Then why in the hell was this stuff still in Iraq? The UN should have trucked it out long ago. Thank goodness we went in there and got it out ourselves. Saddam could have made nuclear bombs with this stuff. Lets just hope he didn’t and that his terrorist buddies didn’t get their hands on any.

US confirms Iraqi WMD smoking gun

US forces have successfully carried out a classified operation in which over a ton of nuclear materials discovered in Iraq has been removed from the country. The operation was completed shortly before the June 28 handover of power to Iraq's interim Government.

US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, who said the operation, had been “a major success that would keep “potentially dangerous nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists”, confirmed this.

The operation, which took place last month, involved 20 US nuclear experts from the US Energy Department's secret laboratories as well as an undisclosed number of US troops. During the operation 1.7 tons of enriched weapons grade uranium and other highly radioactive materials were taken from a former nuclear research facility on 23 June, after being packaged by 20 experts from the US Energy Department's secret laboratories.

The materials discovered and removed are compatible with those needed to develop a nuclear weapons program. In addition, some of the materials discovered could be utilized by terrorists to manufacture a “dirty bomb”, a device that could cause widespread radiation without actually detonating a nuclear blast.

The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the UN’s nuclear watchdog was informed ahead of the operation, as were senior Iraqi officials.

The fallout of the US having uncovered potentially weapons grade nuclear materials in Iraq could impact the US political map, giving credence to President Bush’s claims that the raison d’etre for the war was to forestall Saddam Hussein from completing his program to develop weapons of mass destruction.