NYT: Trailers made weather baloons
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/09/in...al/09WEAP.html
I distinctly remember Bush saying "We found WMD" refering to these trailers.
The NYT story cities internal US sources instead of British scientists like previous Guardian stories. I guess it's CONFIRMED that these are not WMD trailers.
Quote:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 ? Engineering experts from the Defense Intelligence Agency have come to believe that the most likely use for two mysterious trailers found in Iraq was to produce hydrogen for weather balloons rather than to make biological weapons, government officials say.
....
The Bush administration has said the two trailers are evidence that Saddam Hussein was hiding a program for biological warfare. In the white paper made public in May, it detailed its case even while conceding discrepancies in the evidence and a lack of hard proof.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 ? Engineering experts from the Defense Intelligence Agency have come to believe that the most likely use for two mysterious trailers found in Iraq was to produce hydrogen for weather balloons rather than to make biological weapons, government officials say.
....
The Bush administration has said the two trailers are evidence that Saddam Hussein was hiding a program for biological warfare. In the white paper made public in May, it detailed its case even while conceding discrepancies in the evidence and a lack of hard proof.
I distinctly remember Bush saying "We found WMD" refering to these trailers.

The NYT story cities internal US sources instead of British scientists like previous Guardian stories. I guess it's CONFIRMED that these are not WMD trailers.
Comments
Fox News, MSNBC, Rush Limbaugh and the other numerous media sources that drop to their knees on demand by the administration have already informed the US public with the voice of presidential authority that "weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq". The *genuine* facts or truth eventually become available, often months later, but it is first impressions that leave the strongest imprint. Once the initial damage is done and the lies have been told, then anything that follows is of little consequence, even if it was Defense Intelligence Agency engineers who did the analysis on the trailers. Opinion polls have found that over 60% of the American public believe that WMD have been found in Iraq...because the president told (aka lied) to us so, and it was dutifully emblazoned all over the US media. A majority of people still believe we went to war in Iraq because "they did 9-11".
This administration, (with the help of the rightwing controlled-and-owned 6 biggest media conglomerates which control 90% of what Americans see, hear and read), are the unchallenged masters of Orwellian doublespeak. Not only that but they are helped along by the unquestioning obedience of so many who are scared to speak out for fear of being tainted as "unpatriotic" or "anti-American" or even being placed on a "no-fly" list because they speak out against the Bush administration. ...on which thousands are now listed. The "freedom of speech and assembly" part of the First Amendment is now null and void. But you won't hear about it on Fox News.
"Rope-a-Dope in America"...the new game show.
Like this.
Former international weapons inspector David Kay, now seeking Iraqi weapons of mass destruction for the Pentagon, has privately reported successes that are planned to be revealed to the public in mid-September.
Kay has told his superiors he has found substantial evidence of biological weapons in Iraq, plus considerable missile development. He has been less successful in locating chemical weapons, and has not yet begun a substantial effort to locate progress toward nuclear arms.
Senior officials in the Bush administration believe Kay's weapons discoveries should have been revealed as they were made. However, a decision, approved by President Bush, was made to wait until more was discovered and then announce it -- probably in September.
This is a slightly different tactic than what they had been doing - announce that they had found them, and then quietly retract it later.