Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Back to the "Sarin Bomb" via
Washington Post:
"Experts familiar with Iraq's chemical weapons program said the shell was likely a leftover from Hussein's pre-Gulf War stockpile."
Specifically, a 155mm "binary" artillery shell. How do you make an (note: add to aconym vocabulary) IED (improvised explosive device, aka roadside bomb) out of such a shell?
BTW, chemical battlefield artillery are not WMD, as an astute military guy on CSPAN once pointed out. Even those supposedly used on the Kurds are not WMD, lacking the lethality of, say, our multi-ton conventional bomb arsenal, or even the widespread undifferentiated public health detriment of DU exposure and cluster bombs. Clearly, however, being able to cite a chemical weapon of any kind in Iraq, regardless of origin or lethality would offer some benefit to the Administration's arguments for war. Meanwhile though William Safire takes this to refute those who believe Iraq did not have imminently threatening WMDs. He's still confident: they'll find'm yet.
Finally, the article relays from General Kimmett that "the explosion occurred 'in Baghdad a couple of days ago' and that he could not be more specific." Wait, you know it was sarin but you don't even know what day it was?
Washington Post:
"Experts familiar with Iraq's chemical weapons program said the shell was likely a leftover from Hussein's pre-Gulf War stockpile."
Specifically, a 155mm "binary" artillery shell. How do you make an (note: add to aconym vocabulary) IED (improvised explosive device, aka roadside bomb) out of such a shell?
BTW, chemical battlefield artillery are not WMD, as an astute military guy on CSPAN once pointed out. Even those supposedly used on the Kurds are not WMD, lacking the lethality of, say, our multi-ton conventional bomb arsenal, or even the widespread undifferentiated public health detriment of DU exposure and cluster bombs. Clearly, however, being able to cite a chemical weapon of any kind in Iraq, regardless of origin or lethality would offer some benefit to the Administration's arguments for war. Meanwhile though William Safire takes this to refute those who believe Iraq did not have imminently threatening WMDs. He's still confident: they'll find'm yet.
Finally, the article relays from General Kimmett that "the explosion occurred 'in Baghdad a couple of days ago' and that he could not be more specific." Wait, you know it was sarin but you don't even know what day it was?
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