Quote:Possible Chemical Discovery in Iraq
Blister Gas Weapons Found, Initial Tests Show
By ROBERT H. REID, AP
BAGHDAD, Iraq (Jan. 10) - Danish and Icelandic troops have uncovered a cache of 36 shells buried in the Iraqi desert, and preliminary tests showed they contained a liquid blister agent, the Danish military said Saturday.
The 120mm mortar shells were thought to be leftovers from the eight-year war between Iraq and neighboring Iran, which ended in 1988, said U.S. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt.
The shells were wrapped in plastic but had been damaged, and they appeared to have been buried for at least 10 years, the statement said.
Of note:
1) They aren't weaponized but could, indeed, be leftovers that were proscribed weapons.
2) This could be a false alarm.
Quote:"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.
The Danish military emphasized that the tests were not definitive. In the weeks after the Iraq war, the U.S.-led coalition found several caches that tested positive for mustard gas but later turned out to contain missile fuel or other chemicals.
Other discoveries turned out to be old caches that had already been tagged by United Nations inspectors and were scheduled for destruction.
Analysis:
This is precisely the type of discovery that most people expect. It's not weaponized WMDs but is, indeed, forbidden ("blister gas").
It won't justify the "threat" use of the WMD specter as this is low level weapons that were in a state of damage beyond use but if true can illustrate legitimate complaints about Iraqi complicity.
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