MiniSky: Thoughts About Everything

I heard a report on Fox News about twenty minutes ago (5 PM Central) that Senator Rick Santorum claims coalition investigators in Iraq found chemical weapons — artillery shells filled with a chemical agent (perhaps sarin nerve agent). The Fox report said Santorum had fought with the Pentagon and White House to get the information declassified. I’d like to see Santorum put his evidence up on the web. Michelle Malkin and her team at Hot Air already had a post up on the story– Hot Air’s post says the artillery shells contained either “degraded mustard” or sarin. I gather the stocks are 1991 (Desert Storm-era) weapons (in other words, left over weapons). I’m not sure that means Saddam had an active chemical weapons program but if this report proves to be true chemical weapons stock would be a violation of UNSCR 687.  Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Captains Quarters has commentary. Santorum must provide more details and put the declassified documents up on the Web. Fox is replaying Rep Pete Hoekstra– he made the announcement with Senator Santorum. Fox’s Brit Hume says the declassified documents say that since 2003 coalition forces have found 500 weapons with degraded mustard or sarin nerve gas.  Fred Barnes said that they are pre-1991 weapons.

Barnes noted Saddam’s chemical weapons program could have been cranked up quickly. That’s correct. Saddam played games with UN inspectors and was playing possum with his nuclear and chemical programs. This is not a large trove of weapons. Artillery rounds are tactical weapons–but nerve gas is still nerve gas and it puzzles me as to why this information took so long to release.

Saddam used WMD and once the Desert Storm sanctions were lifted I believe he intended to reconstitute his programs. To believe otherwise about Saddam is to put you in league with goofs like Michael Moore and George Galloway.  

UPDATE 2: If this pans out the categorical statements that “Iraq did not have Weapons of Mass Destruction” will be political millstones and albatrosses. I suspect KosKidz and the like will note observations like mine that 500 shells is not a large stockpile. It’s not, but that’s consolation only for the most cynical of spinners and superficial of reporters.  I suspect one conspiracy theory we’ll hear is that the shells were planted by the CIA or Pentagon– how long before that crops up?

When it comes to WMD, intent to acquire and use matters. UNSCR 687 and subsequent resolutions gave Saddam very specific guidance and requirements. He violated them in spirit and in fact (in 2003 post-invasion investigators found a handful of modified SCUD missiles violating the requirements).

UPDATE 3: A commenter notes a “wait a minute” from Rawstory. This is why Santorum must put his evidence up on the Web. His claims require evidence. (Thanks for the comment and link.)

UPDATE 4: Michael Ledeen takes me to task:

Austin, if you will read the floor statements by Hoekstra and Santorum you will see that they have read a classified file, of which DNI (Negroponte) declassified a few snippets. Both elected officials said several times that they were very unhappy at the miserly declassification, and they will fight for it all. Your legitimate request for “more information†has to be directed at Negroponte, not at Santorum and Hoekstra.

 

UPDATE 5:Here’s the document from Negroponte. He needs to release more– and provide more details. (See Michael Ledeen’s comment above.) The administration needs to replace its tin media ear and get off its dense duff. 500 shells is small and likely Iran-Iraq or Desert Storm leftovers– but sarin is sarin.

For readers new to this site–In my well-documented view Saddam had to go because (1) our presence in Saudi Arabia was an Al Qaeda recruiting tool; which is intimately tied to (2) our 12 year war against Saddam had to end with victory, if UN resolutions were to have any substance (and his sanctions evading routines, including Oil For Food, were working); (3) tyrannies are the grounds that breed terrorists, and that is especially true in the Middle East; (4) rogue states want WMD– they are the most-likely supplier of WMD to a terror organization, and post-9/11 we had to show tyrants we mean it about stopping WMD proliferation; (5) Iraq, with its water, source of capital (oil), and comparatively well educated and motivated populace is the prime place to affect democratic change in the politically dysfunctional Middle East.