Posted on 10/08/2006 4:40:30 PM PDT by ARealMothersSonForever
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of Iraqi policemen fell sick from poisoning Sunday at a base in southern Iraq after the evening meal breaking their daily Ramadan fast, and officials said they were investigating whether the poisoning was intentional.
An official with the Environment Ministry said 11 policemen had died. However, the governor of Wasit province — where the poisoning took place — denied any deaths, though he said some of the victims were in critical condition. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory reports.
Some of the policemen began bleeding from the ears and nose after the meal, said Jassim al-Atwan, an inspector for the Environment Ministry, who was serving as a liaison in the investigation between the Health Ministry and the base, located in the town of Numaniyah.
"Hundreds of soldiers were poisoned after taking food and water in the iftar," Wasit Gov. Hamad al-Latif told the Associated Press, referring to the meal that breaks the sunrise-to-sunset fast during the Islamic holy month. "Investigations are under way to determine the cause."
Samples of the food and water were being tested "to determine the substance in them" and will be sent to Baghdad for further tests, al-Latif said.
Sunni insurgents who have targeted police and military forces with bombings and shootings have not been known to use poisoning as a weapon. But the suddenness and severity of the sickness raised speculation that the incident could be a new attack. The division is mainly made up of Shiites.
Between 600-700 policemen were affected to varying degrees, and 11 who had the heaviest amount of the food had died, al-Atwan told The Associated Press.
Some of the soldiers collapsed as soon as they stood up from them meal, others fell "one after the other" as they headed out to the yard in the base to line up in formation, al-Atwan said.
Iraqi ambulances and helicopters sent by the U.S. military rushed the policemen to hospitals in Numaniyah and the nearby city of Kut.
The afflicted policemen belonged to the 4th Division of the National Police, nicknamed the "Karrar" Division, after a title of Imam Ali, the most revered Shiite saint.
The division normally operates around the town of Salman Pak on the southeastern outskirts of Baghdad — an area of intense Shiite-Sunni killings. The division was sent to the base in Numaniyah, 60 miles southeast of the capital, for further training.
Al-Latif said food and water at the base are provided by an Australian contractor working through Iraqi subcontractors. He did not identify the Australian firm.
I asked a question.
Yeah, you sure did.
Bingo.
I thought about TPA but what about a huge amount of good old salicylic acid?
As to the second half of your post:
ohshit...
Was that vitamin A or vitamin k as vitamin K is the specific antidote to coumadin/warfarin?
USGS not reporting a blast related quake.
Yet.
No confirmation on any Global Seismic monitors... this would be a seismic event...
So our pathologist has said....
Yep. 5 minutes ago. Wonder what the response will be.
The Left always blame us, Bush, conservatives in general, Americans, etc when they want to promote their world view. Do you remember the drumbeat of blame about thousands of Iraqi children dying because of UN sanctions. No Americans were starving Iraqis, and as it turned out not even Saddam was starving Iragis - he used food supplies as control over the people - but the accusation made a good soundbite.
We, the Right, need to use a similar soundbite tactic to fight the powers of the anti-American Left. We have been weak on this front.
That is how I read the comment that started this debate tonight. Sometimes there is a shorthand in posters' words that is missed by some readers, who take comments in their most literal sense.
Still not quick enough,,,,,and aspirin is very tart, large doses would be detected....the vinegar sublimation fumes would be noticeable!
This is very exotic. As an ICU RN, I know that heparin has quick onset of action but its half life is very short...perhaps a weaponized powder in large doses could sicken folks quickly as it could be absorbed through the mucous membranes...but it would be destroyed in the stomachs, and with a half life of 30-60 minutes it would have to be a wopping dose and... there would have to be a precipitating insult...say a weakened vessel with hypertension or a GI excoriations for any bleeding to ensue...
Note to all!
If you are taking an anti-clotting agent that contains warfarin you must refrain from using any ginseng (Panax ginseng or Panax quinquefolium). Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) not included since it is not a true ginseng.
http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/90/100562.htm
I think the mustard gas is a good guess. Mucous membrane bleeding rather than systemic anti-coagulation.
It seems it can be put into water.
"COUMADIN (crystalline warfarin sodium) is an anticoagulant which acts by inhibiting vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. Chemically, it is 3-( -acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin and is a racemic mixture of the R- and S-enantiomers." http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/warfarin.htm
Vitamin A may be in the mix somewhere but it's vitamin k dependent co-factors that coumadin acts on!
strychnine is fast acting..not sure about the bleeding ears though. Now T-2 mycotoxin might do the trick, but it seems pretty elaborate
ment to ping you in #279
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