Hundreds of Iraq police fall ill at meal

AP via Yahoo ^ | October 8, 2006 | QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA

[cgk]

Iraq Watch: Iraq ... was also known to be working on ... mycotoxins, ...

More: Mycotoxins: Trichothecene mycotoxins are a family of poisonous compounds made from a mold that grows on wheat, millet and barley. Mycotoxins can be absorbed by the skin, inhaled or ingested. These toxins attack the cells of bone marrow, skin, and the G-I tract. They also block blood clotting. It takes only about 35 milligrams in aerosol form to kill an average man, but mycotoxins are considered only moderately lethal. Iraq provided no documentation on its work, so inspectors never determined how much may have been produced.

[null and void]

On Yahoo news it said the fast is sunrise to sunset.

Sunrise and sunset are defined as when you can distinguish the difference between a black thread and a white one. Well before and well after what we regard as sunrise and sunset.

Especially nice when it's 118° in the shade, and there is no shade...

[Alas Babylon!]

I see I arrived at this conclusion way too late!

Oh well, GMTA!

[NinoFan]

I'm going to guess Ricin.

[FairOpinion]

AM -- would you consider adding to the title in paranthesis, or first post something like:

(symptoms consistent with mustard gas attack, post 163)?

As we were all trying to figure out how poison in food can cause such quick reaction and "bleeding from nose and mouth", 'michigander' found and posted in post 163 the info and source (Global Security):

excerpt:

"IRAQI MUSTARD GAS--IRAQI FORCES HAD AN
EXTREMELY POTENT GAS CALLED "KHARDAL" IN ARABIC. (FLDCMT--KHARDAL
TRANSLATES IN ENGLISH AS MUSTARD.) THE GAS WAS ORIGINALLY
MANUFACTURED IN THE SOVIET UNION BUT IS NOW MADE IN SAMARAH, IZ
//3412N04352E//. SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE INCLUDE BLEEDING FROM THE
EYES, EARS, AND NOSE TWO MINUTES AFTER EXPOSURE."


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716003/posts?page=163#163

====

After reading everything this is the only thing that makes sense: the poison wasn't in the food, the Iraqis were gassed at the end of their meal.

[cgk]

Their falling ill en masse only indicates that they consumed it en masse, too. Nowhere is it following from that they had to consume it at the meal immediately preceding the symptoms - given the ramadan fast and the evening meals during it, they could have been fed the stuff the evening before.

Is there any kind of poison or agent that would act this way? Wait almost 24 hours and then suddenly attack 600-700 people as soon as they eat? Or are there poisons/agents they could have been exposed to earlier in the day some other way, and eating triggered the reactions? (I feel like I am reading a Kyle Mills novel!)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS,,At this point anything is possible,,,

[GSlob]

"Same stuff that woman used in the movie "9 to 5".
-???-
Sorry, but as a mental prophylactics [one loses 1 IQ point for every stupid book or idiotic movie one gets exposed to] I have not been going to movies for the last 25 years, nor do I even have a TV or VCR. As a side benefit, this helps me to keep my money and not give it to the Hollywood types who already have more than me. Not having a TV puts me in the same position regarding the professional sports - "not a cent!"

[Doofer]

Mustard Gas is also a blister agent. I'm willing to bet that you're right about this thing and we'll be hearing reports of the victims suffering from blisters in addition to the symptoms already reported.

[TNdandelion]

I have to agree.

A couple years ago, I had to rush my beagle to the Vet ER after she ate a small block of D-Con (rat poison). I pulled quite a bit of it out of her mouth/throat and the vet induced vomitting at the clinic. But even so, her blood clotting ability had been somewhataffected within the hour it took me to drive her in and get her looked at. She survived.

Anything that fast acting is extremely disturbing. It wasn't the typical rat poison you buy off the hardware store shelf!

[FairOpinion]

"Blame the dems if you want. In this instance it is simply untrue."

===

You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to call others "idiots" because they disagree with you.

[null and void]

Hmmmm. And mustard gas has a garlicky smell. Wanna bet the iftar meal was heavily laced with garlic?

[ConservativeMind]

From Wikipedia:

Mustard gas is a strong vesicant (blister-causing agent). Those exposed usually suffer no immediate symptoms. Within 4 to 24 hours the exposure develops into deep, itching or burning blisters wherever the mustard contacted the skin; the eyes (if exposed) become sore and the eyelids swollen, possibly leading to conjunctivitis and blindness. At very high concentrations, if inhaled, it causes bleeding and blistering within the respiratory system, damaging the mucous membrane and causing pulmonary edema. Blister agent exposure over more than 50% body surface area is usually fatal.

I don't know if it fits well enough yet, FairOpinion.

[kinoxi]

In my opinion blaming democrats on US soil for these unfortunate deaths was idiotic.

[COEXERJ145]

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/sulfurmustard/basics/facts.asp

[cgk]

Me too. :(

[COEXERJ145]

Actually, Mustard Gas can be odorless. The smell is caused by impurities.

[CarryaBigStick]

LOL!!

[ARealMothersSonForever]

I think that we can wait for a follow-up. michigander has provided the only solid information that fits the early reports. Someone wrote earlier that the only food he could think of that would make your ears bleed, is a frozen pot roast fired through your skull. They were likely correct. Dog called it a WMD hit early on.

[FairOpinion]

Wikipedia is really not the most authoritative source.


What michigander posted in post 163 was from intel sources, about a potent mustard gas in Iraq, that they got from the Soviets, and specifically said it caused bleeding from the mouth and ears within 2 minutes.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716003/posts?page=163#163


He also posted the source right at the top of his post, at Global Security, from DoD.