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| Iraq |
| U.S. Finds Missiles with Chemical Weapons |
| 2003-04-07 |
| U.S. forces near Baghdad found a weapons cache of around 20 medium-range missiles equipped with potent chemical weapons, the U.S. news station National Public Radio reported on Monday. NPR, which attributed the report to a top official with the 1st Marine Division, said the rockets, BM-21 missiles, were equipped with sarin and mustard gas and were "ready to fire." It quoted the source as saying new U.S. intelligence data showed the chemicals were "not just trace elements." It said the cache was discovered by Marines with the 101st Airborne Division, which was following up behind the Army after it seized Baghdad's international airport. If this report is true, that's definitely what y'd call a smoking gun. I don't know that I'd consider NPR a reliable source, though... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #9 "Reliable source"? Leave it to NPR to get the 101st airborne transferred to the Marine Corps. |
| Posted by: leonidas 2003-04-07 13:14:47 |
| #8 I suspect we have been finding plenty of goodies along the way that just aren't being released to the media yet. It serves no good purpose to the military mission to go public at this time. When we do go public, I think it will managed more on the state department side of the house as they are the ones who get to deal with the diplomatic details. The President and Rummy will just get to smirk "I told you so..." |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2003-04-07 12:00:47 |
| #7 The BM-21 rocket is a 122mm weapon fired from the back of a 5-ton truck. The launcher usually has 40 missile tubes. What was probably found was a mix of weapons, some with high explosive, some with sarin, and some with mustard gas. You wouldn't put two different chemicals in the same warhead. That potent mix would make a battlefield just a tad more difficult for everyone, including the clean-up crew later. Thing to think about, if the rockets are there and already filled, then someone planned to use them. You can't let the chemicals stay in the warhead long, or they will either corrode and leak, or some other chemical action will take place, and they won't be as potent. It looks like whoever was necessary to give the order to fire them wasn't around to do that. Whether that was Saddam, Ouday, or whoever, I'm glad he didn't! |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-07 11:47:44 |
| #6 "Hey Hans! Look what we found!" |
| Posted by: Angry Federalist 2003-04-07 11:27:48 |
| #5 It seems beyond belief that the Iraqis would actually put both Sarin and Mustard gas in the same rocket. However, if they did do that it certainly explains why the rockets weren't fired. I, personnally would be scared s...less to be anywhere near a firing rocket with that stuff on it. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-04-07 11:26:58 |
| #4 Nyah! Nyah! Told you so! (stupid f***ing frogs) |
| Posted by: Spot 2003-04-07 11:18:37 |
| #3 NPR's reporting this? Oh, that must be breaking their balls bigtime! You mean... Bush was... right? They're probably praying the story's wrong. No, it's just Kool Aid... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-04-07 11:17:46 |
| #2 I am listening to NPR in this moment (noon) and they are repeating the story and this time as the opening story of the news. |
| Posted by: Poitiers 2003-04-07 11:06:39 |
| #1 "Hey Hans! Look what we found!" |
| Posted by: Angry Federalist 4/7/2003 11:27:48 AM |