NBCNEWS: HUGE CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ -- AT LEAST 18 MONTHS AGO -- BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED

NBCNEWS: HUGE CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE
IN IRAQ -- AT LEAST 18 MONTHS AGO -- BEFORE TROOPS
ARRIVED

The NYTIMES urgently reported on Monday how the Iraqi
interim government has warned the United States and
international nuclear inspectors that nearly 380 tons
of powerful conventional explosives are now missing
from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military
installations.

Jumping on the TIMES exclusive, Dem presidential
candidate John Kerry blasted the Bush administration
for its failure to "guard those stockpiles."

"This is one of the great blunders of Iraq, one of the
great blunders of this administration," Kerry said.

In an election week rush:

**ABCNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least
4 Times
**CBSNEWS Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least
7 Times
**MSNBC Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least
37 Times
**CNN Mentioned The Iraq Explosives Depot At Least 50
Times

But tonight, NBCNEWS reported, once: The 380 tons of
powerful conventional explosives were already missing
back in April 10, 2003 -- when U.S. troops arrived at
the installation south of Baghdad!

An NBCNEWS crew embedded with troops moved in to
secure the Al-Qaqaa weapons facility on April 10,
2003, one day after the liberation of Iraq.

According to NBCNEWS, the HMX and RDX explosives were
already missing when the American troops arrived.

It is not clear why the NYTIMES failed to report the
cache had been missing for 18 months -- and was
reportedly missing before troops even arrived.

The TIMES left the impression the weapons site had
been looted since Iraq has been under US control.

[In a fresh Page One story set for Tuesday on the
matter, the TIMES once again omits any reference to
troops not finding any explosives at the site when
they arrived in April of 2003. Attempts to reach
managing editor Jill Abramson late Monday were
unsuccessful.]

"The U.S. Army was at the sight one day after the
liberation and the weapons were already gone," a top
Republican blasted from Washington late Monday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors last
saw the explosives in January 2003 when they took an
inventory and placed fresh seals on the bunkers.

Dem vp hopeful John Edwards blasted Bush for not
securing the explosives: "It is reckless and
irresponsible to fail to protect and safeguard one of
the largest weapons sites in the country. And by
either ignoring these mistakes or being clueless about
them, George Bush has failed. He has failed as our
commander in chief; he has failed as president."

A senior Bush official e-mailed DRUDGE late Monday:
"Let me get this straight, are Mr. Kerry and Mr.
Edwards now saying we did not go into Iraq soon
enough? We should have invaded and liberated Iraq
sooner?"

Top Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart fired back: "In a
shameless attempt to cover up its failure to secure
380 tons of highly explosive material in Iraq, the
White House is desperately flailing in an effort to
escape blame. Instead of distorting John Kerry�?s
words, the Bush campaign is now falsely and
deliberately twisting the reports of journalists. It
is the latest pathetic excuse from an administration
that never admits a mistake, no matter how
disastrous."