Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Just How Deadly Is Assad's Arsenal? (Much Worse Than You Can Imagine)
Foeign Policy ^ | July 16, 2012 | John Reed

Posted on 11/22/2012 4:54:28 PM PST by lbryce

The latest estimates say that the Assad regime has hundreds of tons of mustard gas, a blister agent, and large stockpiles of sarin and possibly VX, both of which are nerve agents -- all of which can be launched by Scud missiles, artillery, or aircraft, according to Charles Blair, a specialist in chemical and biological weapons at the Federation of American Scientists. "I've heard that Syria has 100 to 200 missiles with nerve agents loaded and ready to go, but that seems extreme," said Blair, noting that the nerve agents are usually stored separately from the weapons and that exact estimates about the size of the regime's stockpile are almost impossible to come by.

Although the U.S. government has released only vague estimates as to the size of Syria's chemical and biological weapons stockpile, Dempsey told lawmakers in March that the arsenal was "100 times the magnitude we experienced in Libya." Libya acceded to the international Chemical Weapons Convention in 2004 and had largely destroyed its useful stockpile of such weapons by the time Qaddafi's regime fell in 2011, according to Blair.

(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2004; 2011; assad; biological; blisteragent; iraqiwmd; libya; libyanwmd; mustardgas; nerveagent; nervegas; poison; roachspray; syria; syrianwar; syrianwmd; vx; wmd
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-65 last
To: jmacusa

“No doubt. Todays chemical are not the kind used in the First World War. My late grandfather served in the Untied States First Gas and Flame regiment in WW1. He was wounded three types by gas and had a portion of one lung removed. Only one wound resulted from German gas, the other two were from his own units stuff that blew back on them.”

First, my thanks to the Grandfather for his service and sacrifice. Chemical warfare is pretty deadly stuff.

Many of the chemical agents still considered a threat today were first used in WWI. However, there are many new ones as well.

The ones mentioned in the article are the “Nerve Agents.” These are really just very potent insecticides. The kill by disrupting the operation of nerve cells (neurons) and causing a rigid paralysis of muscle...causing you to suffocate because you can no longer breath properly. What makes them so bad is that they require such a very small dose to kill.


61 posted on 11/23/2012 10:58:02 AM PST by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

But it’s okay, because the Assad dynasty has always been so good to Syrian Christians.

[yes, I threw up a little]

Thanks lbryce.


62 posted on 11/23/2012 7:02:50 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: hannibaal

Yes. You watch from the sidelines and root for both sides to win.

I don’t think your take on Iran is correct though. They are looking via nukes and proxies to be the hegemon in the region.


63 posted on 11/23/2012 8:21:59 PM PST by dervish (either the vote was corrupt or the electorate is)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Sola Veritas

Check out ‘’mutagens’’. These are nightmarish. They affect genes and genetic structures in the body.


64 posted on 11/24/2012 3:06:22 AM PST by jmacusa (Political correctness is cultural Marxism. I'm not a Marxist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Cronos

Absolutely. Stir the pot. Trust neither.


65 posted on 11/24/2012 11:56:21 AM PST by Eleutheria5 (End the occupation. Annex today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-65 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson