Feds Show Off Seized Libyan Nuclear Arms

[rodbarnett]

MATT KELLEY

Associated Press


OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The Energy Department took a planeload of reporters from Washington to the federal nuclear weapons complex here Monday to view a display of 48 crates and boxes containing nuclear weapons equipment seized when Libya gave up its nuclear weapons program.

Highlighting what the Bush administration views as one of its successes in halting the international spread of nuclear weapons technology, the Energy Department staged the display under an outdoor tent ringed by guards wearing body armor and carrying M-4 assault rifles.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/8191678.htm?1c

[Brotherjohn]

1. They're doing this because they could not with Iraq.

[mobuto]

2. Seized?

The DoE didn't "seize" anything. Qadafi wanted to resume trade, so he gave them his WMD. A little bit of a difference there, you might think.

[daleo]

3. I wonder if they bothered opening the crates

What a stupid headline - there are no "seized nuclear arms". At most, a few bits and pieces of junk that Libya provided to play along.

[Brotherjohn]

4. I'm guessing we made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

We couldn't invade another country... the people wouldn't stand for it. But I think the "negotiations" (that were already underway before Iraq, BTW, and some say before Bush took office) were ratcheted up a bit... as in much more money and aid offered to Libya. That way, Bush could claim that our attacking Iraq cowed Libya into compliance.

So let's think about that, anyway. We attack someone who DOESN'T have WMDs, and it scares the countries who DO into giving them up?

[darkstar]

5. Why doesn't Kerry use this

as a prime example of a Bush flip-flop? "We won't negotiate with terrorists." Lybia just recently settled re: Lockerbie--along with giving up nuke pursuits--and then got instantly rewarded with a lifting of some trade sanctions.

How hard is it to point out that these nuke parts came from our negotiations with a known state-sponsor of terrorism?

[tlcandie]

6. My first problem is the fact that they were brought here and shown..

Why not show them there with reporters? This means it could be any number of weapons from anywhere including the US.

Secondly, the boxes aren't even opened.

LoL We surely fall for the dumbest things...doesn't take much to please the American public, eh?!

:shrug: Nothing here to see but empty boasting over nothing. Hot air.

[ScrewyRabbit]

7. My, who would've thought sanctions and diplomacy

could bring about such a thing?