[Proctor]

Here we go. The evidence.

Mustard gas suspected in Najaf
The US military was investigating on Tuesday the "likely" discovery of mustard gas near the Iraqi city of Najaf after five soldiers developed blisters there, officers said.
The 101st Airborne Division soldiers suffered nausea as well as the blisters after walking into a building that stored Iraqi ammunition.
A spokesman said initial tests had shown the substance in the building was mustard gas, but more thorough tests were being conducted.

My approval of the war just went up ten points.

[ahab]

This is interesting, a little bit more than the rest of the suspected locations

I think someone brought it up on here, or maybe another message board, that if the coalition finds WMD and confirms it the Iraqis will be MUCH more likely to use the WMD. If WMD are found other nations might get involved. If WMD are used other nations will get involved. It is in the best interests of the US to confirm WMD until after hostilities are over.

One thing that I thought was interesting is it is almost always reporters embedded with the units that find them that release the story, NOT coalition officials.

[Boondock Saint]

I heard this two days ago ... and it was shot down by Rummy himself ... unless difinitive tests show they are chemical weapons then they arent chemical weapons.

As for the sickness, they said it was heat related and once the troops properly rested and rehydrated themselves they felt fine.

[Tovarish Spetsnaz]

They have found nothing in Iraq...and will find nothing. We all knew that...

BTW...Mustard Gas is NOT a "WMD"...it is a blister agent...in the same category as napalm...Napalm is not considered a "WMD"..so why is Mustard Gas??

[Boondock Saint]

Mustard gas is a chemical weapon that kills via a chemical reaction within the body to massive toxic dose of the chemical ...

Napalm burns shiz up.

Two very different means of destruction.

Chemical and biological weapons according to some fit under the heading of WOMD ...

I have had discussions with some folk who feel only nukes are WOMD since only nukes actually destroy on a massive basis ... unless of course a large amount of chemicals are used and render the landscape itself useless ...

[John Doe]

Mustard gas has been outlawed since shortly after WWI. Napalm was outlawed recently.

[Tovarish Spetsnaz]

There is little difference...Mustard Gas burns your skin or your insides if you breath it...Napalm burns you to a crisp...whether you breathe it or not (;) ) Its not a nice weapon...but hardly any more deadly that Napalm bombs or thermobatic bombs...

[Proctor]

Does it really matter whether napalm kills more people or not? Mustard gas is still a chemical weapon, and therefore falls under WMD.

Ahab, that is a damned good point.

Boondock, tests have already shown that it is mustard gas. They are doing more tests to make sure. Which lends support to ahab's argument...

[LordofTheNipplerings]

A spokesman for the US army's 3rd Infantry Division, Major Ross Coffman
intially believed one find near najaf would be a smoking gun as he communicated with reporters. US intelligence officer Adam Mastrianni later corrected earlier statements that the product found was actually pesticide.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... &ncid=1480


http://www.news.com.au/common/story_pag ... 78,00.html

[Proctor]

Ah, well there you go. False alarm.