U.S. Use of Tear Gas Could Violate Treaty

U.S. Use of Tear Gas Could Violate Treaty, Critics Say

By NICHOLAS WADE with ERIC SCHMITT

[]resident Bush has authorized American military forces to use tear gas in Iraq, the Pentagon says, a development that some weapons experts say other countries might see as a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Defense Department said tear gas, which has been issued to American troops, would be used only to save civilian lives and in accordance with the convention, ratified by the United States in 1997. But critics say any battlefield use of tear gas would violate the treaty, offend crucial allies, including Britain, and hand Saddam Hussein a possible pretext for using chemical weapons against the United States.

Is Bush again expanding the limits?
Could it be that Bush approved the use of tear gas to give Saddam an excuse to use WMD's inorder to say " I told you so? Should we entertain the use of tear gas considering the possible consequences and the possible worldwide opening of Pandora's box?

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/05/international/worldspecial/05GAS.html?th