Press conference didn't undermine al Qaqaa story, it opened new wounds

[troublemaker]

The story is not changed one bit. Zero. Everything the soldier has said is stuff I could have said last night. US soldier oversaw destruction of a bunch of arms--rockets, shells, etc. from al Qaqaa before the videotape was even shot.

The arms were touched off with some stray plastic explosive (RDX from the sound of it) and detonation cord that was lying around. That is the entire story of the press conference. And the events described all took place WHILE THE IAEA BUNKER(S) WERE STILL UN-OPENED!!!

All they proved was that there was plastic explosive in Iraq that was not in the IAEA monitored bunkers. No shit... you think?

The press conference is a scam; a continuation of the strategy of throwing out so much IRRELEVANT information that nobody will be able to follow the story. Every press person in the room knows this press conference is a scam, too.

[Longhorn]

1. They didn't seem very receptive, did they?

And I can't believe all the spinning by people who are supposed to be NON-PARTISAN! Why couldn't the major give a straight answer? At one point, even DeRita had to tell him to say, "I don't know."

You're right -- it was a complete scam!

[annabanana]

don't blame the Major....

He was just saying what he saw........It was the babbler DeRita who was putting words in his mouth...He must have noticed (!) it was going south when he instructed Major Pearson to say "I don't know"

[troublemaker]

2. Rick Francona's not falling for it on MSNBC

[Blue_Roses]

6. yeah, they were even saying there were more questions than

answers!:P backpeddle...lol!

[exliontamer]

3. The term is Monkey Dust

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, ladies and gentlemen..."

[Walt Starr]

4. I can't believe we had real journalists asking real questions!

I was not prepared for that! I thought for sure they had succeeeded in a coverup, then the press grew a spine and asked tough questions!

[Beetwasher]

5. Sounds Like They Just Launched This Story Through The Stratosphere

And guaranteed that the only thing that will talked about from now to Tuesday will be the sloppy, disgraceful and shameful cover up going on...

[cynatnite]

7. Well, then what was the point of the press conference?

They must think we're stupid enough to take that flimsy story :eyes:

It was pathetic.

[Longhorn]

17. Why mess with success, right? n/t

[troublemaker]

22. Why aren't they smart enough to drop it?

The lack of leadership from the top this week has allowed the base to hijack the story, and the Republican base cannot operate without top-down leadership.

[dennis4868]

8. When did the soldier....

say he was there to remove/destroy the explosives? The Minnesota video is from April 18....this makes no sense!

[opihimoimoi]

13. The Bush guys setting Kerry up or are they inept and weaseling

their way out?

[Sparkly]

9. They're just blowing more smoke

trying to obscure the truth by throwing out "maybe's" and "we don't knows" and "possibilities" and "we don't have FACTS."

That assistant to Rummy looked like a used car salesman. What a lame attempt to create confusion.

[derbstyron]

10. The bottom line

Bite the press in the ass and ultimately (finally!) they will bite you back.

[Homerr]

11. Sounds like BushCo awakened the sleeping media giant!

[troublemaker]

12. * * * Get on the Pentagon scam photos >>>

If this has been debunked in any way please speak up, but to my limitied knowledge this link (below) is still valid. This has NOT YET BEEN ON THE NEWS, so go get 'em.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iraq/al_qa_qaa-imagery4.htm

[troublemaker]

19. Has everyone SEEN this SatIntel photo analysis? Why isn't this on the news

Josh Marshall hasn't knocked this down yet, so I'm assuming it's still operative. We need to get this on the news, at least as background.

I don't expect a TV news story about just the photo, but they need to know as background that the photo is bogus so they will say things like, "The pentagon released a sattelite photo of a truck but there are questions about whether it's the right bunker complex.

[troublemaker]

26. Is globalsecurity.org a reputable source?

[troublemaker]

23. Really... if this photo analysis isn't a big deal, why not? Is it faulty?

[rndmprsn]

14. the KTSP video throws a monkey wrench into their carefully prepared....

remarks...trust us and not your own eyes, is now wat they seem to be saying...facts are a bitch sometimes

[Clinton Crusader]

18. It's like the Warren Commission have a verdict, enter Zapruder film!!

:kick:

[rndmprsn]

28. well put

[Clinton Crusader]

15. Sam Shane on MSNBC immed. brought up video

Right away he says soldier there 4/13, video shows IAEA seals intact 4/18.

WHAT a disaster!!!!!!! Even the freepers are freaking!

:kick:

[troublemaker]

20. That timing question is WAY damning. Thank god they're onto it.

[troublemaker]

16. Barbara Starr (CNN) admits there was no useful info in press conference

acknowledges that this is a major POLITICAL story in the pentagon.

And she knows the video is AFTER the press conference story

[troublemaker]

21. KTSP TV reporter is going to be on CNN (I think that's what they said...)

[KharmaTrain]

24. Are We Seeing Infighting In The Evil Empire?

There's no coordination really going on here. This is such a major CYA routine that is turning a bad cover-up into a bad cover-your-ass operation.

This sounds like Rove's been on the phone with the DOD and screaming to get something/anything out there to knock this story down. They tried with the worthless satallite photos last night (weren't those the ones Colin used to snowjob the UN??) and now this mumbo jumbo.

They can't deny the two pertinent facts. There were HMX and RDX at this facility at the time of the invasion and they weren't secured for weeks or months...and most probably were looted. We don't even know if Bremmer did an inventory on this facility so he had a clue of what was there. Sheesh.

Second, we know this regime can't cover this story up and the more they try to downplay it, the worse their ineptness shows. We're not only seeing the wingnut spin machine stuck in the mud, it's choking on it's own spin right now.

Here's kudos to KSTP-TV and Hubbard Broadcasting! Also, I tip the cap to Aaron Brown who did the definitive report on this story last night.

My bets are the more this regime plays with this story, the more it pisses people off in Minnesota who surely will believe their local TV station over a Pentagon shill or Sean Hannity.

[troublemaker]

25. When DiRita said the Major hadn't watched the vidotape there was

a reaction in the room. Subtle, but sort of an intake of air from the press corps.

How could anyone NOT show him the tape to see if it was of bunkers he is familiar with? Because they wanted him to retain PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY. (Watergate never dies.)

[KharmaTrain]

27. Any Which Way But Loose

It's like the goons who trashed F911 and hadn't see it.

This Major looks like he got the short straw...he'd rather be having major dental...than having to be part of this dog & pony show.

Again, the question about what was looted and how bad it is will not be address, and that opens another line of questions that would really send this into hyper-space...what's happened to that Semtex and how many times they can be traced to American deaths.

This story will run beyond the election now.