[ZekeLuvs1911]

So far, no reports of WMD found. I sometimes worry what would happen if SH hid them so well or moved them at the last minute that we don't find any. (I know, it's a stupid thought but I still worry.) Also, those peace protestors are starting to get on my nerves. What to do about that?

[Sean Smith]

Has it crossed anyone's tiny minds that maybe the reason the WMD are hard to find is because we are BOMBING EVERY PLACE WHERE WE THINK THEY ARE AT SO THEY AREN'T USED ON OUR TROOPS?!?!

:rolleyes:

[BigG]

What's a scud, anyways? :confused:

[Jim March]

Well so far, it appears Saddam has been sending them to Kuwait for "inspection" by "special air delivery" :rolleyes:.

A SCUD is a low-grade old-model commie rocket based on the German V2. Good for about 500 miles or so. Iraq got ahold of a bunch of 'em and has been modifying 'em for range and payload (including chemical/bio and if he ever gets ahold of one, nuke).

[Mike Irwin]

Why no weapons of mass destruction yet?

Think about it.

The areas of the country that the Coalition has taken so far have been areas largely dominated by ****e (shee-ite) Muslims.

They HATE Saddam, who is Sunni (soo-nee), and in 1991 were in open rebellion against him. After broken promises from the US to help in the uprising, Saddam brutally put the rebellion down.

There's very little chance that Saddam would put large stocks of chemical weapons in areas of the country that are not largely loyal to him.

I have no doubt that we'll find the weapons in the North, probably in Baghdad and around his home town of Takirt, where his power base is strongest, and the Sunnis are most powerful.

You've GOT to be kidding me? I can't use Sh ite together in the proper spelling of the Muslim sect?

Sigh. :)

[BigG]

*****e is the British slang term for - never mind. :uhoh:

[TarpleyG]

Gen. Franks said this morning in his press conference from Doha that if they [Iraqis] do use any or if we find any, we win. I agree. He also seems sure (so does the entire administration) that they DO have some. I am certain there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle they aren't showing all of us arm chair generals.

GT

[bad_dad_brad]

Mike Irwin,

It is the forums software that put the * in the, well you know. Had it happen to me once with the terrible three letter word a**.

[Hard Charger]

If you were General Franks, what would you be doing right now? Fighting a war, or looking for WMD?

It has been 2 days, what do people expect? "Let's find the WMD's before we attack the Republican Guard"? I doubt it.

There is plenty of time to find what France and Germany have been selling Sodom.

Besides, there are 2 boats loaded with them circling at sea.

Bob Arnot reported on MSNBC that an Iraqi soldier was found with an envelope full of white powder presumed to be anthrax, and instructions on how to use it as a weapon.

[Lone_Gunman]

Is bombing chemical weapon storage areas a good idea?

[El Tejon]

Agree with Mr. Irwin. Have to get farther north. Of course, those "free the oppressed" types may already have examples up there or at least have them under observation.

[Destructo6]

Can't say "Shiite"? How about Shi'ia?

[Sean Smith]

Is bombing chemical weapon storage areas a good idea?

I don't see why not. Just use the right bomb for the job (e.g., fuel-air explosives).

[Standing Wolf]

I'm sure weapons of mass destruction will be found. I'm sure it will soon become apparent Saddam Hussein was working on and/or had ultra-nasty biological weapons. I'm sure he's been working on nuclear weapons of one type or a dozen others.

I'm equally sure the leftist extremists are already working on press releases decrying "manufactured evidence," et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Life includes a few certainties.

[Waitone]

Does anyone wonder why that idiot Blix specifically excluded inspections of MILITARY sites? The joker had no intentions of looking in high probability locations.

During Gulf I the US uncovered Sadaam's nuclear program literally by accident. A US pilot dropped a bomb too early and he hit a building, peeling th roof off. BDA saw inside the building cyclotrons used in enriching unanium. Virtually all his nuclear sites were north of the cease fire line. US forces never came close.

The joker has had 12 years to hide or disperse WMD. I think one of the reasons the French are acting unseemly is because they may have well provided not only technology but weapons to Iraq.

I hope and pray we don't sustain casualties from French technology or weapons. I don't think the US public will be forgiving.

[ahadams]

there were reports from the first day (from I believe 3ID Div Arty) that they had engaged a number of artillery targets. Last night there were reports in the brit media (and no I do not keep a running bookmark file on this stuff sorry) that upon advancing on one previously shelled Iraqi artillery unit that was known through photo recon to have chem/bio capable rounds stored near their guns there was complete devastation (the quote from one US Army captain was "bodies everywhere"). The Brit reporter stated he thought they'd used 'napalm or something' from what he'd seen. [He probably saw either FAE (Fuel Air Explosive) or thermobaric (combusts at very high heat and burns all the oxygen out of the air in the immediate vicinity) bombs - since he didn't describe what he saw it's impossible to determine which it was.]

The Iraqi artillery in question was a ?battalion? (?) of refurbished soviet army surplus 122mm guns. We also know from previously released information the the Iraqis follow the old soviet modularization system in which the shells are distributed to the units and the chem/bio agent fillers are distributed separately, later. Given that they aced that entire unit out as a preliminary measure; and given they used the types of weapons described; AND given that there was no report of bio or chem exposure by the troops - and if that happens with this many embedded reporters we *will* hear about it; THEN the bet would be that our guys hit the Iraqis with sufficient stuff to largely neutralize any chem or bio fillers they might have had present, but in fact such had not yet been distributed to that unit prior to the start of festivities.

Now, given that we know that at least some of the Iraqi senior level command structure has been, well, at least grossly inconvenienced, and given that SH was notorious for keeping control at senior levels, my guess is that due to the preemptive strike and other attempts to disrupt comms, as well as the publicly stated efforts of US, Brit, and Aussie special forces units to neutralize WMD control centers and stockpiles; we may not find out exactly what they've got until after the whole thing is over. In fact the Iraqi senior commanders may not know with any accuracy what they have left within their actual control at this point.

should be interesting in any case.

[Blackhawk]

Good analysis, Arlin.

It's unlikely that any embeds are with the battlefield cleanup units as that's really boring duty that requires highly trained personnel and specialized equipment. Makes Graves Registration duty seem exciting....

Bottom line: We don't know, and we might not know for a while.

[Preacherman]

Bear in mind, too, the reports several weeks ago that three Iraqi cargo ships (big ones) had sailed out into the Indian Ocean last year (just before the inspections began) and had been sailing around in circles ever since. Anyone care to bet what might be on those ships? And anyone care to take another bet that those ships are about due for either a visit by some helicopter-borne SEALS, or perhaps a torpedo apiece up their propeller shafts? :D

[WilderBill]

I agree that any WMD there are left to be found wil be found further north. I would not be very surprised if they were used in a last ditch defense of Baghdad.
Of course, that would be not only be giving out proof of their existance, it would also be inconvenient if the wind were in the wrong direction. :p

[Blackhawk]

Good point, Preacherman.

Doubt that there are any embeds with the SEALs, and chances are great that the ships have already been interdicted. :D

[Dannyboy]

Last night there were reports in the brit media (and no I do not keep a running bookmark file on this stuff sorry) that upon advancing on one previously shelled Iraqi artillery unit that was known through photo recon to have chem/bio capable rounds stored near their guns there was complete devastation (the quote from one US Army captain was "bodies everywhere").
I'd be willing to bet it was MLRS fire. Counter-battery fire is one of the main priorities if MLRS units and they are quite devastating when used. Of course, I might be somewhat biased (see my sig line), but it's still the truth.

[MeekandMild]

So far, no reports of WMD found. So what? They didn't find any extermination camps at Normandy did they? "Oh, gee, I guess we were wrong about these Nazis. Lets go back home, boys." :eek:

[cuchulainn]

For what it's worth, Blix is leaving the UN at the end of June:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,82541,00.html

[Coronach]

Let me guess, he is joining the cast for the Broadway production of Mr. Magoo? Just a thought.

Also, no "WMD"s discovered yet? First of all, lets be clear about our terminology. The only WMD is a nuke. Everything else is a tool of either terror and/or area denial. Second of all, we have already found weaponry prohibited under the UN cease fire and subsequent resolutions, in the form of the Al Samoud (sp?) missiles, which we knew they had ahead of time, but that they have since launched and have flown demonstrably further than the UN resolutions allow. Note the response from France and the world community, quoted below:
























Which, frankly, is what everyone expected. :rolleyes:

As to why we have not yet found Chem/bio weapons, this doubtless has to do with the fact that he has either pulled everything in to Baghdad (my vote for most likely) or dispersed everything out in the wilderness.

We'll see.

Mike

[Justin Moore]

The only WMD is a nuke. Everything else is a tool of either terror and/or area denial.

Mike, I agree, and I think that's a VERY important distinction
that most of the American public is not aware of. I think that when Joe Average Citzien hears that 'we have to go into Iraq to make sure that Saddam cannot proliferate WMD' they are mostly concerned about chem/bio, when in fact perhaps they should NOT be.

I am assuming since you made that above quoted statement, that your main concern with Iraq was possible nuke proliferation? I for one do not go to sleep at night worrying about terrorists using chem/bio to attack the US. I just don't see the potential for mass casualties from such an attack. I DO see the potential for mass terror and or panic, mostly due to a lot of bad information that has been put out on the 24 hour news networks. A lot of fear mongering going on there.

Dunno, whaddya think?

[ahadams]

al samud missiles anyone? gee, I don't remember the UN inspectors searching too many university storage buildings, do you?

outlawed missiles found by Brits in Basra (http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=379882003)