AllahPundit is on the trail of this developing story, first discussed by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) in a press conference earlier today earlier today.
CNS (which you should take with a grain of salt) has a write-up of Santorum’s comments:
(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) announced Wednesday the finding of over 500 munitions or weapons of mass destruction, specifically “sarin- and mustard-filled projectiles,” in Iraq.
Reading from unclassified portions of a document developed by the U.S. intelligence community, Santorum said, “Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq’s pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist.”
According to Santorum, “That means in addition to the 500, there are filled and unfilled munitions still believed to exist within the country.”
Reading from the document, Santorum added, “Pre-Gulf War Iraqi chemical weapons could be sold on the Black Market. Use of these weapons by terrorist or insurgent groups would have implications for coalition forces in Iraq. The possibility of use outside of Iraq cannot be ruled out. The most likely munitions remaining are sarin- and mustard-filled projectiles. And I underscore filled.”
Santorum said the “purity of the agents inside the munitions depends on many factors, including the manufacturing process, potential additives and environmental storage conditions.”
While acknowledging that the agents “degrade over time,” the document said that the chemicals “remain hazardous and potentially lethal.”
The media has reported that “insurgents and Iraqi groups” want to “acquire and use chemical weapons,” Santorum noted.
The Pennsylvania senator called the finding “incredibly” significant.
“The idea that, as my colleagues have repeatedly said in this debate on the other side of the aisle, that there are no weapons of mass destruction is in fact false,” Santorum said. “We have found over 500 weapons of mass destruction and in fact have found that there are additional chemical weapons still in the country.”
Explosive stuff (no pun intended).
Austin Bay and Captain Ed have posted most-reads on this story.
As Drudge would say: developing ….
Update I: Transcript of the press conference can be read here (click here for a pdf for the document Santorum discussed.). Others blogging about this: Big Lizards, Michelle Malkin, Jeff Goldstein, Iowa Voice, Right Voices, Blue Crab Boulevard, Patterico, Ed Driscoll, Stop The ACLU, BizzyBlog, SeeDubya at Junkyard Blog, Blogs For Bush, Ace, 4TheLittleGuy, Real Ugly American
Update II: AllahPundit has audio and a recap of Hoekstra and Santorum on Hannity and Colmes earlier tonight. Apparently there was some speculation on the show about why Bush himself never made mention of this news.
Related:
- Even more documents show Saddam targeted US interests
- Documents show more collaboration between AQ and Iraq
- Saddam’s Philippines terror connection
- Batch of pre-war Afghanistan and Iraq documents are released
- Prepare to learn more about Saddam’s WMD intentions
- House Permanent Select Committee to review Saddam recordings
- The Syria/Iraq WMD connection
- Saddam’s #2 air force official: WMDs were moved to Syria
- Confirmed: Iraq was a terrorist training center
- Pentagon briefing docs on Iraq/AQ connection from 2002
- Where did the WMDs go?
- Pre-war Iraq and Syria: closer than we thought
- AQ/SH connections: Must read
- More evidence of OBL/Hussein connections
- Iraq and Al Qaeda: More connections
- No terrorism in Iraq before the war?
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Thanks ST - I too will wait for “the rest of the story”.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 6/21/2006 - 8:17 pm
Reposting comments from another thread:
—–
- Here’s Santorums Press release…
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 8:09 pm
——————————————————————————–
Who was the one/s responsible for classifying this info initially. Or for that matter, declassifying it?
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 8:18 pm
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 6/21/2006 - 8:22 pm
- A question that comes too mind is if Santorum has to twist the DoD’s arm to get just this much released, how many “other” inconvieniant items for the Lefts “cause” are still classified? Would the entire cause celeb of the Lefts “anti-war - no WMD’s - Bush lied” screed come crashing down, if all of it came out? Is this just another big picture wildly “deep cover” Rovian mindhack (self-edited) to set up the Left for an unrecoverable blow to the Democratic body politic in the coming 2 years?
- These, and other equally wonderous mysteries revealed and coming to a voting district near you soon…..
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 8:26 pm
The actual Document …. notice the Distribution list…. No bleating “We weren’t told” from the Pelosi’s and Reids will work this time…..
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 8:35 pm
As always Bang- You are just ahead of me.
I wonder as I said at PW, how long those names listed in the doc, have had that same info in their possession.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 8:50 pm
- Yes…. that would be interesting, although I’m not naive’ enough to think any Democrat will EVER bring up information that hurts the Lefts “defeatist” cause…
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 8:54 pm
- I’ve said it before, although for some reason people don’t take it serious…. The Left know’s that they probably cannot win if the war goes well.
- Typically the party in power with a winning war record stays in power for one or more generations after that…. thats a possible 12 more years out of power the Left is starring at. No wonder they want us to cut and run. So if you convince yourself that their is no realk threat from Islamo-Fascism, which they conveniantly have, then its not unpatriotic to undermine America in Iraq, its just politics. To which I say they’re not only unpatriotic turncoats, but they’re self-serving nitwits too boot.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 9:01 pm
I call it the toothpaste theory, Bang. (This is after all, ST’s site and manners are important, lest ya git the stick!) It must be squeezed out of them.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 9:01 pm
Just finishred watching Hannity & Colmes. Colmes made the Clintonian argument, “These are old weapons, it’s only 500, they were not the weapons we went to war to find, blah blah blah…”
It’s over. And it’s time to Democrats to explain why Feingold, Reid, Pelosi and others Democrats should not be expelled from Congress.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 6/21/2006 - 9:23 pm
The left is already touting the fact that these are pre-1991 WMDs. You should hear Alan Colmes.
We know that these aren’t the stockpiles we were looking for, but I have a strange feeling this isn’t over. Maybe an October surprise…
Comment by keef @ 6/21/2006 - 9:27 pm
I refer you all to a 3/9/06 10:56 PM closing paragraph found in the Open Thread of an ST archive by none other than the beloved BBH.
OT- I saved that segment because of Severians, Cinncinatus explanation.
And you guys didn’t think I paid/payed? attention.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 9:41 pm
- I’m going to thouroughly enjoy watching the Damnmocrats get more and more panicky as the fall elections approach….
- If you caught Suzan Estritch on FOX this morning, she was practically begging and whining for Ann Coulter to stop….What got her knickers in a bumch was when Ann responded to a question about the Left trying so hard to downplay the killing of Zarqawi…
- Ann said: “Well sure the Left says well the al Qaeda number 3 man will now move up to number 1, and number 24 will move up to number 5…. but what they left out is Howard Dean will move up to number 58″….
- That really sent Estritch into fits of angst… *snort*
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 9:46 pm
I love the left. Always keep us in reality. What they forget to realize is, where there are 500, there are 1000. But in their reality, that just can’t be true.
Hey Kathy???? I could of sworn you said there were “NO WMDs” in Iraq. Guess you were wrong again. - Lorica
Comment by Lorica @ 6/21/2006 - 10:00 pm
Not to split hairs Bang, but I thought it was 48 she said. He blew past the fifties long ago. Estrich was dumbstruck, in a staggering display of an ongoing brainfart spasm.
I saw the vid and am impressed at how quick this stuff gets on the net. I didn’t know that was from today.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 10:03 pm
Don’t say the K word Lorica. It’s resting up for another run at reality. Let it do what it does best, sleep while the world turns round…..
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 10:08 pm
Much of their frustration comes from only seeing what the MSM broadcasts…a lot comes from knowing that the enemy needs to be killed in numbers high enough to persuade those left to surrender. I’m afraid I have to agree…let the Left, the UN, Human Rights Watch, etc. debate it after it’s over. We need to win this as soon as possible.
Comment by Charlie @ 6/21/2006 - 11:19 pm
Charlie: I read, actually misread the part where you said “…the enemy needs to be killed in numbers high enough to persuade those left to surrender.” I read it as, the enemy needs to be killed in numbers high enough to persuade those on the left to surrender. Either way, I agree with your/their assessment.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/21/2006 - 11:34 pm
Charlie! Good to see ya here, my friend
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 6/21/2006 - 11:42 pm
You have to hear the comments to actually get the full effect, especially Boxer and her cut and run mantra immediately following Santorum. It is obvious that what he had just said either went over her head, or she was in some sort of fog prior to her remarks and just didn’t hear him.
Comment by Tran Sient @ 6/21/2006 - 11:47 pm
- One of these fine days, hopefully when its too late to matter anymore, the Left is going to finally realize what a collossul blunder it made when it decided to “Nam-inize” the Iraqi war. The mother of all political mistakes.
- Until that happens, all I can say is only a Liberal would be arrogant enough to think that running on a defeatist anti-American platform of “cut and run”, just like we did in Viet Nam, will ever get them elected.
- Not that there’s anything wrong with that…. at least from our sides POV…. -
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/22/2006 - 12:21 am
The most disturbing aspects for the dhimmicrowd is in the last line from the General. “It’s not helping the unity of the country” and I believe that they know that but could care less. Further indications of their hate driven BDS and the main reason for why they should be treated as the traitors they are and summarily hung or shot from atop their soapbox.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/22/2006 - 12:51 am
(to forrest hunter)
re: “…enemy killed in numbers large enough for “those left” to surrender…well, if the Left surrenders also???
No one wants murder or genocide-but this is, indeed war and there will be a winner. I wish it to be us.
Comment by Charlie @ 6/22/2006 - 8:49 am
Hello Zee!
Comment by Charlie @ 6/22/2006 - 8:49 am
…checking quickly before running off to work-seems that Fox is the only MSM outlet reporting…I did hear part of the Santorum interview on Hugh Hewitt yesterday…As with others, I predict the response will be “old munitions, old technology-mustard gas, so what?…and they will still say Bush lied (it’s a mantra).
Comment by Charlie @ 6/22/2006 - 8:57 am
- The new progressive “echo chamber” mantra will be:
“Bush knew all along and lied to us so we made fools of ourselves, the rat!” (and its obviously a grand plan of the Evil Rove…”
“The Progressive Iraq Plan” = Millions of yards of Linen (Linin?) sheets for diapers, and white flags…. RETREAT!
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 6/22/2006 - 11:38 am