The Washington Times Bill Gertz story this morning provides more important clues as to what may have happened at Al Qaqaa. Key excerpts:
“U.S. intelligence agencies have obtained satellite photographs of truck convoys that were at several weapons sites in Iraq in the weeks before U.S. military operations were launched, defense officials said yesterday….
“[T]he convoys are believed to include shipments of sensitive armaments, including equipment used in making plastic explosives and nuclear weapons….
“Officials said numerous intelligence reports in the past two years indicate Saddam used trucks and aircraft to withdraw weapons from Iraq before March 2003. However, the new information indicates that Russian troops were directly involved in assisting the Iraqi military and intelligence services to secure and move the arms. …
“The arms that were taken out of the country included missile parts, nuclear-related equipment, tank and aircraft parts, and chemicals used in making poison gas weapons, the official said.”