Missing Munitions

[warch]

Well spunky local Minneapolis affiliate KSTP (go channel 5!) happened to have some interesting footage that backs up the Pre-Bush-spin pentagon official's statement that the munitions did not go missing before US troops got to them.

http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S3723.html?cat=1kstp.com

This is from the report. Still not conclusive, but pretty hard to ignore:

Using GPS technology and talking with members of the 101st Airborne Division, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has determined the crew embedded with the troops may have been on the southern edge of the Al Qaqaa installation, where the ammunition disappeared. The news crew was based just south of Al Qaqaa, and drove two or three miles north of there with soldiers on April 18, 2003

During that trip, members of the 101st Airborne Division showed the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS news crew bunker after bunker of material labelled "explosives." Usually it took just the snap of a bolt cutter to get into the bunkers and see the material identified by the 101st as detonation cords.

.

also

There were what appeared to be fuses for bombs. They also found bags of material men from the 101st couldn't identify, but box after box was clearly marked "explosive."

In one bunker, there were boxes marked with the name "Al Qaqaa", the munitions plant where tons of explosives allegedly went missing.

Bush supporters are spinning to blame some more bad apple soldiers and Russia and the nasty character of that bad man Kerry for this blunder. Just get on it already and figure out what the hell happened. This does not help me feel safer, its evidence to the contrary. Now a militant group is claiming to have some of the stuff...

[warch]

Doh! you all were already talking about this! sorry for the duplicate. delete if you wanna....

No, that's OK. This warrents its own thread, and for me its helpful when threads don't wander so much, so thanks for putting it all down in a seperate spot. All I have to say is that it's like the US is HELPING Al QaQaa - letting the Bin Laden family flee the US right after 9/11 when no one else could fly, George Jr.'s statement that he wasn't troubled about finding Bin Laden, now this. I swear to God, George Jr. could appear on TV arm and arm with Bin Laden with all the members of AlQaQaa raising their rifles in a salute in the background and the American voter would STILL say, "Gotta vote for Bush. HE'S keeping us safe!" This willful blindness to Bush's inept bungling is downright frightening.

[wolf]

This willful blindness to Kerry's inept politicking, attempts to be all things to all people, frightening voting record, shameless pandering, and unwillingness to release his DD214 (yeah, that's minor shit, but he still won't do it) is downright frightening.

[Happy Monkey]

Here is Kerry's DD214. From his website. The rest of that is opinion, so I've got no qualms ignoring it. And (IMHO, so you may in turn ignore it) all of it is minor shit compared to Bush's castastrophes.

Originally Posted by wolf

This willful blindness to Kerry's inept politicking, attempts to be all things to all people, frightening voting record, shameless pandering, and unwillingness to release his DD214 (yeah, that's minor shit, but he still won't do it) is downright frightening.

Why an intelligent person would believe that Kerry refused to release his DD214 when it's posted on the internet for the world to see is troubling. Why an intelligent person would compare the service record of Kerry to that of Bush who wouldn't even show up for his National Guard physical and find Bush to be the better man is troubling. Why an intelligent person would compare "inept" politicking with inept actions in regard to the security of this country is troubling. Why an intelligent person would compare "shameless pandering" (I presume you mean to the voters) with the Bush administration's overt ties with Halliburton et al and various big oil concerns is troubling. This is all "minor shit" in deed when compared with the major and very real damage that the Bush administration has brought down on all our heads.

While I do not agree with the conservative point of view, I can respect those who give an intelligent argument for their stance. Please don't ask us to waltz around the "elephant in the living room" with you, Wolf.

[Happy Monkey]

This is the second time I've posted a link to Kerry's DD214.

[russotto]

Originally Posted by marichiko

No, that's OK. This warrents its own thread, and for me its helpful when threads don't wander so much, so thanks for putting it all down in a seperate spot. All I have to say is that it's like the US is HELPING Al QaQaa - letting the Bin Laden family flee the US right after 9/11 when no one else could fly, George Jr.'s statement that he wasn't troubled about finding Bin Laden, now this. I swear to God, George Jr. could appear on TV arm and arm with Bin Laden with all the members of AlQaQaa raising their rifles in a salute in the background and the American voter would STILL say, "Gotta vote for Bush. HE'S keeping us safe!" This willful blindness to Bush's inept bungling is downright frightening.

*sigh*.

Al QaQaa is the weapons facility that the munitions have gone missing from; no one is "helping" it and it has no members. Bush allowing the non-terrorist (and no one has presented ANY evidence otherwise) members of the Bin Laden family to leave the United States was a decent and honorable thing to do -- or would you prefer he let them risk being lynched?

[Cyber Wolf]

Originally Posted by russotto

-- or would you prefer he let them risk being lynched?

Nah, he let them go home while other Middle-eastern and Islamic backgrounded people who live HERE were harassed, beaten and openly hated. Besides, if they weren't a threat and if the gov't had paid them no mind (publicly) then no one would have known they were Bin Laden kin (unless of course they went around announcing it).

[Trilby]

I've a feeling Wolf likes Bush because he thinks it's ok for every American citizen to be heavily armed at all times...and, if he's re-elected, all American citizens will pretty much have to be heavily armed at all times.

Originally Posted by russotto

*sigh*.

Al QaQaa is the weapons facility that the munitions have gone missing from; no one is "helping" it and it has no members. Bush allowing the non-terrorist (and no one has presented ANY evidence otherwise) members of the Bin Laden family to leave the United States was a decent and honorable thing to do -- or would you prefer he let them risk being lynched?

May I ask how ANYONE had a chance to find and/or present evidence in their favor or against it in the space of the two days between 9/11 and their departure? They could have been questioned in a reasonable manner at some safe facility and then put on their planes back home and no one would have had to wonder whether they knew anything or not. 5,000 people were killed. Surely, the Bin Laden family would have been willing to answer a few questions to help track down a mass murderer!

[warch]

OK. OK. Personally, The saudi family travel thing is not on the top of my gripe list. Nor is Kerry's windsurfing, or Vietnam protests, or Bush's drinking or bulge.

But the mismanagement of actions that send Americans into "harms way" and jeapordize American and global security is right up there. Number one with a bullet.

Questions:
Do you think the media coverage of this Al QaQaa story in the NYT is partisan politics or journalism? Should KSTP have not come forward with their video?
Now that we know munitions have gone missing...What went wrong?
And way more importantly...What can be done now to better secure other munitions and hazardous materials that do presently exist for the security of Iraqis, our troops, and terrorist targets around the world? Does this deserve adminstrative level attention?

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Brianna

and, if he's re-elected, all American citizens will pretty much have to be heavily armed at all times.

No, that would be the result of Kerry win.

[elSicomoro]

Originally Posted by wolf

No, that would be the result of Kerry win.

In a parallel universe, perhaps.

The worst case scenario for the 2nd amendment in a Kerry administration is that the assault weapons ban will be put back in place--by Republicans in Congress.

Originally Posted by wolf

No, that would be the result of Kerry win.

Yeah, you gotta wonder about Kerry when he makes statements like the following:

"Each and every child in this country is valuable because they are our future as a society. We cannot afford to lose a single child to ill-health, under-education, abuse, addiction, jail, or gun violence ." (emphasis my own)

That terminator dude was right. Kerry's just another wussie boy who doesn't want 6 year olds to have assault weapons, but wants them to go to school, instead. Jeez, the next thing you know they'll be letting black people in Florida vote. Where's it gonna stop?

BTW, Wolf, your pal, Bush, was against letting everyone have assault weapons. When are you going to start getting your information from someone other than Rush Limbaugh?