re: Two words:-
I've gotta say that (IMO) bull droppings is a bit of an over reaction. There've been plenty of studies showing that water could be stable for limited periods over much of the martian surface. That doesn't make it in anyway likely (it has to form first, and most places with suitable temperatures have little ice and visa versa), but as long as its possible it seems naive to dismiss it out of hand. Look up "On laboratory simulation and the temperature dependance of the evaporation rate of brine on mars" by Derek W.G Sears and Julie D. Chittenden, if you've not already read it.