Just a thought

Of course it is all over the net that we found about 500 chemical weapons in Iraq. The focus seems to be on the operability of these weapons. I believe the focus should be on the intent of Saddam.

Saddam had 12 years to search for WMD in his own country of which he was the master of everything. The US military, while fighting an insurgency found these weapons in less than 3 years. So does it really make sense that Saddam was sincere in his efforts? If he could not account for WMD, he could have asked the UN for MORE help to find them. Instead he threw the inspectors out. What was Saddams intent? Obviously he took a 95% approach to meeting his obligations under UN resolutions. He would never give it all up. Once you realize this was his strategy, you have to ask, why would he want that other 5%?

Comments

[Sam Pender]

You have to also ask, WHAT THEN?

If Saddam's disarmament couldn't be verified by inspections (and the ISG report's PICTURES ALONE prove that), then what do you do? Do you trust him? Do you put pipedream hope in inspections that failed to prove his disarmament? Do you take action, and if so what? Assassination was a stupid idea since his regime itself was the problem, and besides assassination had been tried dozens of times before. Hell, it was tried 50x on the first night of the war and failed. Ok, if not assassintion, how about rebellion, coup, uprising, etc.? Nope. Tried that and each time failed worse than the other. How about sanctions? Nope. He'd skirted around that and both he and Castro are poster boys for proving that sanctions don't force compliance (lest we forget that Saddam's compliance was about a lot more than 500 mustard gas shells). Ok, airstrikes? Nope. Tried that for a month in 91, for 11 yrs, and then for days in 03. He'd learned how to survive airstrikes. Last option? Invasion.

[Mark Eichenlaub]

Ray,
The theories of him cooperating never really added up. Nor did the reports by the Washington Post and New York Times that "all the material had been accounted for."
This was obviously false. Will these people admit they were wrong? Apologize to those they've smeared in the process? Or just change course and continue targeting the same people with criticism?

[Sam Pender]

WHAT IF IRAQ IS A SUCCESS?! Dare to imagine the unthinkable: victory in Iraq. Imagine the 2008 November election preceeded by a 200,000 man victory march down Pennsylvania Ave-enabled by an Iraq that is strong enough, experienced enough, and dedicated enough to fight its own fight. Preceeded by the death of Bin Laden sometime over the next 2 1/2 yrs....How does a dem get a snowball's chance in Frisco weeks later? The left that's betting and quasi hoping/aiding on a defeat-begging for it (and calling for it today in fact!) has ignored the most likely scenarios.

Most likely? Every objective in Iraq-every milestone has been reached by the US military, and so there's no reason to think it can't continue doing the job. (see below for details)

Iraqis want the US out, and they do NOT want civil war or outsiders. They want to take control of their own govt and be like the Gulf States: live well off their oil.

UBL can't live forever, and every month he gets older/the US gets closer.

So, unless those who oppose the war (violently as insurgents, non-violently as protesters, or passively as Democrats) can get their way....the 2008 victory march is possible. It's gotta be Howard Dean's nightmare. Chris Matthews' nightmare. Bill Maher's, Michael Moore's, and so forth.

I bet they can't even imagine it.

*(from above)
Like I said, every objective has been reached so far-and typically on time or close (as often ahead of schedule as behind)

invasion-Wes Clark said it'd take 10,000KIA. Scott Ritter said the US would have to nuke its way out. Opposition (including Saddam) called Baghdad America's Stalingrad. Tell it to the Marines. Tell it to the 3rd ID. And in the greatest pimp move of all....Rumsfeld actually, literally invited the media cameras along for the ride!

WMD-found some/don't need to find a lot since they are wMd. More importantly found that he'd been prepped, ready, and had already started escaping the sanctions noose. He was ready and intended to restart programs with fresh wmd in weeks, days, even hours! More than proved that inspection process would not/could not prove his disarmament because he was STILL hiding things.

ties to terror-after getting ZQ and pillaging AQ in Iraq for the last 2wks....ya gotta call that a success. Particularly since more AQ have been killed (or killed themselves) in Iraq than the rest of the world combined since 911

capture of Saddam-We got him

Coalitional Provisional Authority-they did it

Governing Council-said they'd never work together, but they did

elections-worked

elections-worked again

elections-worked even better

formation of govt-too divided, there'll be civil war....nope. Did that too

prevent civil war? Zarqawi, Syria, Al Queda, Iran, and every American and/or Bush hater on the planet tried to make it happen or passively encourage it.....but it didn't; even after the Golden Mosque bombing. Civil War Prevented

Can't train the Iraqis-almost at 270000 and ahead of schedule. Will be at 325000 by April next year/maybe earlier

Sorry, but if US troops come home....it's gonna be in the middle of the 08 campaign, it'll be with victory, it'll be with CLEAR and sustained victory, and it's gonna burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn the dems and the media who all said it couldn't be done. Who all preached that love would prevent Al Queda butchers from cutting up soldiers, flying planes into towers, and so forth.

For too many, 911 didn't change a thing.

[rocketsbrain]

Ray,

I've been plugging your work re this story on several blogs.

RBT

*****

SADDAM'S WMD

For those interested in this story that the MSM has no desire to cover, Ray Robison Blog is a must read. Ray is methodically digging through the treasure trove of the Saddam Regime's seized docs.

These docs are like the Arc of Covenant in the Raiders of the Lost Arc in the first Indiana Jones movies. If you recall the fadeout showing the Arc sitting on some self in a cavernous govt warehouse.

Also General Sada’s book, Saddam’s Secrets, is also a must read.

RBT

[Mark Eichenlaub]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/23/us/23believers.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=0b9eaa24f3bd447f&hp&ex=1151035200&partner=homepage
NYTimes has a piece up on the WMD search.