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XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON OCT 25 2004 22:45:05 ET XXXXX

NBCNEWS: HUGE CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ -- AT LEAST 18 MONTHS AGO -- BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED

The NYTIMES urgently reported on Monday in an apprent October Surprise: The Iraqi interim government has warned the United States and international nuclear inspectors that nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives are now missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations.

Jumping on the TIMES exclusive, Dem presidential candidate John Kerry blasted the Bush administration for its failure to "guard those stockpiles."

"This is one of the great blunders of Iraq, one of the great blunders of this administration," Kerry said.

In an election week rush:

**ABCNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 4 Times
**CBSNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 7 Times
**MSNBC Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 37 Times
**CNN Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 50 Times

But tonight, NBCNEWS reported: The 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives were already missing back in April 10, 2003 -- when U.S. troops arrived at the installation south of Baghdad!

An NBCNEWS crew embedded with troops moved in to secure the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility on April 10, 2003, one day after the liberation of Iraq.

According to NBCNEWS, the HMX and RDX explosives were already missing when the American troops arrived.

"The U.S. Army was at the site one day after the liberation and the weapons were already gone," a top Republican blasted from Washington late Monday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors last saw the explosives in January 2003 when they took an inventory and placed fresh seals on the bunkers.

Dem vp hopeful John Edwards blasted Bush for not securing the explosives: "It is reckless and irresponsible to fail to protect and safeguard one of the largest weapons sites in the country. And by either ignoring these mistakes or being clueless about them, George Bush has failed. He has failed as our commander in chief; he has failed as president."

A senior Bush official e-mailed DRUDGE late Monday: "Let me get this straight, are Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards now saying we did not go into Iraq soon enough? We should have invaded and liberated Iraq sooner?"

Top Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart fired back Monday night: "In a shameless attempt to cover up its failure to secure 380 tons of highly explosive material in Iraq, the White House is desperately flailing in an effort to escape blame. Instead of distorting John Kerry’s words, the Bush campaign is now falsely and deliberately twisting the reports of journalists. It is the latest pathetic excuse from an administration that never admits a mistake, no matter how disastrous."

Developing...

-----------------------------------------------------------
Filed By Matt Drudge
Reports are moved when circumstances warrant
http://www.drudgereport.com for updates
(c)DRUDGE REPORT 2004
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Matt, i retitled this thread so it would be better noticed.
Snipe-

I guess the NY Times is coming around to my way of thinking, that is, it was so easy to hide dangerous weapons from an occupying army, what chance did UN inspectors have in finding anything incriminating. If 380 tons of HMX & RDX can disappear, then so can chem-bio and nuclear material. Where do you think they are now John K & Joe L?

THE RAMPTOR ENGINEERING TEAM <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
"Who cares if it works? Does it look good on the ramp?"

_________________
????

Maybe in a Heinz ketchup factory?!

"Live every day like it's the last, 'cause one day you're gonna be right!" Ray Charles (6/10/04 was the day)

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

Stress my problem is if he had the stuff to detonate nukes, how come the inspectors did not destroy it.

Second issue was he going to be allowed to keep it once the sanctions were removed.

The final issue is 60 minutes is showing their bias by getting ready to run this story the night before the election.

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE OCT 26 2004 11:02:38 ET XXXXX

60 MINS PLANNED BUSH MISSING EXPLOSIVES STORY FOR ELECTION EVE

News of missing explosives in Iraq -- first reported in April 2003 -- was being resurrected for a 60 MINUTES election eve broadcast designed to knock the Bush administration into a crises mode.

Jeff Fager, executive producer of the Sunday edition of 60 MINUTES, said in a statement that "our plan was to run the story on October 31."

Elizabeth Jensen at the LOS ANGELES TIMES details on Tuesday how CBS NEWS and 60 MINUTES lost the story [which repackaged previously reported information on a large cache of explosives missing in Iraq, first published and broadcast in 2003].

The story instead debuted in the NYT. The paper slugged the story about missing explosives from April 2003 as "exclusive."

An NBCNEWS crew embedded with troops moved in to secure the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility on April 10, 2003, one day after the liberation of Iraq.

According to NBCNEWS, the explosives were already missing when the American troops arrived.

It is not clear who exactly shopped an election eve repackaging of the missing explosives story.

The LA TIMES claims: The source on the story first went to 60 MINUTES but also expressed interest in working with the NY TIMES... "The tip was received last Wednesday."

CBSNEWS' plan to unleash the story just 24 hours before election day had one senior Bush official outraged.

"Darn, I wanted to see the forged documents to show how this was somehow covered up," the Bush source, who asked not to be named, mocked, recalling last months CBS airing of fraudulent Bush national guard letters.

Developing...

-----------------------------------------------------------
Filed By Matt Drudge
Reports are moved when circumstances warrant
http://www.drudgereport.com for updates
(c)DRUDGE REPORT 2004
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

I was just about to post this.

Good job Matt.

"Molon labe".
Leonidas, King of Sparta,
Thermopylae, 480 B.C.

Bump so that everyone can see this.

"Molon labe".
Leonidas, King of Sparta,
Thermopylae, 480 B.C.

THEIR SHOULD BE A 48 HR BLACKOUT BEFORE AN ELECTION THIS CAN BE SHOWN AFTER NOV2 AND ALONG WITH THAT SINCLAIR RIGHT AGEND POLITICAL AD.

MONEY TALKS,B.S. JUST PILES UP.

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Sinclair already aired their program i think.

Whatever CBS airs about this is an outright lie anyway, the truth is in the Drudge report above, and is confirmed and corroborated by NBC news.

"Molon labe".
Leonidas, King of Sparta,
Thermopylae, 480 B.C.

SEE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO WHAT MEDIA OUTLET YOU WATCH,I WOULDNT TRUST NBC EITHER .
I WATCHED THE NEWS TONITE AND THE CHIEF INSPECTOR FOR WMD'S WE SENT IN WENT "IRAQ AINT NOTHING BUT A HUGE WEAPONS BUNKER" AND HE WASNT GETTING TOO WORKED UP OVER IT."
ACCORDING TO HIM NOBODY CHECKED OUT ANYTHING BECAUSE THE BUNKERS WE'RE SEALED UNTIL 7 WEEKS LATER AND THAT THIS THING AINT NEW NEWS,BEEN KNOWN ABOUT FOR MONTHS.

MONEY TALKS,B.S. JUST PILES UP.

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

Yeah, well the thing is NBCs embedded reporter has stated straight up that he was there, and it is VERIFIABLE. NBC filed a report on it on the 2d day of the war and ran it on MSNBC and NBC news.

The 101st Airborne was the unit that seized this site on the second day of the war, btw. It was empty when they got there.

"Molon labe".
Leonidas, King of Sparta,
Thermopylae, 480 B.C.

Hey Matt, why don't you work for <i>Matt?</i>

<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - tritonal on Oct 26 2004 7:04 PM

me a journalist have too much pride lol, and am definitly not fair and balanced.

CBS= Canned Bull Shit

"Live every day like it's the last, 'cause one day you're gonna be right!" Ray Charles (6/10/04 was the day)

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson