I thought the Iraqi planes went to Iran in 1991 as mass desertion, not a plot by Saddam.
Scott Ritter had a pretty good article pointing out that the shell was probably a dud from a nearby firing range used during the Iran-Iraq war. One way to find out would be to check the fuse and see if it had been fired. Dud rounds have been a source of improvised bombs and booby traps since at least WW2, and probably earlier. This would also explain why they didn't bother to mark the shell.
I love how Dubya's apologists have been crowing about this shell. Talk about grabbing for straws! Bush's henchmen and the assorted war pimps claimed Iraq had thousands of litres of this, thousands of tons of that, drones and long-range missiles that could attack the US and Britain and other assorted bullshit. One shell proves all that true in the mind of the wingnut.
Elfdart wrote:Scott Ritter had a pretty good article pointing out that the shell was probably a dud from a nearby firing range used during the Iran-Iraq war.
Mr. Ritter said that Iraq's Binary munitions before the Gulf War, y'know,
the kind they ADMITTED they had, were mix-before-you-fire.....literally,
some pooor Achmed had to get out and pour the chemicals into the shell
and mix 'em by hand with a stick.
This shell is a pre-packaged binary cell system. Much more advanced
than what Ritter said Iraq had before Gulf War I.
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
MKSheppard wrote:
Mr. Ritter said that Iraq's Binary munitions before the Gulf War, y'know,
the kind they ADMITTED they had, were mix-before-you-fire.....literally,
some pooor Achmed had to get out and pour the chemicals into the shell
and mix 'em by hand with a stick.
This shell is a pre-packaged binary cell system. Much more advanced
than what Ritter said Iraq had before Gulf War I.
That merely proves that the Iraqi's had an active chemical weapons program between then and now. It doesn't validate any of the claims of being able to threaten US and UK interests throughout the world.
M1891/30: A bad day on the range is better then a good day at work.
Cpl Kendall wrote:That merely proves that the Iraqi's had an active chemical weapons program between then and now.
In violation of repeated UN resolutions to NOT have said
chemical weapons programs.
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
MKSheppard wrote:
In violation of repeated UN resolutions to NOT have said
chemical weapons programs.
I have no doubt that Saddam had weapons programs at some point. But what did they do with the vast stockpile of weapons that he supposobly had? And where are these missiles and drones that they where credted with having that could attack the USA and UK interests abroad?
M1891/30: A bad day on the range is better then a good day at work.
Elfdart wrote:I thought the Iraqi planes went to Iran in 1991 as mass desertion, not a plot by Saddam.
Nope, it was an organized plan; some of the aircraft where even escorted to the boarder, with the escorts then turning back to land in Iraq. The coalition did initially think it was just a handful of defections, but when it started seeing formations flying into Iraq it knew otherwise and began taking steps to intercept the aircraft. That wasn't often possibul though because of the range from friendly airbases and short time periods for the intercepts though.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
MKSheppard wrote:In violation of repeated UN resolutions to NOT have said
chemical weapons programs.
There were no UN resolutions incumbent on Iraq to not develop these weapons back in 1988, which is when Iraq admits starting research into binary shells.
(not that anyone gave a shit back then, good buddy buddy that saddam was)
