So, let’s imagine that President Bush had done it the liberals’ way. He had let the UNSCOM inspectors continue, they’d have certified the country in compliance, and then the sanctions would have ended, say in mid 2004. Saddam Hussein would still be in power, his people would still have been brutalized daily, and he’d have had the full economic resources to do what he wasn’t able to do during the sanctions period.

Then, around, say, July of 2008, we’d have the Democrats screaming that Iraq is working toward building Teh Bomb, and it’s all George Bush’s fault.

Point is, the technology isn’t a hurdle to a nation-state, nor is keeping it a secret as we’ve proved in the past.

None of which proves Saddam did have a program to make up a nuke, but one must admit he had the material and the capability to do so.

Which was, I believe, the original claim.

– Max

it was specifically not intended to postulate anything regarding ff11’s own personal ear drums.

if it is Sarin today, then it became Sarin not more than about 5 years ago (IF it was a result of being in a binary round w/pure precursors, stored under optimal conditions); or (IF was “ready made”) than it became Sarin much more recently than 5 years ago.

let’s see now: 1991 + 5 = (help me on this) not quite 2003.

so, IF Sarin is present in 2003, hmm, perhaps, maybe, just possibly, it came into existence sometime after the magical get well happy days of 1991.

perhaps the reports in July 1996 that Iraq was assessed to possess Sarin stockages with stability projected thru at least March 1997 were just so much hooey.

“Sarin rendered inactive” is harmless sodium salts.

“Sarin itself” is what they found.

ps: a drop of Sarin can kill a 100kg adult. a BB gun pointed at your ear drum can do a lot of damage.