Feb. 2003 UN Report: Saddam Moving Explosives From Al-Qaqaa

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004 10:33 p.m. EDT
Feb. 2003 UN Report: Saddam Moving Explosives From
Al-Qaqaa

The United Nations nuclear watchdog group first
reported that Saddam Hussein had begun moving
stockpiles of explosives from his Al-Qaqaa nuclear
weapons facility a month before the U.S. invaded Iraq.

The February 2003 report by the International Atomic
Energy Agency, first reported Tuesday by the Fox News
Channel, severely undermines claims by the New York
Times, CBS News and the Kerry campaign that the
Al-Qaqaa explosives went missing only after the U.S.
gained control of the facility. Fox correspondent Bret
Baier detailed the chronology of events at Al-Qaqaa
for "Special Report with Brit Hume":

* "In January 2003, inspectors with the International
Atomic Energy Agency went to the Al-Qaqaa storage
facility, tagging and sealing the large stockpile of
powerful conventional explosives, HMX and RDX.

* "In February 2003, IEAE chief Mohamed ElBaradei
reported to the United Nations Security Council that
some explosives had been removed from Al Qua Quaa -
377 tons remained.

* "On March 8, 2003, IEAE inspectors made their last
check of the facility before the war. The IAEA said
that included a spot check on some - but not all - of
the sealed explosives.

* "The war started March 19. After the Army's third
division moved through here on their way to Baghdad,
the first US troops stopped in to Al-Qaqaa on April 9.


* "A Reuters camera crew embedded with the Scouts from
the 101st Airborne Division arrived at the storage
facility, did a quick search noting a number of
bunkers filled with explosives - but nothing marked by
the IAEA.

* "On April 10, the Second Brigade of the 101st
arrived there and spent the night.. An NBC crew was
with them. A cursory search was conducted. Again,
nothing marked or tagged by the IAEA was spotted. The
Second Brigade left the next day, pushing forward to
Baghdad.

* "US weapons inspectors, the Iraq Survey Group,
arrived at the site on May 27, conducting a full
search of the 32 bunkers - and they did not find any
of the IAEA-marked explosives."

Baier's report continued:

"If one large truck contains ten tons, US commanders
say it's highly unlikely that insurgents managed to
take 38 truckloads worth of explosives out of the
facility in that time.

"The roads were filled with convoys pushing to
Baghdad, clogged with supplies and communications
lines stretching all the way back to Kuwait - all
being watched closely by unmanned aerial vehicles like
the Jointstars and the Predators to protect the troops
rear flank and to spot unusual activity.

"Defense Secretary Rumsfeld - asked about the missing
explosives in a radio interview today - said the
specifics are under investigation by the Iraq Survey
Group. But he chose to point out that Saddam Hussein
moved many weapons and explosives before the war."



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