# IAEA in Iraq again. US blew nuclear containment. Serious shit. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 8, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375 "2003-06-08T01:01:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/41 "2003-06-09T03:23:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary Kumquat \* > \*\*You know what happens next. Either he: > > 1. Blatantly misinterprets another poster > 2. Post as cite an article from a blog > 3. Writes a very poor poem > 4. Tries to somehow blame it all on the EU/UN/any other organisation he dislikes > 5. Tries to change subject > \*\* December seems absent. Therefore, 1. Why do you support communism? 2. Some people have it [right](http://edifyingspectacle.org/sexuality/blog/). 3. Cite me, bite me 4. The UN is doing nothing about the Congo 5. Should we invade Belgium? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/42 "2003-06-09T04:06:51Z")
This whole incident doesn’t speak very highly for the education level of those around Tuwaitha. I am reasonably close to Fermi II; I will not be making control-rod macrame any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/43 "2003-06-09T04:14:30Z")
December, defeating Saddam did not require leaving radioactive waste unsecured, and children consuming the radioactive waste did nothing to aid in the war effort. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/44 "2003-06-09T04:17:34Z")
**Brutus** said > [@](#): > > This whole incident doesn’t speak very highly for the education level of those around Tuwaitha Does it speak any more highly of the education level of the people in the US who are responsible for this? On the other hand, you’re right. And after those kids eat enough contaminated foodstuffs or drink enough contaminated water, then they’ll be right down there at the bottom of the educational ladder. Where they belong. Stupid ragheads. Fuckwit!:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/45 "2003-06-09T04:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > **…Stupid ragheads.** Two observations: 1. Why do liberals feel the need to use so many racial perjoratives? Do you think you are being clever? 2. They certainly weren’t smart ragheads! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/46 "2003-06-09T05:09:36Z")
Brutus. > [@](#): > > 1. Why do liberals feel the need to use so many racial perjoratives? Do you think you are being clever? “Fuckwit” in no way was meant as a “racial” perjorative. I have no idea of your dna. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/47 "2003-06-09T05:19:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\*I have no idea of your dna. \*\* No? I’d be willing to [hazard a guess](http://www-dsv.cea.fr/thema/bbsi/vengl/tadict.htm). ---
**Author:** ![And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df788c/32.png) [@And\_that\_s\_the\_bottom\_line](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/And_that_s_the_bottom_line)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/48 "2003-06-09T05:35:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary Kumquat \* > \*\*Can I just ask why any of you even bother to argue with December any more? > > There is absolutely nothing you can say that will for one second make him look at events in an unbiased manner. Not a thing. > > You know what happens next. Either he: > > 1. Blatantly misinterprets another poster > 2. Post as cite an article from a blog > 3. Writes a very poor poem > 4. Tries to somehow blame it all on the EU/UN/any other organisation he dislikes > 5. Tries to change subject > > Or any of a large number of tactics he does to avoid facing some fairly obvious conclusions. He’s just not worth the bother. \*\* I particularly love the asanine opinion pieces he uses as cites. I find them absolutely hilarious. God forbid he use something even remotely reliable as a source. I usually read **December’s** posts when I need a good laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse671](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Eclipse671](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse671)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/49 "2003-06-09T06:07:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FranticMad \* > \*\*4) The UN is doing nothing about the Congo > \*\* The UN has had peacekeeping troops in the Congo since 2000, you just probably haven’t heard about it because none of them are American. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/50 "2003-06-09T13:04:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eclipse671 \* > \*\*The UN has had peacekeeping troops in the Congo since 2000, you just probably haven’t heard about it because none of them are American. \*\* Reasoned opinion! Facts! Ugh… makes… december-brain… confused {{smoke}} ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/51 "2003-06-09T13:22:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eclipse671 \* > \*\*The UN has had peacekeeping troops in the Congo since 2000, you just probably haven’t heard about it because none of them are American. \*\* And what a great [job](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/05/22/congo.un.pygmy.ap/index.html) they are doing! ---
**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:** [June 9, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/52 "2003-06-09T15:07:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > **december** is the reason I will never vote Republican. You know, **December** … perhaps you should post more often. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/53 "2003-06-09T15:19:08Z")
Hey now, this doesn’t need to be a pile-on **december** thread. I understand how folks feel about his opinions and his speaking, but it’s not exactly the OP, now is it? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/54 "2003-06-09T15:30:17Z")
Something’s missing here… How about the morons who stole barrels FROM A NUCLEAR FACILITY AND PUT FOOD AND WATER IN THEM?! I mean, I guess the site had been neglected for four years, but a) Were there no signs left saying what was stored in there? No ‘Keep Out’, Radiation’ signs? b) The barrels were completely unlabeled in any way? The Iraqis aren’t that illiterate. c) Anybody who lived around there who remembered that they were living next to FUCKIN’ TUWAITHA! I mean, I know the regime was secretive but it wasn’t like people couldn’t notice that the place was ringed with guards and barbed wire and stuff and signs saying DANGER? Did people really not know that it was a nuke facility? How could you walk in, empty out the “brown mud” that was in the barrels, and put water for your kids in them? Look, it does look like this was a fuckup, but what did the site _look_ like? Even though it wasn’t weapons-related, was there any sign the stuff in the barrels wasn’t deadly? How much can the Army protect people from doing something so suicidal?? I’m angry for the children, but I’m missing too much basic info here to form a judgement about what America did or didn’t do. Iraq isn’t Afghanistan and these people weren’t stupid illiterate peasants–why did they do what they did? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/55 "2003-06-09T15:44:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \* > \*\*I’m angry for the children, but I’m missing too much basic info here to form a judgement about what America did or didn’t do. Iraq isn’t Afghanistan and these people weren’t stupid illiterate peasants–why did they do what they did? \*\* Yes, you are missing too much basic info. One day it was guarded, the next day it wasn’t. Couple of weeks later it was guarded again. It would not be acceptable in the U.S. to put radioactive waste in an unguarded building with a sign on the front saying “Danger: Radioactive Waste”. If people died because of consuming said waste, the DoD could not say “hey, we put a sign out front, not our fault if dumb-ass xxxxxz stole the shit”. ---
**Author:** ![jmizzou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@jmizzou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmizzou)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/56 "2003-06-09T16:03:07Z")
A few interesting facts that were not included in the OP’s article (emphasis mine): [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,72617,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,72617,00.html) > [@](#): > > Other nuclear inspectors headed again for al-Tuwaitha, Iraq’s major nuclear research center, **15 miles southeast of Baghdad** , Iraqi Information Ministry officials reported. [http://quickstart.clari.net/qs\_se/webnews/wed/al/Qiraq-war-chrono.RqdJ\_DA3.html](http://quickstart.clari.net/qs_se/webnews/wed/al/Qiraq-war-chrono.RqdJ_DA3.html) > [@](#): > > April 3: > > – US troops reach Baghdad airport **20 kilometres (12 miles)** to the west of the city centre as the Americans move on Baghdad from the west and the south It seems April 3 was the earliest that the troops could have reached the facility - even with the “Go! Go! Go! Go!” war strategy being used. It’s funny how the article doesn’t mention it took **2 weeks** to just get forces in the area. So, if you want to argue about the ineptitude of the armed forces, then complain about how it took them 4 days (from April 3 to April 7) to secure that area. Because, hey, it’s not like they had anything more important to do, right? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/57 "2003-06-09T16:03:30Z")
Desperation. When a country is disrupted by a war food, water, electricity, and all those necessities for living become unstable. Turn on the tap and nothing comes out because a bomb hit something and as “collateral damage” ended up taking out a main line. Damn, now I need a bucket to gather water in from any of my neighbors who may still have working water. I can take it home and use it to operate my toilet manually. Or to drink, or to bathe in, all those useful things that water is for. I looked at my water bill this month and my family used six thousand gallons in a month. I’ll admit that we did some lawn watering and a family of six will use a fair bit of water in the Texas summer, but if the faucets stopped working you can bet your sweet bippy I’d be out scrounging barrels anywhere I thought I could. If I washed out all the yellowcake, how in hell would I know it still wasn’t clean? Do YOU know what it takes to adequately clean a barrel which contained yellowcake? Why do you expect them to? I sure as hell don’t, but I can understand that desperate times bring desperate measures. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/58 "2003-06-09T18:42:22Z")
[Homer] Mmmmm… yellowcake. [/Homer] ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/59 "2003-06-10T01:23:17Z")
Some in this thread have suggested that the US has done a better job protecting Iraq’s oil industry, than its nuclear facilities. That [does not appear to be the case](http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/10/international/worldspecial/10OIL.html). > [@](#): > > “The other day, there was looting and sabotage at the North Rumaila field,” Mr. Leaby said. “The day before that, at the Zubayr field. For three months, I’ve been talking, talking, talking about this, and I’m sick of it.” Looks like Halliburton will have a little more unexpected work to do :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375/60 "2003-06-10T01:31:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben Hicks \* > \*\*Biggest army in the world they should have fucking secured it. \*\* What were the Chinese doing in Iraq? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iaea-in-iraq-again-us-blew-nuclear-containment-serious-shit/180375.md?page=4)