| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| US may cremate soldiers killed with toxic weapons |
| 2003-02-07 |
| Today's scare headline. The United States President, George Bush, said Iraqi field commanders had been given authority to launch chemical weapons against advancing US forces, prompting the Pentagon to consider battlefield cremations of slain soldiers. "We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorised Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons, the very weapons the dictator tells the world he does not have," Mr Bush said. He did not elaborate. It is the first time the Administration has made such a charge. Cremation is being considered to prevent the spread of chemical or biological agents from contaminated bodies to the US, defence officials said. It's like this is the first time we had to worry about taking casualities from chemical and biological weapons. Hello, any one remember all those Cold War years when we expected the Red Army to pour through the Fulda Gap behind a cloud of chemical agents. I know I spent enough time dragging around my NBC gear during exercises. I'm sure they had a plan then. The Pentagon has for decades gone to great lengths to recover and bury every US serviceman and woman killed abroad. "This would be a first," said Lieutenant-Colonel Cynthia Colin, a Pentagon spokeswoman. I doubt that. It is prudent to look at the policy again, she said, "and make sure we give commanders a variety of options. Cremation is one of the options being considered." US troops are training to combat chemical or biological attacks and are receiving protective gear in the hope of guarding against the worst effects. The issue is controversial and fraught with emotion. Pentagon officials declined to elaborate on the substance of the review, saying only that cremation is among the options being considered "if remains pose a hazard to the health and safety of the living". During the 1991 Gulf War, plans were reportedly in place for mass burials and cremation of troops killed by chemical or biological agents. Those plans never had to be implemented. The review began last month. It is being conducted by the US army's mortuary affairs program - which is charged with the recovery of all service member remains - and by health and safety officials from all four branches of the military, Colonel Colin said. Since the repatriation of remains became a political rallying point during and after the Vietnam War, the military has sought to immediately return personnel killed overseas. In the two world wars, more than 307,000 soldiers were buried in temporary cemeteries overseas. Of those, more than 47,000 were later returned to the US for interment. Soldiers often risk their lives to retrieve the remains and personal effects of fallen comrades and bring them back to families for burial. "We want to bring the remains back, that's our goal. But we have to do it safely," Colonel Colin said. OK, let's look at this. Chemical attacks - decontaminate the bodies the same way you would the living. The mortuary affairs troops would have to work in suits, it will take longer, but it can be done. Biological attacks - depends on the agent. Most will die upon the death of the host, or a short time after. The only case for cremation would be for a bio agent that would remain a threat, go dormant that is, after the person dies. If Saddam weaponized Ebola for example. (Guessing here) In most cases, a closed, sealed casket would be enough protection. I hope to God that it does not come to this. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 I think the decon plan back when you were plugging the gap consisted of irradiation and cremation, whether you survived the chem attack or not. |
| Posted by: Vea Vicits 2003-02-07 17:03:09 |
| #2 If it does come to this, God help Iraq because they'll get everything in the inventory thrown at them. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-02-07 13:33:26 |
| #1 Well, Bjork Staerk posted that Krekar said in an interview that chem weapons are in the Iraqi oil fields. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-07 13:08:23 |