U.S. Arms Hunter Says Still Examining Iraq Trailers

[underpants]

I could almost put this in the Lounge :eyes:

Your tax dollars at work.


Tue Apr 6, 7:28 AM ET

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/iraq_australia_arms_dc

CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) - Arms hunters in Iraq (news - web sites) are still investigating two suspicious trailers, despite growing doubts that these were mobile laboratories used to make biological weapons, the chief U.S. weapons inspector said on Tuesday.

Charles Duelfer, who was appointed by the CIA (news - web sites) in January, said it would take him several months to make any final judgments about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a key justification for the U.S.-led war.

Doubts about the U.S. sources of evidence for mobile chemical arms laboratories have been raised for over a year and Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) finally acknowledged last week this evidence had been shown to be shaky.

He said the Defense Department's Iraq Survey Group, a team of 1,300 personnel conducting on-the-ground searches for weapons, was examining the two trailers but had not drawn any conclusions one way or the other.

"There is varying assessments on whether they are for production of hydrogen for weather balloons or whether they're for biological weapons," he said.

[phillybri]

1. Jesus Christ on a crutch...

You've gotta be kidding me...

[underpants]

4. I found this while looking for photos on the Yahoo news photos site

I saw the picture of the trailers and thought, "that's odd how could they STILL be in the news" so I clicked in the photo and there was a link with that headline. Surely this was a mistake.............nope they are still withholding judgement on the trailers that the Brits sold them in the 80's and that has been checked and rechecked with no traces of anything found.

They aren't kidding apparently.

Edited-YahoO

[hatrack]

2. What are they using? Mass spectrometers? Electron microscopy?

What in blue hell could possibly be so fascinating about those two ratty little trailers that they're still studying them a YEAR after finding them? WTF?? :shrug:

[diamond14]

8. I usually finish analysis using mass spectrometry in ONE day...

sometimes TWO days, if things are real hectic....the actual instrumental time varies from 15 to 30 minutes per sample, depending on the chemical analytes....with a lot of samples, put them in the autoanalyzer tray and let the instrument run all night...could run maybe 30 samples a day with standards and Quality Control samples....

[hatrack]

9. Maybe they haven't gotten around to testing the tires & wheel covers yet

Or perhaps the paint job offers valuable clues to the purpose of the Flatbeds of Fear!

[OldCurmudgeon]

19. FINGERPRINTS!

of a known WAR-CRIMINAL! All *over* the trailers.

Quick, run them through the database....let's see.

Oh. Rumsfeld again. Drat. Why didn't he wear gloves when
handing off those trailers to Saddam?

[Hobarticus]

18. Yes, but your results won't be timed with an election, either!

[Barrett808]

3. What a tool.

Why does Tenet continue to indulge this fantasy?

[Ganja Ninja]

5. Keep beating that dead horse.

These guys unbelieveable.

[modrepub]

6. Come on

caan't you see this for what it is; the contractor obviously hasn't extracted enough $ from *.

[underpants]

7. Hey modrepub

Welcome to DU :hi: if I haven't before. I just haven't seen you screen name before so....

This has me laughing. I thought LBN could use a little levity with the mess going on today.

[zbdent]

10. Howard, Fine, and Howard - WMD Inspectors for the Bush

misAdministration.

"Sir, we're almost finished inspecting the first of the two trailers. We expect to be finished inspecting the second one sometime around the turn of the millenia."

[underpants]

17. Group shot

[Cocoa]

11. faith-based weapons inspections

we really have some true believers in our govt. don't we?

[0007]

12. `Oh hum - Yawn

Guess the U.S. is about ready to find the WMD, 'eh?

[qb]

13. Translation: Trying to see if there's any way to convincingly plant WMD.

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Bush made public incorrect statements about these trailers

Regardless of anything else, when the "commander-in-chief" makes this kind of mistake, it is actually very serious. So, they need to draw this out forever and deny everything until the public forgets about it.

[Ganja Ninja]

20. "they need to draw this out forever"

Exactly! as if the last word hasn't come out on them already. Keep on pretending there might be another use for them. That way they won't have to admit Powell lied to the UN.

[underpants]

22. They seem to be doing that but it won't help IMHO

This doesn't pass the smell test for anyone but the coverted. They should let it lay as it is because if this were to get any coverage most people would have the same reaction as are being posted here......puhleeeeeeeease! Give it up already.

You are probably right though they don't want to have to officially come out and say what is obvious.

[Bragi]

15. These trailers have wheels!

Wheels are a precursor to a mobile nuclear weapons facility.

I hope they finish the tests before their $800 million budget runs out.

- B

[BiggJawn]

16. Looking for Arsenic in the weld slag?

Shame Sen. Proxmire isn't around anymore.
These guys would be PRIME candidates for a "Golden FLEECE" award...

"How much longer we gonna sit on these trailers, boss?"

"As long as those morons in Washington keep sending us money, kid..."

[Media_Lies_Daily]

21. Everyone knows now that it was a lie...they just don't give up, do they?

[Jazzgirl]

23. Ten to one this jerk is the one that's

gonna plant the WMD's. Those trailers were debunked almost as soon as they showed up! Everybody (and thats a lot of people) has debunked those trailers as nothing more than balloon trailers. I bet those WMD's start showing up here and there real soon.... :wtf:

[Frederic Bastiat]

24. U.S. Arms Hunter said to have head up his @ss

:eyes: