Blix: no weapons of mass destruction found

[Sauron]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/134634370_webun16.html

Blix: No weapons of mass destruction have been found

By Edith M. Lederer
The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix told the Security Council in a crucial report today his teams have not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but that Saddam Hussein has not accounted for many banned weapons.
Blix’s counterpart, nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei, told the council that inspectors found no evidence Iraq had resumed its nuclear weapons program and said inspectors do not need Iraq’s full cooperation to complete their work.

After the presentations, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said U.N. inspections, which resumed in November after a four-year break, "are producing results" and should continue. His address was greeted with applause, rare for Security Council speeches.

Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said inspections were working and should continue.

 

[Evangelion]

I listened to Blix's speech live tonight, on the BBC World Service.

I was not surprised to hear that there are still some weapons "unaccounted for" - but that's a far cry from saying that Iraq has WMD, isn't it?

Overall, I was impressed by Blix's speech.

 

[Ryder]

Today at 02:38 PM Evangelion said this in Post #2
I was not surprised to hear that there are still some weapons "unaccounted for" - but that's a far cry from saying that Iraq has WMD, isn't it?

What kindof logic is that exactly???? We know Iraq had some scuds and chem warheads but we can't find em (or evidence they were destroyed) so I guess they what? magically dissapeared? They admited to a fair amount of chem &chem-delivery items before, that no-one can find now. What do you think Saddam did, shoot them into the sun?

 

[Evangelion]

Ryder -

What kindof logic is that exactly???? We know Iraq had some scuds and chem warheads but we can't find em (or evidence they were destroyed) so I guess they what? magically dissapeared? They admited to a fair amount of chem &chem-delivery items before, that no-one can find now. What do you think Saddam did, shoot them into the sun?

Read it again.

This time, bear in mind the fact that:

• The delivery system is not the same as the weapon itself.
  
• "Unaccounted for" does not mean the same as "currently possesses."

BTW, Scuds are not WMD.

Did you actually listen to Blix's speech?

Here's an excerpt:

• 
  Many proscribed weapons and items are not accounted for. One must not jump to the conclusion that they exist. However, that possibility is also not excluded.

There's also the fact that if Hussein does still possess them and does intend to use them in the near future, he's just shot himself in the foot because the near future contains a war in which he would be sure to use them!

So he's in a bit of a bind right now.

Observe:

• If he's got them and they're currently operational, he has to decide if he's going to use them in the war with America.
  
• But if he does, he'll be digging his own grave, because the entire international community will know that he was lying, and Bush will have his hide for it!

See the problem?

 

[Ryder]

Interesting, Saddam would really put his foot in his mouth if he did that.

Nevertheless, Saddam had previously admitted to some chemicals, anthrax, etc.. that were not accounted for, those ARE wmd, albeit not nuclear. They were suppossedly destroyed, but there's no evidence the full quantity was eliminated (unless we're on the Iraqi honor system now) So it was alittle more than just delivery systems.

 

[Evangelion]

Fair point. I agree that Iraq has acted in bad faith on Resolution 1414. Blix made this clear in his speech.

But as he also pointed out, "unaccounted for" does not necessarily mean "present but hidden."

If he's hiding it, he's hiding it very, very well - and if he uses it against America, he's buying himself a one-way ticket to Loserville.

In practical terms, therefore, it may as well not exist, because he's unable to use it.

 

[Sauron]

duplicate

 

[Sauron]

Today at 11:38 AM Evangelion said this in Post #2

I listened to Blix's speech live tonight, on the BBC World Service.

I was not surprised to hear that there are still some weapons "unaccounted for" - but that's a far cry from saying that Iraq has WMD, isn't it?

Overall, I was impressed by Blix's speech.

I especially liked the part where Blix told Powell that the satellite recon photos that Powell showed the UN last week might just as easily have been routine military trucks being moved around - not chemical weapons labs.

This hasn't been a good week for US credibility abroad - and then we find out that this whole "Threat Level Orange" nonsense was based on a bogus piece of intelligence in the first place.