Comments on: WMD ALREADY FOUND?!

By: John

John — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

How does your viewpoint accomidate the recent reporting of Iraqi scientists who say that there was no WMD program?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

My guess is the scientists will be more cooperative once Saddam is killed or captured.

By: John

John — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Okay, that's fair, but still far-fetched in my book. But then if he's killed or captured and they still stick to the same story? That will be an intersting spin to watch. I'm thinking of setting up a Futures Market in war justifications.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Anything's possible, I guess. I think we're going to find less than many of us thought was there. It's implausible to me, though, that he went from a viable program to nothing at all and then let his country get invaded and his sons killed over weapons he didn't have. But we won't know for sure until we either find evidence or enough time has passed that it's obvious we won't.

By: Kevin Drum

Kevin Drum — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

It's all very mysterious, all right.

However, shortly after the war the administration was trumpeting every overturned jeep as a WMD find, so I kinda doubt that fear of guerrillas is what's keeping their lips sealed now.

By: Katewerk

Katewerk — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

All I can say is that I detect a fair bit of hmmm... "relaxedness" in the administration's responses to questions about WMD. It's unlikely that they're going to dig into an underground bunker and find a gazillion barrels labeled "sarin". And that's what the media is going to demand as "proof". On the other hand, if they compile a dossier of the bits and pieces of documents and evidence and release it as a gazillion pages of evidence, it's going to have the appropriate impact. But that takes time. -- Kate

By: L. Janis

L. Janis — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Frankly, I don't think that we will find any WMD in the country. He had them at one point, but they could have all been destroyed after 12 years or maybe he only had a finite number of them and used them all up in the eighties. Or, maybe the Iraqi scientists are patriots and don't want to cooperate with a country that invaded them.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

However, shortly after the war the administration was trumpeting every overturned jeep as a WMD find

Sigh!

I don't remember anyone in the administration doing any such a thing. I remember many in the media (Judith Miller, JPost etc) doing that but I can't remember one speech from one member of the administration did said that.

But why let the facts get in the way of a good story? Right?

Paul

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