Dems Seek Answers About Federal Web Site Revealing Atomic Weapon Designs

[BigBearJohn]

WASHINGTON -- Four Democratic senators demanded on Saturday that the Bush administration explain its decision to post documents from Saddam Hussein's covert nuclear program on a now-shuttered federal Web site.

The lawmakers told President Bush's director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, that it was "shocking that sensitive documents directly related to the design of a nuclear weapon were made public by the executive branch."

Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, Carl Levin of Michigan, Joe Biden of Delaware and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia also questioned whether political pressure from congressional Republicans played a role.

Negroponte on Thursday suspended public access to the site Thursday night, after The New York Times asked officials whether the site provided too much information on making atomic bombs for an article it published Friday. Negroponte, who had ordered the documents released, also began a review of the consequences, including who accessed the documents.

SOURCE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/04/AR2006110400492_pf.html

[thefool_wa]

1. OMG! Hypocrisy is a dangerous understatement here

Its like the republicans can't see past the end of their nose. Everything from "how do we politically capitalize on 9/11?" to this latest fiasco just proves that no one in the Republican leadership gives a god-damned about anything they claim to stand for, except possibly the pursuit of money and power.

All they want is power, and they will slap themselves in the face to get it. How exactly does one prevent Middle Eastern enemies from acquiring nuclear weapons by publicly posting arabic documents detailing Iraq's plans for their development?

Sure, every two bit country in this world probably has documents on how. And really, how to build one is not the great mystery our leaders would like us to believe. The hardest part is getting the plutonium, and that has been true for decades.

The very idea of giving even the beginnings of a detailed road map to a nuclear weapon, especially in the "language of the enemy", is an affront to everything they claim to stand for. So WTF?

I'm with my supervisor at work, I think for the first time in my life I am jut going to vote for the guy or gal with a "D" by their name on my ballot this year. We need to rid ourselves of them and all their kind.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Don't Worry!!! The Brave Congressional Dems Have Your Back!!!

They'll get to the bottom of this!!!

If this was purely a political game, the guilty will PAY DEARLY FOR THIS. Their prompt and severe punishment will serve as a powerful warning to others who might jeopardize our nation's security for petty politics.

[Straight Shooter]

3. How is "Death Squad" Negroponte going to find out who accessed the documents?

*cough* rhetorical question

[Infinite Hope]

4. Kick. Keep this one fresh! (Email Cafferty) n/t

[swimboy]

5. If only there were some gay linguists in the military!

They could have translated the Arabic so the fucktards in the Bush Administration could know what the hell they were posting on the internets!

[helderheid]

6. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

[bklyncowgirl]

7. Why is this not a major campeign issue?

I would think that the Democrats could ride this horse into the winner circle but on the Sunday shows they avoided the subject like the plague. Am I missing something?

[unpossibles]

8. I think because some are saying that the documents

uphold the Bush story that Iraq had a WMD program. Even though I've yet to hear anyone seriously back that up, or to explain how giving away weapons secrets is somehow better...

[Limelight]

9. Somebody help me on this one...

So.... Exactly how does posting literal blue prints to creating a nuclear/atomic weapon on the web for any moron to see all because you were too damn lazy to read through the stuff before posting help make America secure? I must have missed something...:shrug:

[Duncan]

10. Why is this not on every front page!

And this is irrelevant as far as demonstrating any WMD capabilities. The documents in question are pre 91 and were originally provided to the IAEA back then by Iraq. The IAEA had removed risky atomic bomb technology from them before release. The Bush admin did not. This is so fucking sickening in such a big way that I am amazed to see anyone ignore this, right, left, or middle. It flies in the face of reason. This fact can not be denied: The Republicans responsible for this greatly damaged the security of the US and the world in an effort at political gain. If this was front page as it should be, it would remove even my nagging pessimism that these criminals will keep their majority.

Check Countdown's take:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8WkbHn3gtY