Posted on 05/23/2006 7:13:05 PM PDT by jveritas
On page 40 of document ISGQ-2003-00000847 there is an October 2002 document where there is a request submitted by Zoo Al Fikar Military factory to the “Iraqi Directorate of Planning and Follow up” for 500 Kilograms of SODIUM CYANIDE (NaCN), 15 tones of HYDROCHLORIC ACID ( HCL), and 30 tones of SULFURIC ACID (H2SO4). Sodium Cyanide is an important precursor to produce a Chemical Weapon called HYDROGEN CYANIDE (HCN) also known as ZYCLON B and the use of Sodium Cyanide with Hydrochloric acid or Sulfuric Acid will produce this Chemical Weapon. Although Sodium Cyanide can be used for other military and civilian applications its combination with Hydrochloric Acid or Sulfuric Acid will produce Chemical Weapons and knowing Saddam Regime obsession of acquiring Chemical Weapons and other WMD, this document has a lot of importance.
Beginning of partial Translation of Page 40 of document ISGQ-2003-00000847.
Zoo AL Fikar Factory
Number 499
Date 26/10/2002
To: The Directorate of Planning and Followup
Subject: Need
Your memo number 384 on 3/10/2002 we submit to you below our need of Chemical Materials to the year 2003 to take what is necessary with regards.
1. Name of material: Nitric Acid. Unit: Liter. Quantity: 600. Origin: Iraqi.
2. Name of material: Third Oxide of Chrome. Unit: KG. Quantity: 500. Origin: English/Chinese.
3. Name of material: Dye . Unit: KG. Quantity: 25. Origin: Western.
4. Name of material: HCL. Unit: Ton. Quantity: 15. Origin: Iraqi.
5. Name of material: Hylite Zinc. Unit: KG. Quantity: 500. Origin: Western.
6. Name of material: SODIUM CYANIDE. Unit: KG. Quantity: 500. Origin: Western.
17. Name of material: SULFURIC ACID. Unit: Ton. Quantity: 30. Origin: Iraqi.
End of Partial Translation of page 40.
This paragraph from MSDS website regarding the danger of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) and how it can be obtained by mixing Sodium Cyanide (NaCN) and Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4).
”Exposure to 300 ppm hydrogen cyanide by inhalation can be fatal within minutes and lower doses can endanger life. The high toxicity of HCN was once exploited for the execution of prisoners in several US states; the HCN was generated as needed by dropping NaCN into a solution of sulfuric acid.” http://www.ilpi.com/msdS/ref/cyanide.html
Vehicle, or other hardware parts. I see some kind of plating here, where the cyanide is used to produce a certain morphology and stress in the layer. The factory's purpose, or product output needs to be clarified. The acid qtys here and other chem qtys look like metal finishing.
I doubt if he was. Probably prefers K-1 and Scotts Turf Builder.
Never underestimate the incompetence of the UN, my FRiend!
Thank you for the kind words :)
I am glad that I am back :)
500kg looks like an exact number for the zinc baths you've given in your post. They are specialized baths for a certain morphology and stress in the plated layer. This is too small a qty for chem weapons. It's very inefficient and if the attempt was made for binary weapons, all it would amount to is flinging acid.
I think they were plating. If they were making gas, there are far better choices. Also, the qty is wrong, especially given the other items.
Jveritas -- doing the research American journalists don't want to do.
I tried to google the factory and got several possibilities besides the spelling provided by jveritas: Zu al Fikar; Zu al Fikr; Du al Fikar; and Dhu al Fikar would be alternatives. I'm still at work and can't take the time to really find something.
However, according to Global Security.org, the Rashid State Company's Dhu-al-Fikar factory (assuming it's the same one) was investigated for the presence of high strength aluminum tubes. Then it says this:
"Approximately 70,000 high-strength aluminum 81-mm tubes are located in two padlocked ware- houses (see pictures) at Dhu al-Fiqar Factory, which is within a secure facility protected by armed Facility Protection Service personnel. According to a current NMD offi cial, Dhu al-Fiqar Factory employees were cutting the tubes into pieces for use in the private sector."
What was the chemical in the drums that we kept finding as we were rolling into Baghdad...?
By the same token, the cyanide radical complexes with the heavy metals and is often used in electroplating of the metal, particularly gold. It is (or was) common in printed-circuit manufacturing processes.
Would they have to plate the tubes to use for a missile, or for uranium enrichment?
A factory isn't a lab op. The plating tanks are 2K gals and up.
" What was the chemical in the drums that we kept finding as we were rolling into Baghdad...?"
All I remember is pesticide for sand fleas. DOD determined that's what it was for.
That is the same company.
Ramzi Yousef used sodium cyanide in the WTC bombing, it was supposed to create a cyanide cloud big enough to kill 20 to 40,000 New Yorkers.
No. This is for corroison protection purposes, or maybe bearing surfaces if it's not a zinc bath.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.