Iraq had Blister Agent

Shaun · 01-10-2004, 09:07 PM

Found Shells Contain Blister Agent, Tests Show

Saturday, January 10, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Danish and Icelandic troops have uncovered a cache of 36 shells in southern Iraq, and preliminary tests showed they contained a liquid blister agent, the Danish military said Saturday.

A U.S. commander said the shells were buried in the desert and were thought to be leftovers from the eight-year war between Iraq and neighboring Iran, which ended in 1988.

The shells were found near Al Quarnah, north of the city of Basra (search) where Denmark's 410 troops are based, the Danish Army Operational Command said in a written statement.

The shells were wrapped in plastic but had been "damaged" because they had been buried for at least 10 years, the statement said.

It said British experts did a preliminary test and said the shells contained "blister gas."

It did not specify the type of gas, but before the war, the United States alleged Iraq still had stockpiles of mustard gas (search), a World War I-era blister agent that is stored in liquid form.

U.S. intelligence officials also said Iraq had sarin, cyclosarin and VX, which are extremely deadly nerve agents.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said shells were 120mm mortar shells and were buried in the desert.

"We're doing some preliminary tests to ensure that if they do contain any kind of blister agent that we can dispose of them properly," Kimmitt said. He said the shells were thought to date from the Iran-Iraq war.

Saddam Hussein's (search) regime used chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers during that war and killed an estimated 5,000 Kurdish civilians in a chemical attack on the northern city of Halabja in 1988.

A nine-month search for the weapons of mass destruction that President Bush said he went to war to destroy has been conducted by a succession of U.S. teams, and all failed to find any current stockpiles of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

The lack of evidence has led critics to suggest the Bush administration either mishandled or exaggerated its knowledge of Iraq's alleged arsenal.

In October, Dutch marines found several dozen artillery shells from the 1991 Gulf War (search) in the southern Iraqi town of Samawah, but the shells contained no biological or chemical agents. Samawah is 100 miles west of the southern region where the Danes discovered shells Saturday.

SPOCAHP ANAR · 01-11-2004, 06:31 AM

This will be dismissed by Bush's opponents as not part of the WMD cache but as a leftover remnant of the Iraq/Iran war that nobody knew about.

Doglips · 01-11-2004, 09:11 AM

LAPD would have found it 2 years ago....

BattleRifleG3 · 01-11-2004, 01:19 PM

"Wherth the weaponth of math dethtructhion?"

NRAJOE · 01-11-2004, 01:32 PM

I heard pictures of Britney Spears is a "blister agent" to BRG3's hands!

01-11-2004, 08:11 PM

http://www.ilpi.com/terrorism/chemical.html

http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/vesicant.html

http://www.infodotinc.com/dc32/130.htm

BattleRifleG3 · 01-11-2004, 10:20 PM

Sorry, Joe, but I find stupidity pretty unattractive.

tommy · 01-13-2004, 01:10 PM

i done told you .you got to ues da lord out da fryin pan . mae !! it cuts down on dem blister's.

01-10-2004, 09:07 PM	#1
Shaun Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 8,585 Trader Rating: (0)	Iraq had Blister Agent Found Shells Contain Blister Agent, Tests Show Saturday, January 10, 2004 BAGHDAD, Iraq — Danish and Icelandic troops have uncovered a cache of 36 shells in southern Iraq, and preliminary tests showed they contained a liquid blister agent, the Danish military said Saturday. A U.S. commander said the shells were buried in the desert and were thought to be leftovers from the eight-year war between Iraq and neighboring Iran, which ended in 1988. The shells were found near Al Quarnah, north of the city of Basra (search) where Denmark's 410 troops are based, the Danish Army Operational Command said in a written statement. The shells were wrapped in plastic but had been "damaged" because they had been buried for at least 10 years, the statement said. It said British experts did a preliminary test and said the shells contained "blister gas." It did not specify the type of gas, but before the war, the United States alleged Iraq still had stockpiles of mustard gas (search), a World War I-era blister agent that is stored in liquid form. U.S. intelligence officials also said Iraq had sarin, cyclosarin and VX, which are extremely deadly nerve agents. U.S. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said shells were 120mm mortar shells and were buried in the desert. "We're doing some preliminary tests to ensure that if they do contain any kind of blister agent that we can dispose of them properly," Kimmitt said. He said the shells were thought to date from the Iran-Iraq war. Saddam Hussein's (search) regime used chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers during that war and killed an estimated 5,000 Kurdish civilians in a chemical attack on the northern city of Halabja in 1988. A nine-month search for the weapons of mass destruction that President Bush said he went to war to destroy has been conducted by a succession of U.S. teams, and all failed to find any current stockpiles of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The lack of evidence has led critics to suggest the Bush administration either mishandled or exaggerated its knowledge of Iraq's alleged arsenal. In October, Dutch marines found several dozen artillery shells from the 1991 Gulf War (search) in the southern Iraqi town of Samawah, but the shells contained no biological or chemical agents. Samawah is 100 miles west of the southern region where the Danes discovered shells Saturday. __________________ "Homeland Security is the responsibility of an armed citizen" ME http://webpages.charter.net/s.s.v/

01-11-2004, 06:31 AM	#2
SPOCAHP ANAR Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: SC-upstate Posts: 4,032 Trader Rating: (0)	This will be dismissed by Bush's opponents as not part of the WMD cache but as a leftover remnant of the Iraq/Iran war that nobody knew about. __________________ Spocrest Out!..........

01-11-2004, 01:19 PM	#4
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	"Wherth the weaponth of math dethtructhion?" __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

01-11-2004, 01:32 PM	#5
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,014 Trader Rating: (0)	I heard pictures of Britney Spears is a "blister agent" to BRG3's hands! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

01-11-2004, 08:11 PM	#6
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	mustard gas http://www.ilpi.com/terrorism/chemical.html http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/vesicant.html http://www.infodotinc.com/dc32/130.htm Last edited by Logansdad; 01-11-2004 at 08:16 PM.

01-11-2004, 09:11 AM	#3
Doglips Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cocoa Florida Posts: 9,090 Trader Rating: (0)	LAPD would have found it 2 years ago....

01-11-2004, 10:20 PM	#7
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	Sorry, Joe, but I find stupidity pretty unattractive. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

01-13-2004, 01:10 PM	#8
tommy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: schriever la Posts: 3,893 Trader Rating: (0)	i done told you .you got to ues da lord out da fryin pan . mae !! it cuts down on dem blister's.