Cannot empty the trash bin

Cannot empty the trash bin.

My problem begain after I deleted many two-year old backup files on my WD My Book external disk drive. I received the error -8003 message when I tried to delete a single file or group of files from Trash on the dock on my desktop. I tried most of the methods recommended in this community and other websites (e.g., CNET) -- all to no avail. I also downloaded and tried Trash It which did not work for me.
Someone recommended using the Maintenance application. The app can typically be found in
Finder > Applications > Utilities > Maintenance  (or, Applications > Maintenance).  I opened the app, and following the instructions, did a Verify Disk on the Mac HD drive (my startup drive).  Errors were found by the app and I then, per the instructions, I ran Repair Disk Permissions. It took about one hour to complete the entire operation. 
Then, without a Shut Down or a Restart, I opened the Trash icon and all those hundreds of files were gone.  I then tested Trash by chucking a couple of uneeded documents and some photos from the Mac into the Trash and then selected Empty -- viola, no problem in emptying the Trash.
I also used Maintenance>Verify Disk on my WD My Book external disk drive and found it corrupted too. I am presently running Repair Disk Permissions (estimated one hour and 20 minutes) and hope that it solves that drive's problems.
Good luck to all!
System: iMac, OS X 10.6.8, 3.06 GHz, memory: 2 GB 800 MHz

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