Thursday, October 28, 2004

Missing Munitions and Muddy Water

President Bush says US troops found no explosives at the Al Qaqaa site when they arrived the day after Baghdad fell. But the unit's commander says that's because they never looked for any. Col Joseph Anderson of the 101st Airborne's Second Brigade says he was never informed that explosives may have been there.

Meanwhile, the Washington Times quotes Deputy Undersecretary of Defense John A. Shaw as saying that he believes Russian troops, working with Iraqi intelligence, "almost certainly" removed the missing munitions.

But Iraqis who live around the site -- and four who work there -- claim Iraqis looted the place after American troops came and left.

If the waters aren't muddy enough for you, ABC News reports that the Iraqis may be overstating just how much explosives are missing. The first reports said 380 tons. ABC says it may be only 141 tons. That's good to know. Now instead of making 760 thousand pound blockbusters, it can only be turned into 282 of them. (NYT, WashTimes, ABC)

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