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Possible Iraqi blister gas weapons found
Tip oâ the hat to Andrew Sullivan.Danish troops have found dozens of mortar rounds buried in Iraq which initial tests show could contain blister gas, the Danish army says. The tests were taken after Danish troops found 36 120mm mortar rounds on Friday in southern Iraq. The Danish army said they had been buried for at least 10 years. "All the instruments showed indications of the same type of chemical compound, namely blister gas," the Danish Army Operational Command said on its Web site on Saturday, cautioning that further tests were needed. Blister gases, such as mustard gas, are used in chemical weapons. Blister gas, an illegal weapon which former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein said he had destroyed, was extensively used against the Iranians during the 1980 to 1988 war. Although it can kill if it enters the lungs, its use is primarily to debilitate infantry by causing the skin to break out in excruciatingly painful blisters. The United States launched its war to oust Saddam on March 20 saying the Iraqi leader violated U.N. resolutions by developing weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological weapons. Teams of international weapons inspectors however have so far been unable to locate those weapons. Might pan out, might not. Even if it does, people might claim that these were old and just missed when Sammy "cleaned up" his WMDs. Posted by: Steve White 2004-01-10 |
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