Looting of Iraqi weapons

One of the interesting things about the current media environment is how people can correct and comment on the news as it develops. A couple of days ago the Times posted a depressing account:

March 13, 2005
Looting at Weapons Plants Was Systematic, Iraqi Says
By JAMES GLANZ and WILLIAM J. BROAD

BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 12 - In the weeks after Baghdad fell in April 2003, looters systematically dismantled and removed tons of machinery from Saddam Hussein's most important weapons installations, including some with high-precision equipment capable of making parts for nuclear arms, a senior Iraqi official said this week in the government's first extensive comments on the looting.

The Iraqi official, Sami al-Araji, the deputy minister of industry, said it appeared that a highly organized operation had pinpointed specific plants in search of valuable equipment, some of which could be used for both military and civilian applications, and carted the machinery away.

The report goes on to detail how the looting occured. Then, Christopher Hitchens, in Slate, responded:

This Was Not Looting
How did Saddam's best weapons plants get plundered?
By Christopher Hitchens
Posted Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at 5:29 AM PT

Once again, a major story gets top billing in a mainstream paper—and is printed upside down.

Hitchens doesn't challenge any of the facts in the Times investigative report; he merely tries to dismiss the whole thing, invoking Moveon.org (though they had nothing to do with the story) to ridicule anyone who might think there was a problem here.

Thankfully, the Poorman exists to provide Easy Answers to the Stupidest Question(s) I’ve Ever Heard, eviscerating Hitchens's nonsensical commentary thoroughly.