2003 UN Report: Iraq Sulfur Mustard Gas Chemical Weapons Have High Quality After 12 years of Storage

March 2003 UN Iraq WMD Report ^ | June 22 2006 | jveritas

[jveritas]

Since the story broke yesterday about finding 500 Shells of Chemical Weapons in Iraq, shells that contain Sulfur Mustard Gas or Sarin Gas, the Left and their media were quick to dismiss this extremely important find by using the lame excuse that these Chemical weapons Shells were produced before 1991 and hence its not effective anymore because it has much lower quality”. However in March 2003 UN report about Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction there is the following on page 77 (Page 79 of the pdf file), paragraph 1 of the report http://www.un.org/Depts/unmovic/documents/6mar.pdf :

“ The Sulfur Mustard contained in artillery shells that had been stored for over 12 years, had been found by UNMOVIC to be still of high purity. It is possible that viable filled artillery shells and aerial bombs still remain in Iraq.

The above form the United Nations inspectors and the darling of the Left Hans Blix totally destroy the stupid lies that the Left and their media has been spewing since the breakings new of yesterday. First the UN clearly state in March 2003 that the Mustard gas shells they found are of HIGH QUALITY even it had been STORED FOR OVER 12 YEARS. Second the UN admit that there may still VIABLE i.e. EFFECTIVE Mustrad filled artillery shell hidden in Iraq, and yesterday we learned for a fact that there were indeed 500 Mustard gas artillery shells that were found in Iraq since the removal of Saddam. Also it is safe to conclude that the Mustard Gas shells found after the war are still in high quality and highly effective Chemical weapons.

Another very important fact to add is that Saddam had LIED to the UN inspectors and the world when he said that he had destroyed ALL his Chemical Weapons and other WMD. It does not matter whether these weapons were produced before or after 1991, his job was to destroy it ALL and not hide anything not a one ounce of these WMD, he DID NOT.

[AmericanYankee]

Excellent, hasnt our troops found barrels and barrels of chemical precursors? If I remember correctly, these findings were deemed insignificant by the MSM and others since they werent "WMDs". However they could have been vital ingredients to create WMDs. Oh yeah, a lot was found buried or in Iraq bunkers, so why wrre they hiding them in the first place??

[Maelstorm]

This isn't the first time. The media is often a megaphone of their own ignorance.

[Maelstorm]

Exactly. Most of the chemical weapons were duel use.

[AmericanYankee]

Great point. How many things have went around in the media concerning this war that were already proven false, but never recognized in the media? This is how they maniplate the masses, then take polls.

The point is that can these still kill a lot of people? Reference: Kurds.

Are they banned under UN resolutions?

Didnt Iraq have the responsiilty to hand them over?

The left claim its 12 years ago, like we should shrug it off and its irrelevant. They worry more about depleted uranium in Iraq! What a joke! Yeah, like I will ever trust them with national security.

[WmShirerAdmirer]

Here's something to add to the discussion which I read in that report you cited.

The New York Times reported ten days before the invasion that UN weapons inspectors in Iraq had discovered a new variety of rocket seemingly configured to strew bomblets filled with chemical or biological agents over large areas.1 The weapon was discovered after the UN inspectors returned to Iraq in November.

At first, Iraq told the inspectors that it was designed as a conventional cluster bomb, which would scatter explosive sub-munitions over its target, and not as a chemical weapon. A few days later, the Iraqis conceded that some of the weapons might have been configured as chemical weapons.

But it remains unclear, according to the UNMOVIC report, whether the Iraqi cluster warhead is a newly-developed one, devised during the absence of inspectors over the past four years, or whether its existence had been kept secret before 1998, when the inspectors left.2

In addition, the situation regarding anthrax stocks also remained unresolved.Despite receiving an updated report from Baghdad just before the war in Iraq began, UN inspectors continued to doubt that Iraq had destroyed all of its anthrax stores. In the report, Iraq tried to account for the destruction of 3,400 liters of anthrax agent at al-Hakam. A translation of the report from Arabic was completed recently and UNMOVIC experts have since reviewed the report.3

Citing data collected from soil samples, Iraq claimed it used a sufficient quantity of potassium manganate to neutralize all the anthrax at its al-Hakam facility. UNMOVIC spokesman Ewen Buchanan said commission experts were skeptical that the Iraqi report completely documented anthrax destruction activities.4

Even if the document were true, he said, Iraq had still not fully accounted for the remainder of the 8,445 liters of anthrax agent it had declared that it produced at two facilities and destroyed. Iraq previously had declared that some of the material had been loaded into aerial bombs and missile warheads.5

Three days before the war started, the Washington Post reported that despite US administration claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, US intelligence agencies had been unable to give Congress or the Pentagon specific information about the amounts of banned weapons or where they were hidden.6

Whether or not US or UK forces find chemical or biological weapons in Iraq over the next weeks or months, the data previously collected by UNMOVIC will be useful in a longer-term clarification of the situation."

Box 2:

What US inspectors are looking for:

Chemical Weapons:

80 tones of mustard gas unaccounted for by Iraq weaponized VX nerve agent-- UN says Iraq may have retained this stocks of tabun, sarin, cyclosarin-- UN disputes Iraq’s declaration on this

Biological weapons:

10,000 litres of anthrax-- “strong presumption” that this still exists according to the UN

3-11,000 litres of botulinum toxin--UN says Iraq failed to disprove figures of previous inspectors

Up to 5,600 litres of clostridium perfringens-- UN says Iraq failed to disprove figures of previous inspectors

Missiles:

86 Samoud 2 missiles which fly more than the permitted range of 150 km-- Out of 120 listed by UN, 34 have been destroyed

Scud and al-Hussein missiles system, plus 50 Scud-B warheads,-- UN says this “suggests” they may have been retained for “proscribed missile force”

Munitions: R-400 bombs, which can deliver chemical and biological weapons--(no comment from the UN on what's become of these).

Signs and indications, but no ‘smoking gun’

Despite frequent media reports that coalition military forces are finding ‘signs’ and ‘indications’ of chemical and biological weapons, usually turning out to be unspecified documents and possible dual-use equipment, to date no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons have been found.

Substantive evidence of a ‘smoking gun’ remains as elusive as ever.

As the coalition forces advanced increasing effort was devoted to locating CB weapons, but to no effect.

For example, an entire artillery brigade, typically comprising 3,000-5,000 soldiers, was retrained to secure and examine sites suspected of holding banned weapons. And the Pentagon offered rewards of up to $200,000 for help in finding Iraqi leaders or chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.14

www.basicint.org/iraqconflict/ Pubs/Web%20Notes/WN200603.pdf

[Doc91678]

To those of you out there that do not understand. Mustard gas is manufactured fro Thioglycolates. Basically the same starting ingredients that are used to make hair dyes and diplatories.
the starting ingredients were denied Saddam from the eighties until Mr. Clinton became. Saddam's only options were to purchase the materials from Europe. Primarily France and Germany. That is why the quality of the WMD is high.

[Maelstorm]

Yes and as for the chemical weapons being harmless it was only back in 2001 that WWI chemical weapons caused a town to be evacuated in Vimy France. WWI ended Nov 11, 1918 and those munitions were still dangerous 83 years later.

[Lekker 1]

I am more concerned about the Sarin rounds. I don't know exactly which type the Sarin rounds in Iraq are, but the American 155-mm Sarin (GB) projectiles each contain 6.5 pounds of Sarin. This is approximately 30,000 lethal percutaneous doses. If the GB Projos made it to the black market, those terrorists would never consider lauching the thing, they would drain the Agent out and use it at the Superbowl, or the NYC Subway system. The media is focused on the fact that the Iraqi artillery rounds are not in firing condition, but that is completely beside the point.

[steveegg]

"Scott Ritter. Paging Scott Ritter."

He's out to lunch at Burger King (if the money Saddam gave him for being one of his shills lasted that long, that is).

[maxwellp]

Let the lefties test these chemicals, under supervision.

[omega4179]

it is absurd now that kerry and the senate are debating when to lose the war now that it was based in fact on good intelligence and supported by 29 Dems

[lepton]

and that the he did produce looked exactly like normal shells.

Well, inside they look entirely different. From the outside, most countries use a color code, in addition to other minor differences. For the most part though, shells appearances are dictated by having to be fired from a gun.

[Spunky]

UMITILLA ARMY DEPOT

The facility was established in 1941 as an ordnance facility for storing conventional munitions in support of the United State's entry into World War II. The construction of 1,001 ammunition storage igloos began in February 1941. Subsequently, the functions of the Depot were extended to include ammunition demolition (1945), renovation (1947) and maintenance (1955). The U.S. Army began storing chemical munitions at the facility in 1962. Conventional (explosive) ordnance is no longer stored at UMCD. Chemical weapons are stored at a separate facility within the boundaries of the depot. These weapons are scheduled to be destroyed by 2004. No transfer of land will be made until the chemical weapons stored within the facility are neutralized.

Umatilla’s stockpile consists of projectiles, rockets, land mines, spray tanks and bombs containing the nerve agents GB and VX. Ton containers stored at the depot are filled with the blister agent HD, more commonly referred to as mustard agent. Chemical weapons storage facilities are operated under the U.S. Army Chemical and Biological Defense Command. Currently 12% of the nation's stockpiled chemical munitions are stored within UMCD. In 1986, in response to public concern about the potential health threat posed by the disposal of chemical weapons, Congress passed Public Law 99-145, which requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to dispose of chemical weapon stockpiles. In accordance with 50 U.S.C. (War and National Defense), (Chapter 32) section 1521, that mandates the destruction of chemical weapons by December 31, 2004, the U.S. Army plans to build and operate an incineration facility to treat the chemical weapons stockpiled at UMCD.
Umatilla Chemical Depot

If there is no problem with serin and mustard gas after so many years why was the Democrat Governor of Oregon so concerned about all the safty precautions before he would approve of the facility to burn these chemicals?

They can't make up their minds.

The burning facility was supposed to be up and running and all the chemicals burnt by 2004, but because of the Governor not giving his OK it was pushed up to 2007 and now it looks like 2009 before they are all burnt.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for the follow up reporting. The tide is slowly changing. I truely expect a lot more stuff to make the headlines eventually. Let Pelosi, Kerry, Kennedy, Murtha, and the rest of the goons, continue to shoot their stupid mouths off.
Word slowly gets around. Americans will start getting the idea these folks truely play politics, and it may be enough to keep and win new seats in 2006.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the info....this link might be useful:

Conflict in Iraq

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See link above and this link:

Although I am barely into looking at this stuff....may well be just another leftists web site....

Spent two and a half hours in the dentists chair finishing a root canal and getting a temporary crown....kinda drained....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Well...I thought I had done a link....

IRAQ WEAPONS INSPECTIONS DATABASE

That's better///

[jveritas]

I hope you are feeling better now EB.

[Eagles6]

I remember when the first IED using a sarin gas artillery shell was used against our troops. Martha Raditz on the Peter Jennings show said "We'll see if this rusty old shell will be enough to save the Republican cause for war" or something to that effect. These were not buried in a field in Europe. They were in bunkers in the desert and will keep for a long, long time.
A friend who is the sunni triangle on his second tour told of finding numerous bunkers during the invasion with barrels of "pesticides" stored next to binary chemical weapons artillery shells in bunkers. Who'da thought they had such a problem with roaches in those chemical weapons bunkers.
It's been proven, thanks in large part to jveritas, that sadamm had wmd, supported terrorists that wanted to destroy America, including al queda, had corrupted the un oil for food program and was rearming, was slaughtering muslims and bulldozing whole villages into mass graves and had kept the starter kit for nuclear weapons hidden from inspectors. In other words, all the reasons given by the President for going to war. Yet the msm and the democrats shout "He lied people died

[jveritas]

Thanks my FRiends :)