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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Two US soldiers killed in chemical lab blast in Baghdad |
| 2004-04-26 |
| Two US soldiers were killed and five others wounded here on Monday following a powerful blast during a raid on facilities thought to be producing âchemical munitionsâ, a senior US military spokesman said. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, the US-led coalitionâs deputy director for operations, said coalition troops searched the facilities after receiving information they could be involved in the production of chemical munitions. âThe location was a chemical store where the owner (and associates) were suspected of supplying chemical agents to terrorist criminals and insurgents,â he told a press conference. There was also information that âthe individuals were involved in the production of chemical munitions,â Kimmitt added, without providing details about the type of munitions sought. âIt could be any number of chemical munitions ... but it (the information) apparently had enough credibility to it that we sent coalition forces in to do the inspection.â Kimmitt also said that eight civilians were injured in the blast, which occurred in the northern neighbourhood of Waziriyah. âA huge explosion occurred and four Humvees were set ablaze after US soldiers entered a chemical lab,â said witness Salah al-Abed. Shortly after the explosion in two chemical laboratories, US troops were seen removing two bodies in body bags. Several witnesses said US soldiers entered one of the labs and tried to force the door open, causing a spark, which triggered the explosion. âThe US soldiers went into a first lab. When they came out, they were carrying chemical products. They made a small fire in the yard, then put it out,â said Amr al-Tay, a journalist for the London-based Arabic language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat whose office is located nearby. âThey then went to a second lab nearby. When they forced the door with a tool, there was a spark and there was an explosion,â he added. âUS soldiers entered the second chemical lab. There was smoke when a huge explosion occurred and the four Humvees parked outside were set ablaze,â said Salah al-Hassan al-Abed, another Asharq Al-Awsat employee. Could someone explain what exactly they are talking about when they say âchemical munitionsâ. |
| Posted by:TS (vice girl) |
| #10 FWIW, the Beeb has now reversed itself with a detailed report on the Baghdad incident from one of its non-asshats, Colin Reeves. Reeves described the explosion incident in some detail from the scene, spoke with some Iraqis, then went on to refute two of the claims he had heard from the mob: that there were no Iraqi casualties (he saw bodies being pulled from the wreckage) and that there had been heavy American losses (he pointedly mentioned that there was no evidence for this). He also suggested that the tattered uniform the ghoul was brandishing had been cut off a wounded American by American medics and left at the scene. He even spoke to a couple of bystanders who condemned the insurgents as no better than Saddam. Quite an amazing display, and evidence that the terror-apologist take-over of the Beeb is not quite complete. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-04-26 6:21:42 PM |
| #9 I am getting tired of these situations. The commander of the Tikrit area (Steve I believe) seemed to know what he was doing. It was his belief to NEVER ALLOW ANYBODY TO DANCE ON HIS EQUIPMENT. When a vehicle was destroyed it was guarded until it could be towed away. It appears many commanders just abandon their equipment and run back to base. It leaves me with the thoughts that we have some commanders that have no clue on how to handle a occupation. This same issue is hitting us up North where the Marines are finding out that the 82nd apparently let things get out of control in their area of operations. |
| Posted by: Patrick 2004-04-26 4:44:27 PM |
| #8 It was probably a meth lab. It is the only way these poor, oppressed Iraqis can make a living anymore. (/BBC) (see also: Steyn article elsewhere on Rantburg today) |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-04-26 3:34:24 PM |
| #7 Chinditz, that is not the usual meaning of the phrase. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-04-26 3:00:35 PM |
| #6 Dancing AROUND a burned out Humvee.... Aarrgghh! Incidentally, the Beeb did not report the incident itself, just the celebratory aftermath with the comment that the mob obviously saw it as evidence of a victory against the occupiers. Further description would certainly have undermined the credibility of this impression. Go figure. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-04-26 2:46:33 PM |
| #5 Can the term âchemical munitionsâalso be used to describe certain propellants? |
| Posted by: chinditz 2004-04-26 2:39:08 PM |
| #4 The BBC is reporting that jubilant Iraqis were dancing a burned out Humvee later, and that one of them was waving a tattered and bloody American uniform. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-04-26 2:38:01 PM |
| #3 Trap. |
| Posted by: Patrick Phillips 2004-04-26 2:33:12 PM |
| #2 I thought there were no chemical weapons plants. I thought there were only pesticide manufacturers, pharmaceutical labs, and, "baby milk plants". Nooo this would make GWB look good, and the oil-for-bribes folks at the UN look bad. We can't have that can we? |
| Posted by: Anonymous4052 2004-04-26 2:27:59 PM |
| #1 Gas. At least, that's what those two words mean to me. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-04-26 2:21:12 PM |