Probably makes sense if you read in threaded mode.<br><br>Story was about 3rd Battalion spending two days looking around the facility, G4dualie said it was about the size of Manhattan. Probably is the same square footage as Manhattan. I was just pointing out it's nothing like Manhattan - <br><br><br><br>It was, as you say 80 buildings, in mostly desert and sand with 380 tons of explosives secretly hidden in clearly marked IAEA tags. More like this - multiplied by 10<br><br><br><br>heh, maybe I'm just nit picking here.<br><br>[color:blue]All your sock puppets are belong to us</font color=blue><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by JonnyCat on 10/29/04 01:47 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

A more comprehensive view:<br><br><br><br>Not saying anything one way or the other, just providing more info =)<br><br>***matt<br><br>Turn up the signal, wipe out the noise ...

Ok, I see.<br>I just looked at a full map of the complex. From the IAEA report it looks like a total of 8 complexes like the one you pictured in the entire compound making a total of 55 bunkers plus I'm sure support building not detailed on the map I'm looking at.<br><br>The material in questioned were spead across 10 bunkers.<br>On 1/4/2003 they reported counting<br>HMX - 194,741 kg (214.6 tons)<br>RDX - 3,080 kg (3.4 tons)<br>PETN - 3500 kg (3.9 tons)<br>Total 221.9 tons (approx.)<br><br>Again just more FYI.<br><br>[edited to revise the number of bunkers, 9 contained HMX and 1 other contained both the RDX and PETN]<br><br>No sig right now, waiting for the next Kerry flip-flop. .<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by AfterTenSoftware on 10/29/04 02:39 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

Little more FYI.<br>On the 1/4/2003 inspection the RDX and PETN bunkers were not sealed. Only the nine bunkers with the HMX were sealed and vents in those bunkers may have allowed access to the materials inside without disturbing the seals.<br><br>No sig right now, waiting for the next Kerry flip-flop. .

I wasn't implying the area was densely rich in bunkers... only that it was spread out over a large area the size of Manhattan and to traverse the area inspecting every pile of boxes or debris, opening every bunker, was not in their general orders.<br><br>I thought I read that the army met with minimal resistance when they first encountered the Al-Qaqaa area and investigated briefly to determine whether the threat still existed or would otherwise be a threat to their "six", but weren't necessarily in the area to catalogue or inventory the contents of these bunkers.<br><br>