a chemical weapons stash, and a team of coalition forensic experts deems that it is indeed genuine, then I will believe them, and think that if anyone wants to shout "fit-up!", then it is up to them to prove we planted the weapons.

Saddam is a proven liar. He has used chemical weapons before. He kills, tortures and maims his own people. He rules through terror, persecution and oppression. He lives in fantastic luxury while his people live in squalor. Aid shipments and money meant for the people of Iraq instead found it's way into his bank account.

I know the USA, UK, Australia etc aren't perfect, but come on - don't you think we deserve just a little bit of credit? Just even a tiny little bit?

Is it really that much of a stretch to believe that -gasp- the coalition might just be telling the truth, and Saddam might be lying?

As I've said, I'm all for people having an open mind and questioning authority and their government, but I don't think you do have an open mind, Skunk. You are the one with a closed mind, determined to believe what you want to believe, no matter the cost. I think you would do a little better to try and view things with a bit less harshness towards the coalition, and a bit more towards Saddam's regime.

[ 04-07-2003, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: Bardan the Slayer ]

[John D Harris]

Originally posted by Skunk: Leastways when we've had enough time to plant some...

Not yet Skunk, I haven't finished brewing my batch up for the evil "Bush regime" and the vast Rightwing Anlgo/American/Big oil/anti-enviromentalist conspiracy. How about you guys Sir T and Mordenheim, have you finished brewing up your batches? Isn't the colection point for our "home brew" the "Grassy Knoll"? Or do we have to take it to Area51 so the aleins can plant it useing their super dupper double secret technolgy?

*Spoiler*
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*Illustrating absurdity by absurdity

[Attalus]

Here is the link.. "U.S. forces near Baghdad found a weapons cache of around 20 medium-range missiles equipped with potent chemical weapons, the U.S. news station National Public Radio reported on Monday.

NPR, which attributed the report to a top official with the 1st Marine Division, said the rockets, BM-21 missiles, were equipped with sarin and mustard gas and were "ready to fire." It quoted the source as saying new U.S. intelligence data showed the chemicals were "not just trace elements."

It said the cache was discovered by Marines with the 101st Airborne Division, which was following up behind the Army after it seized Baghdad's international airport.

U.S. Central Command headquarters in Qatar had no immediate comment." I found that on The Washington Post, certainly no Bush Administration backer. Give us mean old Republicans a break. If we were going for a throw-down, we would have planted a nuke, not boring old sarin and mustard gas.

[ 04-07-2003, 09:57 PM: Message edited by: Attalus ]