Billmon:
So putting atomic bomb plans on the Internet is OK, but releasing official records of visits to the veep’s house is not OK.
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November 3, 2006
WB: Freedom of Information
Comments
So much ado about nothing on either side? Or justifiable activity for both sides depending on what level of hypocrisy you want to take? On the Bushbot side: Okay, so it is proof that Iraq did have plans for making nuclear weapons. The moronic part there is that the Republicans who were so afraid of nukes ARE responsible for other countries have access to this nuclear information. But on the other hand, it seems that it is finally a smoking gun that there was a Nuclear Weapons program in Iraq.
So I guess the loudest of both sides will attack the other for the next two weeks over this…
Meanwhile. Back in reality: the U.S. has over 6,000 active nuclear warheads. Israel has their own illegal nuclear stockpile which they got by ignoring UN sanctions. Is having the technology for nukes, or even building them as a safeguard against your enemies something that the US should be starting wars over? If we hadn’t allowed Israel to do it, would we even be having this conversation? I think that it is ridiculous to believe that a country that might build one nuke would use it to immediately attack a country with 6000 of them. I, for one was and AM against INVADING another country PRE-EMPTIVELY for any reason. Being an oppressor will one day be the downfall of Israel, one day when the US can’t protect them any more. And with the outrageous acts of the current Bush administration, we may be closer to not being able to protect Israel than we have EVER been.
So what’s the point? Malkin and crew finally got their smoking gun. Much good that it does them. Would you rather Saddam had a nuke, right now, or have U.S. bankrupted, overstretched, humiliated and excoriated? Some of us saw how this would end up from the start- for the rest of you : Hindsight is 20/20. (Sigh) I wish.
In the process of reading Billmon’s post I was reminded of an article I read a while back of some atomic scientist (sp) from Iraq who was interviewed post invasion about how the US failed to secure wmd sites and ignored him.
So I entered atom bomb iraq in Google, and was amazed at the propaganda results from googleresults…
News results for atom bomb iraq – View today’s top stories
Govt. Shuts Down Iraq Docs Site Over Bomb Fears – PC Magazine – 4 hours ago
Iran Nuclear Resources
This page contains Iran Nuclear Resources. … Schooling Iran’s atom squad (May 2004) … Iran mulled nuclear bomb in 1988 – BBC (September 29, 2006) …
http://www.parstimes.com/INR.html – 69k – Cached – Similar pages
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Q&A: Iran nuclear stand-off
It says it will not use the technology to make a nuclear bomb. … Iran: Energy overview. CLICKABLE GUIDES. From atom to bomb · Who runs Iran. HAVE YOUR SAY …
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4031603.stm – 56k – Cached – Similar pages
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iran ‘years from nuclear bomb’
Despite unsealing its nuclear facilities, Iran is still a number of years away from producing a nuclear weapon, experts say.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4606356.stm – 45k – Cached – Similar pages
[ More results from news.bbc.co.uk ]
Iran Hands Over Guide to Making Nuclear Bomb Parts – New York Times
Iran gave the UN atomic agency a document whose only use would be in making nuclear weapons parts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/international/europe/31afp-iran.html?ex=1296363600&en=8a9ba06ef336fb43&... – Similar pages
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
When could Iran get the Bomb? Iran faces considerable obstacles were it to pursue nuclear weapons. … Schooling Iran’s atom squad, May 2004 …
http://www.thebulletin.org/ – 30k – Cached – Similar pages
Iran? Iraq?
Posted by: Cloned Poster | Nov 3 2006 20:45 utc | 3
So why, six years ago, did the CIA give the Iranians blueprints to build a bomb? So the officer at CIA headquarters assigned to handle communications with the agency’s spies in Iran probably didn’t think twice when she began her latest download. With a few simple commands, she sent a secret data flow to one of the Iranian agents in the CIA’s spy network. Just as she had done so many times before.
Posted by: Cloned Poster | Nov 3 2006 20:53 utc | 4
Wonder if Cheney’s visitors’ logs have anything to do with Wonkette’s photo of the shredder service truck at Cheney’s house last week? Bet there was all kinds of shredding going on.
I am amused by Rice and some other GOPers trying to give the impression that these bomb papers prove that Saddam was only “one year away from a nuke” just before we invaded Iraq in 2003. Pity the papers date back to before the 1991 Gulf War. But Rice tried to push that today in an interview, and Andrea Mitchell called her on it and reminded her that they are OLD, OLD papers. That’s the meme the Bush Administration is trying to get out today.
Posted by: Ensley | Nov 3 2006 21:47 utc | 5
I genuinely adore Billmon, and this is a very minor nit…but it’s:
A FOOLISH consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Here.
It’s misquoted all the time. It drives me batty. (Okay, okay. Battier.)
Posted by: Arthur Silber | Nov 3 2006 23:37 utc | 6
Fade – The nuclear documents are from before Gulf War I. Everyone knows that Saddam had nuclear ambitions then. There is no proof of activity between Gulf War I and II. 2002 is sometimes quoted, but that is because the documents were acknowledged/released in 2002 as part of the inspections process. These documents are no smoking gun.
I see Ensley already said what I just said. Apologies.
Posted by: Rambuncle | Nov 3 2006 23:46 utc | 8
So I guess if the Dems take congress there in no chance for Cheney’s pet bill the Freedom From Information act seeing the light of day.
Posted by: rapier | Nov 4 2006 2:50 utc | 9
Remember, the Official Secrets Act is there to prevent political embarassment as much as it is there to protect our national security.
Posted by: ralphieboy | Nov 4 2006 21:45 utc | 10