Explosives stockpile looted in Iraq, U.N. confirms
VIENNA, Austria - Several hundred tons of conventional explosives were looted from a former Iraqi military facility that once played a key role in Saddam Hussein's efforts to build a nuclear bomb, the U.N. nuclear agency told the Security Council on Monday.
A ``lack of security'' resulted in the loss of 377 tons of high explosives from the sprawling Al-Qaqaa military installation about 30 miles south of Baghdad, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said.
The IAEA fears ``that these explosives could have fallen into the wrong hands,'' said spokeswoman Melissa Fleming.[continued]
http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5049693.htmlAt the Pentagon, an official who monitors developments in Iraq said U.S.-led coalition troops had searched Al-Qaqaa in the immediate aftermath of the March 2003 invasion and confirmed that the explosives, under IAEA seal since 1991, were intact. Thereafter, the site was not secured by U.S. forces, the official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Iraqis told the nuclear agency the materials were stolen and looted because of a lack of security at governmental installations, Fleming said.
``We do not know what happened to the explosives or when they were looted,'' she told AP.
A European diplomat familiar with the disappearance of the explosives said their presence was widely known.
The Associated Press drove past the compound Monday and saw no visible security at the gates of the site, a jumble of low-slung, yellow storage buildings that appeared deserted.
Iraq's interim government warned the United States and U.N. nuclear inspectors earlier this month that the explosives had vanished.
``Upon receiving the declaration on Oct. 10, we first took measures to authenticate it,'' Fleming said. ``Then on Oct. 15, we informed the multinational forces through the U.S. government with the request for it to take any appropriate action in cooperation with Iraq's interim government.
Bush's national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, was informed after Oct. 15, and then she notified Bush, the White House said.
CNN) -- The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 380 tons of powerful explosives from a storage depot in Iraq has taken a new twist, after a network embedded with the U.S. military during the invasion of Iraq reported that the material had already vanished by the time American troops arrived.
The relocation and consumption of some dual use materials has been among the questions raised in connection with Iraq's backlog of semi-annual declarations. The high explosive "HMX" is a prime example of such material. The removal of Agency seals on the HMX and the declared relocation and consumption of some of the HMX must be explained and documented by Iraq before the Agency can reach a conclusion with regard to the use of such material. The Iraqi declarations indicate that out, of the 228 tonnes of HMX available in Iraq at the end of 1998, 196 remained at the facility where the HMX was previously under IAEA seal. Iraq also declared that it had blended the remaining 32 tonnes with sulphur and turned them into 45.6 tonnes of "industrial explosive" provided mainly to cement plants for mining. The material balance, current stock, whereabouts and final use of such material are currently being investigated.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041028/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_weapons_iaea_5Vienna, Austria - The U.N. nuclear agency said Thursday it warned the United States about the vulnerability of explosives stored at Iraq's Al-Qaqaa military installation after another facility - Iraq's main nuclear complex - was looted in April 2003.
Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Associated Press that U.S. officials were cautioned directly about what was stored at Al-Qaqaa, the main high explosives facility in Iraq.
Some 377 tons of high explosives - HMX and RMX and PETN - are now missing from the facility, and questions have arisen about what the United States knew about Al-Qaqaa and what it did to secure the site.
Iraqi officials say the materials were taken amid looting sometime after the fall of Baghdad to U.S. forces on April 9, 2003, though the Pentagon is suggesting the ordnance could have been moved before the United States invaded on March 20, 2003. [continued]
http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S3723.html?cat=1 [with video]...During that trip, members of the 101st Airborne Division showed the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS news crew bunker after bunker of material labelled "explosives." Usually it took just the snap of a bolt cutter to get into the bunkers and see the material identified by the 101st as detonation cords.[continued]
Some examples of disasters that occurred during the Bush administration include Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq War, and the 2008 financial crisis.
The Bush administration faced criticism for its response to Hurricane Katrina, with many citing a lack of preparation and slow response time. In terms of the Iraq War, the administration faced backlash for the decision to invade and the handling of the aftermath. During the financial crisis, the administration implemented a controversial bailout plan.
The long-term effects of these disasters were significant. Hurricane Katrina resulted in loss of life and widespread destruction, and the slow response from the administration led to a decline in public trust. The Iraq War had a lasting impact on both American and Iraqi lives and the region as a whole. The 2008 financial crisis had a global impact and resulted in a prolonged recession.
The response to these disasters has been a topic of debate and criticism towards the leadership of the Bush administration. Many argue that the slow response and lack of effective solutions show a lack of effective leadership and decision-making.
Some lessons that can be learned from these disasters include the importance of preparedness and quick response in the face of natural disasters, the potential consequences of military intervention, and the need for strong regulations and oversight in the financial sector to prevent another crisis.