| Submit your comments on this article |
| Science & Technology |
| World War I Supplies al Qaeda |
| 2006-06-27 |
| June 27, 2006: The latest terrorist threat is from old, often 90 year old, chemical weapons falling into the hands of Islamic radicals, who would then incorporate those ancient, but still fatal, chemicals into a new bomb. For over 80 years, farmers in northern France have been coming across unexploded chemical shells. In Belgium and France, there are special organizations that will come pick up these shells, and safely dispose of them. The chemicals, usually mustard gas, is often still dangerous, even after the shell has been buried since 1917 or 18. Farmers are sometimes injured when they hit one of these shells with a plow, and break it open. Until the end of the 20th century, the many live chemical munitions (mostly artillery and mortar shells) discovered in World War I battlefields in Belgium and northwestern France were moved to a storage site at Vimy, France. The storage area now contained up to 16,000 shells. Some of the ammo was from unused piles of shells that had been stored in bunkers and just left behind when the war ended. Many of the individual battles during World War I saw over a million shells fired. The portion of those shells that did not explode ("duds") was often over ten percent. These shells simply buried themselves into the torn up ground, to be discovered years later by farmers plows, construction crews or tourists. Many of the shells simply worked their way back to the surface because of erosion or changes in the water table. These munitions have not aged well, and it was recently discovered that some were decaying to the point that the mustard or phosgene gas in them was leaking out. France began to move the most dangerous shells in sealed and refrigerated trucks to plants where they can be safely be destroyed. While not as dangerous as nerve gas, mustard and phosgene can cause injury and death. In the past, no one wanted to pay the high cost of destroying the chemical munitions. But now, with the increasing number of leaks, final disposal is unavoidable. Meanwhile, many of these old shells are held in lightly guarded facilities, or wait to be dug up by farmers. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Article is ridculous. First of all, most of the shells were explosive not chemical. Second: Many of the duds were located and detonated by the soldiers during the war. Many others detonated after a high explosive shell detonated in the vicinity. Third: It does not account for the post war effort of mine sweeping and clearing of unexploded ordnance who was madatory in order to get those regions iback nto production Fourth: Guess what the thousandsn of unemployed did for a living during the 1929 crisis? Comb the region for metals. Fifth: Farmers have ploughed and reploughed the area for decades. End result is that from time to time an unexploded shell is found. But not every day. You aren't going to find shells, let alone gas shells, just by walking in the country. In fact even with metal detectors it would need a massive effort just to locate a shell: the area is well over a billion square yards. Finally I don't know if mustard gas enclosed in metal deteriorates but I know for sure that the shell itself does and that at one point it will leak its gas. Of course if someine is in the immedite vicinity he will be affected but the point is how many shells are still intact and how many could be recovered by people who can't even operate openly? Last note: We aren't talking of VX but of primitive combat gasses like phosgene who require high concentrations in order to do some harm so jihadists would need quiet more than a couple shells for what they have in mind. |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-06-27 18:56 |
| #4 THere is no such thing as a depleted chemical weapon. Obviously mustard gas has a shelf life of about a zillion years so the Times is lying again. When in the hell are those morons going to get really slammed for their duplicity? First they blow up two of our best programs, then they won't report on WMD findings and when the WMD story hits the streets, they tell every wives' tale and urban legend they can remember to say that it doesn't matter. I have to stop now because I can't control my vocabulary. Words like f@## and $### and @$$#### and m##### f#####$ don't play well on websites. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-06-27 14:22 |
| #3 just last week someone here at RB was assuring everyone that 1980's WMDs found in Iraq were not dangerous! another WMD expert LOL!Q |
| Posted by: RD 2006-06-27 12:03 |
| #2 They must have sum reely smart xperts at the NYT's.... WHAT A BUNCH OF FREAKIN' LOOOOOSRES!!!!!! Should put put a contract out on the lot!!!! |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2006-06-27 11:13 |
| #1 I say we lock up the reporters for the NYT in a room full of 80s chemical shells for a month and let them see how "harmless" they really are. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-06-27 11:05 |