
POLL: Most Americans don't care if WMD are found or not
Started by
Bobb
, Apr 26 2003 08:24 PM
35 replies to this topic
#1
Posted 26 April 2003 - 08:24 PM
+++
Although the US plans to triple the number of searchers (and says it don't want the UN in Iraq), the article also notes how a poll indicates how most Americans don't really care if WMD are found or not..
+++
Hoping to Speed Iraqi Weapons Hunt, U.S. Plans to Add to Teams
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
WASHINGTON, April 26 — The Bush administration, concerned about the failure to find unconventional weapons in Iraq, is moving to triple the size of the team searching for scientists and for incriminating lethal materials. Some officials are even saying that they are losing hope of finding actual weapons.
Advertisement
Administration officials, some speaking publicly and some on condition of anonymity, insist that they remain entirely confident that evidence of illegal chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs — as opposed to the weapons themselves — will accumulate in coming weeks and months, though perhaps slowly.
But to step up the pace, a military official said, about 1,000 military and scientific personnel will be added in coming weeks to the team trying to interview Iraqis who may have knowledge of Iraqi weapons programs and looking for evidence. Only 500 are doing this job now, with perhaps 150 actually searching and the rest providing backup and support.
"A fairly robust organization is going over there," said a military official. "It will also look for evidence of war crimes, terrorism connections, missing P.O.W.'s — anything it can find that will help get to the weapons of mass destruction."
Some officials say they think the United States should react more positively to the demand by France that United Nations inspectors certify that Iraq is free of unconventional weapons before economic penalties against the country are permanently lifted. Many United Nations members favor a return to Iraq by Hans Blix as an inspection leader as soon as the country is secure. Others say that a couple of hundred more experts, with or without Mr. Blix, cannot hurt and could actually help.
But theirs is a decidedly minority view. Even the State Department, which advocated trying to find the weapons using United Nations inspectors last fall, has no tolerance for asking those inspectors to return.
"Forget it," one official said. "On principle, we don't want the United Nations running around Iraq."
One official, discussing the American plans, said that despite some polls indicating that Americans do not care very much whether the weapons are found, White House officials are pressing the United States Central Command to step up the search for them because of worldwide skepticism that the main American rationale for the war was not proving to be true. "There's just a lot of pressure coming from the White House on this," an administration official said. "But Centcom is pushing back because they have other things to do — like securing the country and guarding its antiquities."
Administration officials and experts say that evidence of Iraq's illegal weapons programs will most likely consist of items like empty shells for chemical or biological weapons, labs that could be used to make arms and so-called precursor chemicals that could be converted to weapons use but could also be used for fertilizers, pesticides and the like.
"People are realizing that Saddam Hussein may not have stored the weapons themselves, in part because when you put chemical or biological agents into weapons, they deteriorate very rapidly," an administration official said. He and others said that if the weapons themselves — the "smoking gun" that has eluded the United States since United Nations inspectors went into Iraq last fall — should not turn up, American experts may be forced to base their case for the existence of weapons programs on fragmentary evidence that could be interpreted in different ways.
"The evidence that we do find will be convincing to most experts, but not necessarily to those predisposed to doubt what we say," said an American official.
Another official said: "It may be that the Iraqis poured toxins into the ground, or scoured out their shells, or never filled their shells. There may be weapons, and there may not be."
"But it will be clear," the official continued, referring to weapons of mass destruction by their initials, "that they were pursuing W.M.D. actively."
+++
Bobb
Although the US plans to triple the number of searchers (and says it don't want the UN in Iraq), the article also notes how a poll indicates how most Americans don't really care if WMD are found or not..
+++
Hoping to Speed Iraqi Weapons Hunt, U.S. Plans to Add to Teams
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
WASHINGTON, April 26 — The Bush administration, concerned about the failure to find unconventional weapons in Iraq, is moving to triple the size of the team searching for scientists and for incriminating lethal materials. Some officials are even saying that they are losing hope of finding actual weapons.
Advertisement
Administration officials, some speaking publicly and some on condition of anonymity, insist that they remain entirely confident that evidence of illegal chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs — as opposed to the weapons themselves — will accumulate in coming weeks and months, though perhaps slowly.
But to step up the pace, a military official said, about 1,000 military and scientific personnel will be added in coming weeks to the team trying to interview Iraqis who may have knowledge of Iraqi weapons programs and looking for evidence. Only 500 are doing this job now, with perhaps 150 actually searching and the rest providing backup and support.
"A fairly robust organization is going over there," said a military official. "It will also look for evidence of war crimes, terrorism connections, missing P.O.W.'s — anything it can find that will help get to the weapons of mass destruction."
Some officials say they think the United States should react more positively to the demand by France that United Nations inspectors certify that Iraq is free of unconventional weapons before economic penalties against the country are permanently lifted. Many United Nations members favor a return to Iraq by Hans Blix as an inspection leader as soon as the country is secure. Others say that a couple of hundred more experts, with or without Mr. Blix, cannot hurt and could actually help.
But theirs is a decidedly minority view. Even the State Department, which advocated trying to find the weapons using United Nations inspectors last fall, has no tolerance for asking those inspectors to return.
"Forget it," one official said. "On principle, we don't want the United Nations running around Iraq."
One official, discussing the American plans, said that despite some polls indicating that Americans do not care very much whether the weapons are found, White House officials are pressing the United States Central Command to step up the search for them because of worldwide skepticism that the main American rationale for the war was not proving to be true. "There's just a lot of pressure coming from the White House on this," an administration official said. "But Centcom is pushing back because they have other things to do — like securing the country and guarding its antiquities."
Administration officials and experts say that evidence of Iraq's illegal weapons programs will most likely consist of items like empty shells for chemical or biological weapons, labs that could be used to make arms and so-called precursor chemicals that could be converted to weapons use but could also be used for fertilizers, pesticides and the like.
"People are realizing that Saddam Hussein may not have stored the weapons themselves, in part because when you put chemical or biological agents into weapons, they deteriorate very rapidly," an administration official said. He and others said that if the weapons themselves — the "smoking gun" that has eluded the United States since United Nations inspectors went into Iraq last fall — should not turn up, American experts may be forced to base their case for the existence of weapons programs on fragmentary evidence that could be interpreted in different ways.
"The evidence that we do find will be convincing to most experts, but not necessarily to those predisposed to doubt what we say," said an American official.
Another official said: "It may be that the Iraqis poured toxins into the ground, or scoured out their shells, or never filled their shells. There may be weapons, and there may not be."
"But it will be clear," the official continued, referring to weapons of mass destruction by their initials, "that they were pursuing W.M.D. actively."
+++
Bobb
#5
Guest__*
Posted 26 April 2003 - 09:37 PM
Actually, I'm fairly certain that the 'average' Americanskij
is very happy that you bombed Iraq.
They see it as payback for the Iraqi assault on Pearl Harbor....
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Bwahahahahahahahahaha
Indrid..Too much..Hahahahahaha
Yet for some strange reason it makes sense. Americans have shown they are ready to believe anything the spews outta those liers in Washington...Owl
is very happy that you bombed Iraq.
They see it as payback for the Iraqi assault on Pearl Harbor....
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Bwahahahahahahahahaha
Indrid..Too much..Hahahahahaha
Yet for some strange reason it makes sense. Americans have shown they are ready to believe anything the spews outta those liers in Washington...Owl
#6
Posted 26 April 2003 - 09:45 PM
... though I never believed that Iraq was a direct threat to the U.S., even with WMDs. In some strange way, I actually hope that they're not found, since loss of credibility when it comes to our intelligence could prevent the administration from developing support for another conflict in the immediate future. No such luck however, when it comes to N.K. since they appear more than happy to accommodate the current administration with an ample supply of fodder to feed a conflict.
It appears that the only good that has come from this invasion is that Saddam Hussein is no more, though it has yet to be determined if the life of the average Iraqi citizen will see a marked improvement over pre-war conditions.
It appears that the only good that has come from this invasion is that Saddam Hussein is no more, though it has yet to be determined if the life of the average Iraqi citizen will see a marked improvement over pre-war conditions.
#7
Posted 26 April 2003 - 10:34 PM
The only direct threat that I see on that list is the Rogue, N. K.. Though, even if they have Nukes as they stated and can reach the continental U.S., only a madman would launch an attack of that nature. The retaliatory response of the U.S. would be a swift, nuclear counterattack. There would be no more N.K..
<Not certain that China would like that very much>
<Not certain that China would like that very much>
#8
Posted 26 April 2003 - 11:43 PM
As an American I can assure you that I see every opinion given on the news. WE ARE FREE! Though I disagree with much of what I see I know what is right. America is a profit based system and therefore news that sells, sells. CNN can say what it wants, I prerfer to watch FOX.
#9
Posted 23 April 2004 - 08:04 PM
You all give way too much credit to the US government. Bush really did think there were WMDs in Iraq. It wasn't some big conspiracy. That's how Sadam wanted to look, as if he did have them. And of course the WMDs may still be in Iraq, or Syria, or Iran. It made Sadam look like he was more powerful than he was, or was willing to be. So he was attacked, and very foolish in that he thought that without Germany, France, and Russia in the coalition the US would not attack. So he paid the price for his subterfuge and posturing.
#11
Posted 23 April 2004 - 10:04 PM
Of corse the zionazi NEO-CON masters of the current RIGHTWINGER imbecille in the White House don't care about the Iraq WMD, or the Iraq "democracy". Like any sellout they are sucking the Sharon's dick while the French f.ck Sharon in the arse as the dumbo try to keep the associate to the EU status of the zionazi kingdom, heh, heh, heh,

#18
Posted 13 February 2005 - 04:29 AM
Actually the Iraqis have found a weapon of mass destruction.
Its called a free vote. It will destroy masses of totalitarian regimes across the Arab world.
Civilized people from around the planet thank you, GW Bush.
50 years from now historians will record that GW was the greatest Prez and Statesman of all time.
Surpassing the great Winston Churchill.
Its called a free vote. It will destroy masses of totalitarian regimes across the Arab world.
Civilized people from around the planet thank you, GW Bush.
50 years from now historians will record that GW was the greatest Prez and Statesman of all time.
Surpassing the great Winston Churchill.
#19
Posted 13 February 2005 - 04:32 AM
Originally posted by TDPushkin
citizens of any empire never cared untill the tent came down and by then they even care less because its none of their business.
TDBank,
But this empire is nothing like we saw before, this is empire where the stronger the Zionazi elite (that controls it) get stronger the more miserable poor people get. This is empire full of self hating whities , full of Christians who are afraid to hand crosses in their schools, this is a paper tiger standing on broken paper legs barely standing. This is empire where the most hated entity in the world- zionazi genocidal lunatics- reign supremE!
Morons will not survive another 20 years, this shit-hole will change into degenerated-brazil kind of country very soon
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users