# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/41 "2003-04-12T02:03:11Z")
**5 time champ** , check above. I left out two small words. Just to be clear, I was not in the armed forces. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/42 "2003-04-12T02:05:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by skankweirdall \* > \*\*Poor choice of words, we were still issued draft cards and had to register. As I said I didn’t have to go anywhere, but there were still people there (troops?, support personel? I don’t remember) up 'till 75 and the fall of Saigon. It’s been 30 years and alot of good drugs since then so my memory is probably heavily tainted.😉 \*\* The last draftees were born in '52. There were no American combat troops in Vietnam after 1973. You would remember if you had been drafted. Don’t blame it on the drugs. ---
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/43 "2003-04-12T02:05:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*I meant, “I’ve got a nice crisp $20 bill for anyone willing to wager that WMD WON’T be found in Iraq within the next month”. \*\* Yeah, but is it still Canadian? ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/44 "2003-04-12T02:22:18Z")
Sam, you’re going to have to bump it up a little bit more, because $20 Canadian is enough to, what, buy a soda in the US? Kidding. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/45 "2003-04-12T02:26:51Z")
**Sam Stone** said > [@](#): > > The one caveat I would add is that, since the U.S. claims that there were armed convoys going into Syria in the days leading up to the war, the WMD may have been moved there. In which case, I’ll bet the U.S. comes up with very credible evidence showing exactly where it is, and will come up with plenty of Iraqis involved in the production of WMD since the sanctions were put into place. Sam. I’ll go you one better. Keep your worthless Canadian $20. I don’t need something that small. 🙂 \* I’ll bet you $20 US, that if and when the US goes into Syria that we use the pretext that the **WMD** were moved there. I’ll give you full credit for being the tipster. * * * \*This was not meant to denigrate Canadian posters. You are worth more than the poor Canadian dollar. I am old enough to remember when the Canadian $ was worth $1.09US. ---
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/46 "2003-04-12T02:31:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CBEscapee \* > \*\*The last draftees were born in '52. There were no American combat troops in Vietnam after 1973. You would remember if you had been drafted. Don’t blame it on the drugs. \*\* I corrected my mistake OK? I was not confused about whether I was drafted or not. I was not. I am unclear as to what the Americans that remained in Vietnam until '75 were there for. I just don’t remember. When I wrote out that post I went back and erased parts several times to reword it. I screwed up and didn’t see what I did right away. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/47 "2003-04-12T02:37:50Z")
We shall have to see. I wouldn’t be suprised to learn that a little bit was purposely revealed and the rest hidden. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/48 "2003-04-12T02:38:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > **I’ve got a nice crisp $20 Canadian bill here for anyone who’s willing to wager that we’ll find WMD in Iraq within the next month.** By “find WMD” do you mean a credible threats worth, as implied by the president, or just any old germ-bomb that’s been rusting in the desert since the ceasefire with Iran ? This isn’t just about WMD, it’s about how many there are, and what shape they are in to inflict harm on the American population. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/49 "2003-04-12T02:50:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\* > > Sam. I’ll go you one better. Keep your worthless Canadian $20. I don’t need something that small. 🙂 \*\*\* Better make these jokes while you can: The Canadian dollar is up almost 10% since January 1. I think it’s possible that biological or chemical weapons may be found but hell, I though this country was suppossed to be crawling with them. I’m finding the possibility to be vanishing more each day. The numerous bungles don’t help their credibilty though… there’s nothing wrong with waiting a couple of days to make sure you have it right. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/50 "2003-04-12T03:19:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > **I’ve got a nice crisp $20 Canadian bill here for anyone who’s willing to wager that we’ll find WMD in Iraq within the next month.** Define what will constitute a legitimate find and I may take that bet. Let’s define the term. > [@](#): > > The one caveat I would add is that, since the U.S. claims that there were armed convoys going into Syria in the days leading up to the war, the WMD may have been moved there. Oh, but of course. The donkey can never quite reach the carrot. I suspect the magical mystery WMD tour will continue right up to… November 2004. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/51 "2003-04-12T03:35:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*It IS premature, Scylla:But it’s interesting, nonetheless. \*\* I agree 110% (I just know I wouldn’t offer to buy drinks with that hanging out there.) ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/52 "2003-04-12T03:42:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\*Fox even retracted the story: > > [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83867,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83867,00.html) \*\* It appears to me that a retraction would be a mischaracterization of this story you cite. Fox seems to be doing a fair job at impartiality and presenting an opposing viewpoint to the earlier story which would suggest a **potential** explanation. We willl have to see what it actually is. If the radiation levels presented in the earlier story are correct, I would guess it was something other than what this latter story is supposing. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/53 "2003-04-12T03:47:17Z")
First I wanted to say that (aside from a couple of general “fuck” comments) this is one of the first debates on the war I’ve seen here that hasn’t immediately devolved into a “Peacenik” vs “Warmonger” crapstorm. Seriously, it’s a topic that brings up a lot of strong emotions and this has been handled very maturely. And in the Pit yet 🙂 OK, tongue out of everyone’s ass now. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by skankweirdall \* > \*\* I see nothing wrong with GWB trying to sell this war to the rest of the world or to us in any way that he thought he could. As long as it truly results in the fall of Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people are free to live as they choose. I don’t give a crap about WoMD as I said earlier. The anti-war crowd has already hinted they think the US will plant them. So that has effectively made it a moot point. > Truce? \*\* I have to take issue with some of this. If the President can’t make a convincing case for us to go to war based on Exhibit A (“SH & Co. are nasty brutal SOBs and the Iraqi people will be better with them pushing up the daisies”) then it’s not kosher for him to drag out Exhibit B (“SH has WMD”) when there’s serious doubts about the veracity of B and expect us all to go along with it. Our courts don’t work that way (“OK we couldn’t get him on anything but he’s mean and deserves to be in jail so here’s some trumped-up charge to put him there”) and I really don’t want my government to operate that way either. That’s just dishonest and it gives me a very bad feeling about the trustworthiness of the current administration. I guess that I’m part of the antiwar crowd (because I don’t think that the case has been made that war is necessary, not because of any love for SH or dislike of GWB), and I don’t know anyone who has suggested that the US would plant evidence of WMD to justify the war after the fact. I’m sure that there are some loudmouths saying this but don’t judge everyone by that and the presence or absence of WMD is not a moot point to me or anyone that I know. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/54 "2003-04-12T04:55:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*… If the radiation levels presented in the earlier story are correct, I would guess it was something other than what this latter story is supposing. \*\* [U.S. Urged to Secure Iraq Nuke Complex](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030411/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_iraq_nuclear_find_2) > [@](#): > > …he made it clear that the site is well-known to the nuclear agency, suggesting there was little to document the notion that Saddam Hussein was actively pursuing nuclear weapons there or that the Marines had uncovered anything new. > > **High radiation levels are normal at the site** , “and great care must be taken” when entering storage buildings, the IAEA said. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/55 "2003-04-12T05:17:46Z")
**skank** , I was born the same year as you and I never even registered for the draft. Wasn’t required at all for a while after Vietnam. Read the following: > [@](#): > > It was 1980 when Jimmy Carter began registering 18-year-old men for a possible draft. The Cold War was raging, NATO confronted a numerically superior Warsaw Pact, the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan, Iran was holding Americans hostage, and U.S. confidence was slipping. From [http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-214.html](http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-214.html) ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/56 "2003-04-12T05:28:56Z")
Hasn’t Skank back pedaled enough? He got busted…let him be. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/57 "2003-04-12T05:34:26Z")
I replied because I was really really surprised at that one. I knew I was one of the fortunate few who never even had to register, so for someone from the class of '57 to say that they were drafted was way weird. Back to the OP, long as I’m here: I’m reading an article now that says that the war may have allowed for the dispersal of WMDs if they were in Iraq, or simply for the dispersal of radioactive material even if they weren’t used for weapons. Interesting, and it means the Bushies may have actually caused more harm than good from that POV: > **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/58 "2003-04-12T05:37:47Z")
Here’s one thing that alarms _me_: Iraq has constantly maintained it has no WMDs. Whether or not they actually have any, they at least have them in a sufficiently small amount that no trace of them has yet been found. The US invaded them. North Korea has _definitely_ got WMD. Their leader has been jumping up and down proclaiming the same. The US has done nothing to them. Leading aside questions of justice, doesn’t this send the rather unfortunate message that the best way to prevent a US invasion is to acquire WMD? ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/59 "2003-04-12T05:42:59Z")
This’ll probably only be available for a few more days, so enjoy it while you can: [http://www.uclick.com/client/nyt/tr/2003/03/15/index.html](http://www.uclick.com/client/nyt/tr/2003/03/15/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145/60 "2003-04-12T05:46:47Z")
Like everyone else on this board, I don’t know if WMD will be found or not. Proclaiming at this point that they won’t, however, is jumping the gun just a bit. Here is a [Fox news story](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83840,00.html) quoting a “Senior defence official” > [@](#): > > Special operations teams are also trying to find and test possible weapons materials at 1,000 sites. Senior defense officials said, “The list has grown … and [the teams] have only been through a small number of sites (fewer than 20).” With over 1000 sites to check, it’s unrealistic to expectd pay dirt within the first 2%. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-out-on-a-limb-there-aint-any-wmd-you-stupid-shits/168145.md?page=4)