U.N. "Disarming" Iraq from WMD while allowing them WMD???

U.N. Export List to Iraq ^ | May 28, 2006 | avacado

[avacado]

My subject title doesn't make sense, does it? How coud the U.N. be disarming Iraq from WMD while allowing them WMD at the same time. Is there a 4th dimension of space that I am not aware of?

Chemicals allowed for export to Iraq by other countries:

- Sodium Cyanide
- Hydrogen Cyanide
- Phosgene

Well golly, gee-whiz... those chemicals are WMD with a world history of being used as chemical weapons. The U.N. is a complete joke! They are looking for chemical weapons while allowing Saddam to purchase chemical weapons! Yeah, that's the ticket! Makes good sense to me!

U.N. (Oil-for-Food programme) Goods Review List: http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/documents/S-2002-515.pdf

[Allegra]

As of right now, this is a non-issue, unless there's some weird chemical weapons smuggling ring selling phosgene to, say... Iran or Syria.

I agree. Iraq and chemical weapons aren't an issue at this point. We have an embassy in Iraq now. And a bunch of military bases.

And Saddam's locked up in an fortress in the Radwaniyah sectio undisclosed location (sorry, but it's the worst-kept secret in Iraq) unless he has to be in court.

[bandleader]

The Germans know ALL about Phosgene!

[Publius6961]

The subject is about the inspections and the chemicals allowed by the U.N. during a 12 year period of disarmament.

Want to talk 'red herring'?

When did that 12-year period end?
Why do you think it's important today?

I couldn't care less at this point. Why am I talking to a troll?
Have a nice day.

[bandleader]

Hey,that's right,Bush lied!!!

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[avacado]

--- Want to talk 'red herring'? When did that 12-year period end? Why do you think it's important today? I couldn't care less at this point. ---

I don't really care what YOU want. Understand. I was simply putting forth known chemcials weapons that the UN was allowing Saddam to import at a time when inspectors were in the country looking to destroy chemcial weapons.

As for you, you have issues.

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

Raw chemicals that could have been used for the manufacture of chemical weapons should NEVER have been allowed to be shipped to Iraq while Saddam was in power. If the UN was concerned about Iraq having fertilizer (or pesticides) to facilitate crop growth then they should have made arrangements to ship the pre-processed materials to the fields where it was to be applied. Why we as a nation give a penny of support to the UN is beyond my comprehension...

[Fruitbat]

The U.N. is a complete joke!

This just in... :D

[Allegra]

This thread is like a time warp.

Where's Hans Blix?

[MHGinTN]

You can use phosgene for 'human plating' but we have no evidence that Saddam ateany of his adversaries.

[avacado]

--- This thread is like a time warp. Where's Hans Blix? ---

Really? How so? I have never seen posted, nor discussed, the Goods Review List of the U.N.'s regarding Iraq nor have I seen posted, nor discussed, then fact that while the U.N. was searching for chemical weapons Iraq was allowed to import chemical weapons.

Look, if this thread is not your cup of tea, then move along. It's that easy.

[avacado]

--- I googled Sodium cyanide, and found no healthful use for it on the Wikipedia listing, unless Iraq is big into mining. It's one of the most rapidly-acting poisons. ---

Saddam had a past history of using sodium cyanide to manufacture the chemical weapon called tabun.

--- Avacado, good catch. I checked out the PDF and couldn't find quanities listed anywhere. Is there any way of finding that out, I wonder? ---

Countries could freely export to Iraq anything on List A that is less than 10% solution and if more than that concentrate then they were supposed to submit a form to the UN. I believe a company in Finland exported sodium cyanide to Iraq in 2002 without submitting a form to the UN. And since the program was handled by the Oil-for-Food program, we all know how honest that operation was.

[Carry_Okie]

You can use phosgene for 'human plating' but we have no evidence that Saddam ateany of his adversaries.

Phosgene is an intermediate chemical in the production of pesticides and herbicides.

[MHGinTN]

And of course Saddam needed millions of tons to sustain that massive agricultural infrastructure he operated, planting Iranians.

[Carry_Okie]

And of course Saddam needed millions of tons to sustain that massive agricultural infrastructure he operated, planting Iranians.

Millions of tons? Prove it.

[MHGinTN]

Who are you, Ramsey Clark? Where did you check your sense of humor when you clicked on FR today?

[Carry_Okie]

Hyperbole is not debate. The point is that dual use can only be verified by inspection and audit. To ban the importation of phosgene, is pointless because it denies how easy it is to produce. To assert that a country with a large ag and chemical base should be incapable of manufacturing phosgene is equally silly. They could simply overheat vinyl to get loads of it. I doubt anyone was suggesting that Iraq under OFF should have been incapable of importing vinyl goods. It's silly, and it's therefore understandable why the UN blew off direct import controls, preferring to audit weapons production and storage.

Thus in no way am I saying that Saddam was no threat to use phosgene for WMD. What I am saying is that blowing off control of its import is not prima facae evidence that the UN is approving of their manufacture.

[Gorobei]

Where's Hans Blix? Perhaps Scott Ritter, Jacques Chirac, and Slick Willie needed a 4th for bridge. :) This whole thread has been rather silly.

[MikefromOhio]

Now if Saddam's acquitted of all charges and he reclaims his former position, we've got a serious problem.

Saddam is NOT getting out of an Iraqi jail with his skin....sorry if that blows up your theory, but it just won't happen. Beyond that, the Saudis and the Kuwaitis want a piece of him once the Iraqis are done.