October 29, 2004 - What do we know so far? We know that in January 2003, two months before the President launched his “decapitation” attack on March 19th, IAEA inspectors inventories and sealed 377 US Tons of HMX and RDX at the al Qaqaa. We know that in March 2003 IAEA inspectors revisited the al Qaqaa complex inspected the sealed bunkers and found the seals intact and the ventilation slats were undisturbed. We know that the IAEA inspectors were pulled out of Iraq on March 17th – two days before the President launched the war. We know that on March 17th three trucks were at the complex. We know that know that because the Pentagon combed through its stock of aerial surveillance photos and released the only one it found.

We know that on April 3rd 2003 a unit of the 3rd Infantry Division paused at al Qaqaa, looked for evidence of chemical weapons, came up empty and moved on to enter Baghdad six days later. We know that on April 9th a unit of the 101st Airborne paused at al Qaqaa on the way to Baghdad. They did not look for explosives. We know that because the reporters imbedded with the troops were there and the unit commanders told us that inspections were not their mission.

We know, because the Pentagon just told us, that on April 13th, 2003 an Army Ordinance Disposal Team led by Major Austin Pearson hauled 250 Tons of conventional munitions away from the sprawling site but did not see any IAEA seals or break them. Major Pearson does not recall seeing any RDX. Five days later the explosives were seen and photographed in the bunkers.

On April 18th 2003 GIs from the 101st Airborne broke at least one IAEA seal on a Bunker at Al Qaqaa and went inside. They pried open the boxes they found inside and looked at the HMX explosives. We know they did because the ABC Minneapolis-St. Paul affiliate KSTP had a reporter and camera crew embedded with the GIs’ unit and they taped the action.

We also know that the missing material is the stabile explosive ingredient for plastique, the explosive that brings down airplanes and destroys buildings. We know that less than 8 oz. of the stuff brought down the TWA 747 at Lockerby. And we know that 377 tons are gone.

We also know that the Secretary of Defense says it could not have been there after the war started. We also know that a Pentagon intelligence officer says that the Russians took it. We also know that Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that there were only three tons of the stuff – not 377 tons – and claims that the UN is lying when it says there was more.

We also know that on the campaign trail the President says that a commander in chief should not act before he knows all the facts. I don’t think he is talking about knowing all the facts about Nigerien yellow-cake or chemical-biological weapons arsenals or nuclear weapons programs or even where the Buck stops.

So, Mr. President – where did the stuff go? We don't want the smoking gun to be a falling 747 or a crumbling building. It is an explosive issue and Tuesday is almost here.