# Going out on a limb. There AIN'T any WMD, you stupid shits. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145 "2003-04-11T23:43:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Hellestal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hellestal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hellestal)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/181 "2003-04-16T12:13:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator _I’m not so sure. It certainly should, no doubt. But there have been any number of weapons-grade bullshit bombs unloaded on the American public. The great “uranium debacle” is only the most recent. The Bushistas simply shrugged thier shoulders and kept on going. They’ll just claim that they’re in Syria, or buried in the desert, or hidden somewhere else and hey! lets see that footage of the statue again._ I’m not simply referring to the perception of the US public, with whom I haven’t had a lot of contact for the last many months. If the Bush administration lied about these WoMD (or was stupid enough to be convinced of the existence of nonexistent WoMD), there will be very negative consequences. My choice of phrasing was strong, but I stand by it. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/182 "2003-04-16T15:48:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\* > > No matter how many times you repeat the obvious truth, it bounces off like popcorn. > > \*\* It’s extremely weird to hear these words coming from you, since you’ve been warding off the kernels since this whole thing began. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/183 "2003-04-16T16:01:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > Maybe all those Kurds were engaged in the well-known ritual of simultaneous asphyxiation and spontaneous esophageal rupture. Happens all the time. And this 15-year-old, pre-inspections, pre-Gulf-War I incident proves what? Will you next use the Blitz as proof that **Stricker van Gogh** is hiding V2’s in his basement in Austria? In any case, my point was that, if WMD were not found, the admin apologists would rationalize it all away, poof. Thanks for providing an example, **Lib**. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/184 "2003-04-16T16:07:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stricker van Gogh \* > \*\*If the Bush administration lied about these WoMD (or was stupid enough to be convinced of the existence of nonexistent WoMD), there will be very negative consequences. > \*\* Very negative consequences, ehh? Well, given the precedent we’ve seen, I would guess that the Shrub Administration will be the ones who get to decide the nature and scope of the consequences. I’m not real hopeful that Shrub will lose the 2004 election as a **direct** result of this adventurism. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/185 "2003-04-16T18:30:47Z")
**Stricker** , could you be more explicit about the “very negative consequences” you think the Bush Administration _will_ face if/when they’re shown to have lied about the weapons? I just don’t see it. Domestically: Many other reasons were given for the war, and there isn’t even serious dispute about the desirability of the one real successful aspect of it, the ending of Saddam’s brutality. Those who bought into the other reasons too will be able to rationalize them away based on that success. It isn’t even necessary for Bush or his supporters in the public to face the falsehood, given their ability to refer either to the limitations of pre-war intelligence or the undeniable assertion that they either were moved to the next target country, or given to terrorists, or are still buried somewhere in the desert. Internationally: Are you referring to the Bush Administration’s credibility, moral as well as intellectual, in world affairs? How much worse could it’s credibility get? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/186 "2003-04-17T03:58:11Z")
Well, not quite a week since I started this. I’ve been busy with my taxes, kids having their tonsils out, kids getting suspended from school, car dying. The usual hum-drum of life. So, what did I miss? Just _what kind of **WoMD** _ did they find? I’m sure I missed it in the papers. [BTW. My nuts have never felt more secure.] ---
**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:** [April 18, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/187 "2003-04-18T17:33:06Z")
What do you guys think about [this?](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/18/nkorea/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/188 "2003-04-18T18:50:04Z")
**World Eater** , I think that we are going to have to go out and kick some more ass somewhere else to get North Korea in line again. Before you know it, all that Iranian good will will be slipping away again, and Israel may not actually withdraw some settlements. Bend over, Syria. We have a message to send. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/189 "2003-04-21T18:21:08Z")
Sort of along the lines of the OP, here’s an [interesting story](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=68&ncid=68&e=3&u=/nyt/20030421/ts_nyt/illicit_arms_kept_till_eve_of_war__an_iraqi_scientist_is_said_to_assert) picked up in Yahoo News from the New York Times: > [@](#): > > WITH THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION, south of Baghdad, Iraq (news - web sites), April 20 A scientist who claims to have worked in Iraq’s chemical weapons program for more than a decade has told an American military team that Iraq destroyed chemical weapons and biological warfare equipment only days before the war began, members of the team said. > They said the scientist led Americans to a supply of material that proved to be the building blocks of illegal weapons, which he claimed to have buried as evidence of Iraq’s illicit weapons programs. > > The scientist also told American weapons experts that Iraq had secretly sent unconventional weapons and technology to Syria, starting in the mid-1990’s, and that more recently Iraq was cooperating with Al Qaeda, the military officials said. > … > > The officials’ account of the scientist’s assertions and the discovery of the buried material, which they described as the most important discovery to date in the hunt for illegal weapons, supports the Bush administration’s charges that Iraq continued to develop those weapons and lied to the United Nations (news - web sites) about it. Finding and destroying illegal weapons was a major justification for the war. > > The officials’ accounts also provided an explanation for why United States forces had not yet turned up banned weapons in Iraq. The failure to find such weapons has become a political issue in Washington. I’m pretty anti-Bush, personally, and I think that the diplomacy leading up to the war was a primer on how _not_ to conduct international affairs, but if there’s anything to this then this may be the smoking gun that the current administration is looking for. I’m also cynical enough to believe that it could also be a deliberate sham, but let’s take it at face value for the time being. Do I get a drink out of this somehow? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/190 "2003-04-21T18:51:01Z")
The face-value of stories about WMD-finds seems to have devalued somewhat, what with the glut of counterfeit items on the market. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/191 "2003-04-21T18:56:15Z")
I saw this in the paper this morning. What surprised me was that it was buried deep inside. If I didn’t read throughly, I would have missed it. It wasn’t touted on CNN’s ‘breaking news’ or MSNBC’s new alert, and I didn’t see it on the CNN broadcast this morning. I wonder whether the news nets are just being cautious about announcing yet-another-WMD-find. Remains to be seen, I suppose. Bob ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/192 "2003-04-21T19:07:27Z")
Should have mentioned. It sounds like this ‘Iraqi scientist’ is reporting exactly what the administration thinks happened. That, alone, should make people suspicious. Bob ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/193 "2003-04-21T19:20:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by urban1z \* > \*\*I saw this in the paper this morning. What surprised me was that it was buried deep inside. If I didn’t read throughly, I would have missed it. It wasn’t touted on CNN’s ‘breaking news’ or MSNBC’s new alert, and I didn’t see it on the CNN broadcast this morning. > > I wonder whether the news nets are just being cautious about announcing yet-another-WMD-find. > > Remains to be seen, I suppose. > > Bob \*\* Don’t know what paper you’re reading, but it’s a NY Times story and was on their front page. Also is on Drudge. While it’s not their top story, there’s a link in the NY Times section at the bottom of CNN’s web page and a link in the MSNBC “The Military Picture” section. Could be that other publications don’t want to advertise that the NYT got a scoop on them. We’ll see what develops when the investigation has run its course. It would not be the first false alarm. However, the NYT has a good reputation for checking its facts, and is not exactly known as a right-wing puppet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/194 "2003-04-21T20:30:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Do I get a drink out of this somehow? **Shib**. If it proves true, I’m buying at the next Ohio dopefest. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/195 "2003-04-21T21:01:07Z")
Don’t worry, **Bat Boy** will find those WMD. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/196 "2003-04-22T01:30:25Z")
I’m interested in hearing the opinions of y’all. GWB will most likely earn the Republican nomination in 2004. If we don’t find WMD and the war turns out to be FUBAR, Bush will lose by margins never seen before. But if he does turn out to be right and Iraq had WMD (deployable or not, in whatever quantity, he can claim victory whichever way) will he have the support of America because he was “right all along” or will we still say he was full of crap and give the Democrats office? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/197 "2003-04-22T02:14:54Z")
Democrats nominate Carrot Top. He wins anyway. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/198 "2003-04-22T02:32:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quack \* > \*\*I’m interested in hearing the opinions of y’all. > GWB will most likely earn the Republican nomination in 2004. If we don’t find WMD and the war turns out to be FUBAR, Bush will lose by margins never seen before. But if he does turn out to be right and Iraq had WMD (deployable or not, in whatever quantity, he can claim victory whichever way) will he have the support of America because he was “right all along” or will we still say he was full of crap and give the Democrats office? \*\* So is that a statement or a question? If it’s the latter, a lot will depend on what ELSE is happening in the next year and a half. If the stock market revives, and economics are at least not too bad, and the gas prices drop (or at least don’t go up), GW is a shoo-in. This puts the Democrats in a real bad place. I’m assuming that they are decent human beings (there are those who would disagree, but let’s not get into that here), they don’t really want their fellow Americans to be out of work, hungry, or taking a big hit to their 401K plan. But the only way they will get elected next time around is if some of that happens. IMHO, even if WMD are not convincingly indentified, the Republicans and many others who think getting SH and the Taliban out of control was a good thing will vote Republican anyway. There are significant numbers of blue-collar Democrats who will feel the same way. It’s only if significant numbers of middle-of-the-road people and Democrats are financially hurting that they will not vote for him. I think the Democrats will have to give it their best shot anyway; recall that after Desert Storm, George Bush had skyrocketing approval ratings, too. Again, just my opinion, but I think Clinton won because more qualified Democrats either did not run to begin with or dropped out along the way, thinking Bush was unbeatable. And then the economy tanked to the point where almost anyone with a pulse could have beaten him. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/199 "2003-04-22T02:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\ ***Shib**. If it proves true, I’m buying at the next Ohio dopefest. \*\* Heck, for that I might have to hie myself out to the Iraqi desert and plant some WoMDs myself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/200 "2003-04-22T03:09:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\ ***Shib**. If it proves true, I’m buying at the next Ohio dopefest. \*\* Heck, for that I might have to hie myself out to the Iraqi desert and plant some WoMDs myself. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145.md?page=11)