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OPERATION:
IRAQI FREEDOM
U.S. reports discovery
of sarin, mustard gas
Could be among WMD
Saddam hid from inspectors
Posted:
May 17, 2004
1:25 p.m. Eastern
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
Two separate discoveries of chemical weapons, possibly among the
weapons of mass destruction Saddam hid from inspectors, were reported
today in Iraq by U.S. officials.
The Iraq Survey Group, assigned the task of searching for WMD,
confirmed a roadside bomb that exploded Saturday near a U.S. military
convoy in the area of Baghdad International Airport contained sarin
nerve agent.
Also, a senior Bush administration official told Fox News U.S.
military units two weeks ago discovered mustard gas used as part of an
improvised explosive device, or IED.
The Iraqi Survey Group and others believe the mustard gas shell
could have been one of the 550 for which ousted Iraq President Saddam
Hussein failed to account shortly before the Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters the sarin shell belonged to a
class of ordnance the Saddam regime said was destroyed before the 1991
Gulf war.
"It was a weapon that we believe was stocked from the ex-regime
time and it had been thought to be an ordinary artillery shell set up to
explode like an ordinary IED and basically from the detection of that
and when it exploded, it indicated that it actually had some sarin in
it," Kimmitt said.
Tests on the mustard gas concluded it was "stored
improperly," which made the gas "ineffective," Fox News
said.
Investigators are trying to find out how insurgents obtained the
chemical weapons.
No serious injuries were reported after the sarin incident, but two
people were treated for "minor exposure."
The discovery came about when soldiers transporting the shell for
inspection suffered symptoms consistent with low-level chemical
exposure, according to Fox News.
Administration officials told the network some top Pentagon
officials were surprised by the announcement of the sarin discovery,
believing the matter was classified.
"Everybody knew Saddam had chemical weapons, the question was,
where did they go. Unfortunately, everybody jumped on the offramp and
said 'well, because we didn't find them, he didn't have them,'"
said Fox News military analyst Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38528
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