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thedrifter
03-28-03, 03:09 PM
By BERNARD WEINRAUB The New York Times

WITH V CORPS HEADQUARTERS, near the Kuwait border, March 27 Statements from Iraqi prisoners of war and electronic eavesdropping on Iraqi government communications indicate that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) has moved chemical weapons to the Medina Division, one of three Republican Guard divisions guarding the approaches to Baghdad, Army officials said.


The Army officials said they strongly believed that Mr. Hussein would use the weapons as allied troops moved toward Baghdad to oust him and his government.


Officials with V Corps said intelligence information pointed to Mr. Hussein deploying 155-millimeter artillery weapons with shells carrying mustard gas as well as sarin, or nerve agents, an especially deadly weapon. Mr. Hussein used these chemical agents against the Iranians and the country's Kurdish population in the 1980's.


Army officials said monitoring the movement of chemical weapons was sometimes difficult because Mr. Hussein often hid chemical pellets inside bunkers that carried conventional armaments.


But some military officers said Mr. Hussein had, in the last week or so, moved the artillery pieces that could fire chemical weapons into hiding, not only near the Medina Division, south of Baghdad, but in western Iraq (news - web sites). Officials said Iraqi officers had been warned by the United States, through leaflets and other means, that they would be held responsible for war crimes if they participated in a chemical attack.


Intelligence officers said the apparent deployment of chemical weapons by Mr. Hussein was not merely a sign of rage by the Iraqi leader toward the Americans. Although deployment of the weapons would give the lie to Mr. Hussein's denial that he had them, officers said that Mr. Hussein might be calculating that the step would actually turn to his advantage, and stunt the American assault.


Military officials said that, in the event of a chemical attack, American forces might receive an early warning if satellite photos picked up Iraqi units wearing protective gear against chemicals at a weapons site. Officials said the protective clothing was usually worn at least one hour before the launching of a chemical weapon. But officials also said that well-hidden Iraqi artillery sites about to launch such a weapon could possibly avoid detection.


Since the war started, American soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait have been threatened by Iraqi missiles, but any missiles that may have been launched have so far been intercepted and destroyed by Patriot missiles. No chemical weapons have been used against allied troops to date.


Col. Tim Madere, the V Corps chemical officer, said he was not alarmed about the potential for a chemical attack.


"The soldiers have gone through training and know what to do and know how their equipment works in the event we get hit," he said. "But it's a concern because most soldiers have not experienced real agents."


Colonel Madere said such an attack would slow down the advance on Baghdad, but not seriously set back the effort to depose Mr. Hussein.


There are reports that Iraqi forces killed or injured more than 20,000 people in attacks against Kurds and other Iraqis in the 1980's that involved nerve and mustard agents.


Mustard gas is a blister agent that causes medical casualties by burning or blistering exposed skin, eyes and lungs. It can remain a serious hazard for days and, if inhaled, may lead to death.


Nerve agents such as sarin, cyclosarin and tabun act within seconds of absorption through skin or inhalation. Untreated, the agents cause convulsions, loss of consciousness and death.


The United States military in Kuwait and Iraq not only carry protective gas masks and protective clothes, boots and gloves, but also antidote kits for nerve agents. These include atrophine as well as pralidoxime, which must be injected quickly after exposure to the gas.


In a report last year, the Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites) said that Iraq had not accounted for 15,000 artillery rockets. In the past, these rockets were the preferred means for delivering nerve agents. Iraq has also not accounted for about 550 artillery shells filled with mustard agent.

Sempers,

Roger

JChristin
03-28-03, 04:09 PM
I bet the dictator Saddam will again use NBC on his own people and troops in an attempt to "blame" it on the US/UK forces. Most likely on those civilians and troops positioned close to Baghdaddy. Thereby drawing a even "blacker" picture of the American/UK invaders, hence increasing hatred toward the liberators.


semper fi,
jchristin