AP wire on the press conf re explosives in NY Post

[Jersey Devil]

Sounds like no harm from this one. The press conf was a dud, but they did leave themselves open to come back with "more information" as they receive it (meaning, as soon as the ink dries on the docs they will forge).

Soldier Describes Removing Al-Qaqaa Arms

By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An Army unit removed 250 tons of ammunition from the Al-Qaqaa weapons depot in April 2003 and later destroyed it, the company's former commander said. A Pentagon spokesman asserted that some was of the same type as the missing explosives that have become a major issue in the presidential campaign.

But those 250 tons were not located under the seal of the International Atomic Energy Agency - as the missing high-grade explosives had been - and spokesman Larry Di Rita could not definitely say whether they were part of the missing 377 tons.

Maj. Austin Pearson, speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon on Friday, said his team removed 250 tons of TNT, plastic explosives, detonation cords, and white phosporous rounds on April 13, 2003 - 10 days after U.S. forces first reached the Al Qaqaa site.

"I did not see any IAEA seals at any of the locations we went into. I was not looking for that," Pearson said.

http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAQ_WEAPONS?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The Pentagon spokesman there also said: "I can't say RDX that was on the list of IAEA is what the major pulled out. ... We believe that some of the things they were pulling out of there were RDX."

[displacedtexan]

1. Just because you "believe" it doesn't make it true.

"... We believe that some of the things they were pulling out of there were RDX."

[priapis]

2. Dont Worry- SAW NO SEALS.

press conference was meaningless. just more noise trying to muddy the water.

[sandnsea]

3. Did they secure the munitions dumps?

Al Qa Qaa or any of the others? NO. But they secured oil fields. Nothing could be more incompetent than that.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. So they admit that 270 tons of explosives sat there unguarded for 10 days

In the chaos that followed the invasion. And this was just one of many unguarded munitions dumps with that type of material. The stuff under seal though was the most deadly, and they weren't specifically looking for it, and don't remember the seals, and don't know if they took any of it, and we know they didn't take all of it.

If that passes as reassuring God Help us with the bad news.