# $600 million to search for WMD- lets cede the point and save some money **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 16, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780 "2003-10-16T14:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/1 "2003-10-16T14:05:15Z")
This WMD shit has been going on long enough. I say lets send an e-mail to Bush saying that we believe him and he can quit looking. It will make him feel better and we’ll save a lot of money. We are going to need the money for the rebuilding and our national debt etc., and, what’s wrong with making our president feel better. A letter to our hometown newspapers encouraging others to do the same (send Bush an e-mail) would also be good. Maybe somebody can work up a form letter of some kind? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/2 "2003-10-16T14:14:13Z")
The point of finding them is not to win an arguement. It’s to remove them as a potential threat. They may exist. They might not. The fact they’ve not been found yet doesn’t mean they’re definately not there, it just raises the probability. But we won’t know until a thorough search has been completed. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/3 "2003-10-16T15:26:16Z")
Not going to happen. Actually finding something would be a chance for him to pull his ass out of the hole he’s dug himself into and it’s coming very close to election season. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/4 "2003-10-16T16:03:01Z")
Is there a limit on how much of Americans hard earned tax dollars Shrub is going to spend to try to ensure his re-election? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/5 "2003-10-16T16:25:44Z")
Wait, WMD may yet exist. I heard they might have found a single granade from 1965 that was dipped in Windex. Run for your lives!!! ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/6 "2003-10-16T16:43:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*They may exist. They might not. The fact they’ve not been found yet doesn’t mean they’re definately not there, it just raises the probability. But we won’t know until a thorough search has been completed. \*\* I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that the statement, “They may exist,” is just not supported by the facts. At this point, I’d say there’s virtually no chance whatsoever that any significant quantities of viable WMD will ever be found (I’m qualifying that to cover the possibility of finding some old, rusty artillery shells that show some traces of, say, chemical agents, in an abandoned warehouse). And what is a “thorough search?” Do we have to dig up every square inch of the Iraqi desert? At this stage of the game, between the U.N. inspectors (pre-war), coalition forces (post-war), and substantial rewards being offered to Iraqis who point us in the right direction, if there _were_ anything to be found, it would have _been_ found, and would have been all over the front pages of every newspaper in the world by now. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/7 "2003-10-16T16:52:10Z")
Look at how much remains hidden to this day. We haven’t found their very recognizable ex-leader yet. Haven’t found a number of the Deck of 55 or whatever the list was called. Ammunition caches are rampant. There’s a lot that we can’t do search wise until the ongoing hostilities have ended. I don’t place much hope in finding anything either but when we quit looking I’d like for it to be because we’re sure. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/8 "2003-10-16T16:52:25Z")
Hope springs eternal… [Here, for instance is Charles Krauthammer’s column on the search for WMDs from October 10 (printed in the _Des Moines Register_ yesterday](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6320-2003Oct9.html/). In it he makes some astounding assertions the most salient of which is that Saddam down scaled all his unconventional weapons stuff to the **potential** to have unconventional arms when and if nobody was looking. Kaye’s public reports and comments also seem to point at circumstances that imply a possible potential to have WMDs some time in the indefinite future. As others, especially **elucidator** noted we would, the talk is no longer that Iraq was a clear and present danger to the United States but that Iraq had the speculative possibility of someday becoming a potential danger that might rise to the level of becoming imminent. Sure, spend the money. Otherwise we would do something stupid with it. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/9 "2003-10-16T17:14:30Z")
Oh we are _really_ having this discussion? Silly me. Look you poindexters, there ain’t no _viable_ WMD, they lied to us. Those scumbags in the White House had an itch to scratch, so they used 9/11 and some seriously trumped up charges to lead us to a bullshit war that will seriously come back and bite us in the ass one day. Wasn’t Colin Powell sitting at the UN pointing at actual buildings saying “THIS IS WHERE THE CHEMICAL PLANT IS”???" Were have all this intel ahead of going in, yet we’ve been boots on the ground for 6 months and we ain’t found shit. Oh he hid them? I got news for you people, weapons to kill people and the factories that make said weapons are big! You don’t slip a missile, a launcher, and the factory that makes both under the carpet in an hour. You especially don’t do it when you have one of the most advanced intel agencies monitoring you 24/7. So we are being told that we knew where the shit is (like we did at the UN) and once the war started, poof, it could be 900 miles across the desert under 100 feet of sand?!?! We didn’t see any of the shit moving? We didn’t see them digging a big ass hole? 😃 Don’t give me the Saddam is gone, they are better off bullshit, that is classic bait and switch. We supposedly went in for WMD, anything less is a lie. Vote these clowns out in 2004!! ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/10 "2003-10-16T18:03:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > [ **potential** to have unconventional arms when and if nobody was looking. Kaye’s public reports and comments also seem to point at circumstances that imply a possible potential to have WMDs some time in the indefinite future. > > As others, especially **elucidator** noted we would, the talk is no longer that Iraq was a clear and present danger to the United States but that Iraq had the speculative possibility of someday becoming a potential danger that might rise to the level of becoming imminent. > > Sure, spend the money. Otherwise we would do something stupid with it. \*\* Unless they could develop, test and lauch these weapons in 45 minutes, the Bush Administration are completel dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/11 "2003-10-16T18:25:40Z")
When I saw this: \*\* > [@](#): > > $600 million to search fro WMD- lets cede the point and save some money\*\* I thought we’d agree ::gasp!:: on something for once. Then i saw this: > [@](#): > > I say lets send an e-mail to Bush saying that we believe him and he can quit looking. Why? I don’t believe him. We CAN stop looking and save some money, because it’s been nothing more and a frivolous waste of cash. Even AirmanDoors is ready to cede the point, almost… > [@](#): > > It will make him feel better and we’ll save a lot of money. WTF? Who cares how he feels. This isn’t about “warm fuzzies”, it’s about lies, bullshit and death. Sam ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/12 "2003-10-16T18:30:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > This WMD shit has been going on long enough. I say lets send an e-mail to Bush saying that we believe him and he can quit looking. It will make him feel better and we’ll save a lot of money. The problem is that this establishes a precedent, that Bush and his neocon groupies can throw out any _other_ bullstuff for any _other_ “military action,” and the public will buy it and back it. Within six months, we’ll be hearing about how Venezuela’s a new al Qaeda haven, and we must invade them before Osama bin Laden gets a hold of all that precious oil… Sorry, no way, no how, not again. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/13 "2003-10-16T18:44:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*The problem is that this establishes a precedent, that Bush and his neocon groupies can throw out any _other_ bullstuff for any _other_ “military action,” and the public will buy it and back it. Within six months, we’ll be hearing about how Venezuela’s a new al Qaeda haven, and we must invade them before Osama bin Laden gets a hold of all that precious oil… > \*\* This won’t happen if _we vote these fucks out_!!! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/14 "2003-10-16T19:05:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaWd \* > Why? I don’t believe him. We CAN stop looking and save some money, because it’s been nothing more and a frivolous waste of cash. The capacity of this crew to lie and mislead is pretty damned impressive. Didn’t Bush run partly on bringing honor and integrity back to the White House? Guess all ‘integrity’ means to this crew is that, as long as you aren’t cheating on your spouse, you can lie as much as you want about matters of state. We’re right through the frickin’ looking glass here. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/15 "2003-10-16T19:17:35Z")
**Brutus, Scylla, et.al.** , where are you? Don’t let all us America haters sit around and have a liberal mutual masturbation session here (as good as it might be for the prostate) without your contribution. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/16 "2003-10-16T20:57:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Even AirmanDoors is ready to cede the point, almost… That should probably say, “Even **Scylla** is ready to cede the point, almost…” But my memory is failing me and I cannot recall. Sam ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/17 "2003-10-16T22:01:47Z")
Well, I guess this means that the form letter to the hometown newspapers isn’t going to be done either? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/18 "2003-10-16T22:32:39Z")
channelling…channelling… Somebody has to speak up against you Bash-bushers and your plot to undermine America! Don’t you ever think about how all this affects our brave troops overseas? Well, go look at that recent poll, if you want to see how all this backstabbing and bitebacking and whinging is affecting them! I guess we all know who’s to blame for that! Spawn of Fonda! I mean, its a big country, big as California. And full of sand! Now, The Leader has said that there are tons of biological agents hidden in Iraq. But he didn’t say they were all in one place, now did he? Ha! Got you there! You know how small an anthrax germ is? Well, I don’t either, but its damn small! You take a couple of tons of them and start hiding them one at a time in the desert, and they’re going to be pretty hard to find, aren’t they? But, oh no, you guys insist that just because we knew they were there, we should have known where they were there. The $600 million is for spoons and strainers. This is going to be a _thorough_ search. Going to take a while. But sooner or later they’ll find an anthrax spoor or a botulinum texan or a VX nerve cell and then you guys will have to eat some crow! Rummy says they’re north and west of Baghdad, that’ll narrow it down some. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/19 "2003-10-16T22:44:28Z")
well they **did** find that vial of stuff in that one guys’ frig. Let them start looking in the frig’s of college boys. Betcha they’d find 'em all **there**. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780/20 "2003-10-16T23:02:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*This won’t happen if _we vote these fucks out_!!! \*\* Way ahead of ya, chief! (GASP! Questioning the Commander in Chief? we’re traitors!) Even the conservatives should be mad at Bush and Co., since they got used. I was at least dragged kicking and screaming into attacking another country. (and don’t anyone DARE presume that means i want our boys to die once they are there) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/600-million-to-search-for-wmd-lets-cede-the-point-and-save-some-money/207780.md?page=2)