Kerry Press Release: Lockhart Statement on Reports of Missing Explosives

For Immediate Release
October 25, 2004

Lockhart Statement on Reports of Missing Explosives in Iraq

Washington, DC – Kerry-Edwards Senior Advisor Joe Lockhart issued the following statement on reports of missing explosives in Iraq:

“Today, the Bush administration must answer for what may be the most grave and catastrophic mistake in a tragic series of blunders in Iraq. How did they fail to secure nearly 380 tons of known, deadly explosives despite clear warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so? And why was this information unearthed by reporters -- and was it covered up by our national security officials?

“These explosives can be used to blow up airplanes, level buildings, attack our troops and detonate nuclear weapons. The Bush administration knew where this stockpile was, but took no action to secure the site. They were urgently and specifically informed that terrorists could be helping themselves to the most dangerous explosives bonanza in history, but nothing was done to prevent it from happening.

“This material was monitored and controlled by UN inspectors before the invasion of Iraq. Thanks to the stunning incompetence of the Bush administration, we now have no idea where it is.

“We need to know what the administration knew about this and when. We need to know why they failed to safeguard these explosives and keep them out of the hands of our enemies. The National Security Advisor should be at her desk in Washington tomorrow to work this problem and answer these questions, instead of giving speeches in battleground states.”

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(or the other "new" character in B.C. - it's the one with the mustache)

He, living in a cave on the other side of the "prehistoric world" knows where all the MWDs are.

Forget which character mentioned about Iraq to him, he commented that Iraq found no WMDs, but found millions of MWDs - Massive Weapons of Destruction.

Guess the US forces should ask Johnny Hart . . .

That the "October surprise" is one that *ucks *ush

high-grade explosives is equivalent to 760,000 POUNDS of deadly explosives.

"“This material was monitored and controlled by UN inspectors before the invasion of Iraq. Thanks to the stunning incompetence of the Bush administration, we now have no idea where it is."

BOY! This certainly should provide a lot of ammunition to make the case to support the "WAR TIME" President Bush as the President who will make us feel safer!!





:think: :crazy: :nuke: :crazy: :think: :think: :crazy: :nuke: :crazy: :think: :think: :crazy: :nuke: :crazy: :think: :think: :crazy: :nuke: :crazy: :think:

the only building they guarded was the Oil Ministry.

Reasons for the war?

Dear ,

This morning, The New York Times published a story that offers further proof of how the Bush administration's incompetence and arrogance has endangered the lives of our troops and the American people.

Even before invading Iraq, the Bush administration knew that a huge facility, called Al Qaqaa, contained nearly 380 tons of deadly explosives. Despite the fact that they knew exactly where this facility was and what was there, they took no action to secure or protect the site. Due to the stunning incompetence of the Bush administration and their incomprehensible failure to plan, these explosives have disappeared.

Let me put this in perspective -- the bomb that took down Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland used less than one pound of this same explosive. There were 760,000 pounds at Al Qaqaa.

You can read the article by visiting:


http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/news/news_2004_1025.html

Our troops are the best-trained and best-led forces in the world, and they have been doing their job honorably and bravely. The problem is the commander in chief has not being doing his. George Bush refuses to recognize his failures in Iraq, so he can't fix them and is doomed to repeat them.

Thank you,

Joe Lockhart
Senior Advisor

P.S. Use our online volunteer center to talk to your local media outlets about this story:

http://volunteer.johnkerry.com/speakout/

After being warned about the danger of major stockpiles of explosives in Iraq, this administration failed to guard those stockpiles. This is one of the great blunders of the Bush policy in Iraq. The administration has several key questions to answer:

1.Why did the administration ignore warnings from the IAEA to secure the nearly 380 tons of explosives in Iraq?


2.Did President Bush's failure to listen to General Shinseki and others about the troop levels that would be needed to secure Iraq after the initial military operations contribute to the military's inability to secure the site?


3.How many terrorist bombings in Iraq, Egypt or elsewhere have been carried out using HMX, RDX or PETN explosives since 2002?


4.Who knew what, when? When was the civilian leadership at the Pentagon told about the missing explosives? When did Secretary Rumsfeld learn that the explosives had gone missing? When was the president's National Security Council informed? When was national security advisor Condoleezza Rice briefed on this? When was the president told?


5.What is the chronology of action taken by the Bush administration after being informed that the explosives had gone missing?


6.Has the site been inspected recently?


7.Why did the Bush administration deny the IAEA's request to go back into Iraq to verify the status of the stockpile?


8.What action did Paul Bremer take after reportedly being warned in May 2004 that the explosives had gone missing?


9.In addition to the missing explosives and reports of machine tools that can be used for nuclear and non nuclear purposes, what other sites in Iraq with dangerous material were not adequately protected and subsequently looted?


10.Is there an estimate for the total amount of munitions, weapons and explosives that have gone missing in Iraq?



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