http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...md_030407175243

"Smoking gun" WMD site in Iraq turns out to contain pesticide
1 hour, 54 minutes ago Add Mideast - AFP to My Yahoo!


NEAR NAJAF, Iraq (AFP) - A facility near Baghdad that a US officer had said might finally be "smoking gun" evidence of Iraqi chemical weapons production turned out to contain pesticide, not sarin gas as feared.

A military intelligence officer for the US 101st Airborne Division's aviation brigade, Captain Adam Mastrianni, told AFP that comprehensive tests determined the presence of the pesticide compounds.

Initial tests had reportedly detected traces of sarin -- a powerful toxin that quickly affects the nervous system -- after US soldiers guarding the facility near Hindiyah, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Baghdad, fell ill.

Mastrianni said: "They thought it was a nerve agent. That's what it tested. But it is pesticide."

He said a "theatre-level chemical testing team" made up of biologists and chemists had finally disproved the preliminary field tests results and established that pesticide was the substance involved.

Mastrianni added that sick soldiers, who had become nauseous, dizzy and developed skin blotches, had all recovered.

The turnaround was an embarrassment for the US forces in the region, which had been quick to say that they thought they had finally found the proof they have been actively looking for that Iraq (news - web sites) was hiding weapons of mass destruction.

A spokesman for the US army's 3rd Infantry Division, Major Ross Coffman, had told journalists at Baghdad's airport that the site "could be a smoking gun".

"We are talking about finding a site of possible weapons of mass destruction," he added.

The fact that the coalition forces have come up with no clear evidence of WMD after capturing much of Iraq in 19 days of fighting has raised questions over the war's justification.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I still support the war regardless of what they find but the cases of trumpeting findings as loudly and quickly as possible that turn out to be false alarms is getting annoying. One of the disadvantages to the embedded media.

Long Live Saddam!

I have NEVER met more peace loving leader than my martyr Saddam Hussein!

fuckin' yankees,
destroying his statues is a feeble act to destroy art industry in Iraq, that's all!

if anybody has bronze statue of Saddam,
I am a buyer and pay anything you want in the most stable currency in the world-
iraqi dinnars!

Guess you didn't read the part where I said I support the war regardless of whether they find WMD.

Many Pesticides are Nerve Agents - http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/types.htm

I guess Iraq needs lots of pesticides because of their thriving agricultural program :blink:

Yeah I think Iraqis like to spread the pesticides by putting them into short range "Frogger" missiles. I guess it works better against bugs that way!

US National Public Radio reports 20 medium-range BM-21 rockets equipped with sarin and mustard gas found near Baghdad. Top official with 1st Marine Division quoted as saying rockets were ready to fire.


As Rumsfield said, it will take days to figure out what is what... People in the US ( including me) are impatient, we want to know immediately, but sometimes it takes time....

I think there is still a threat of these types of weapons being used still. Saddam could be in Tikrit where he thinks he has better support then in Baghdad. He is still very dangerous, we still have a long way to go.

TE,
I take is as a NO to my offer to sell me Saddam's statues...
;-(((

shit, you war mungers are all the same and go out of your ways to kill my art ASSpirations...
;-(((

MikeAI,
the ONLY nreason to fire those shells was to protect the statues...

I am cautiously optimistic to get my hands on those beauties and FINALLY have my sttue collection put the Louvre to shame....

Serge, I understand you have some problems with Mosquites lately. I suggest you get some Sarin load it into some missiles and lauch it towards your pool. Should take care of your INSECT problems!!

what about my INSEST problem???
;-)))

http://www.wyldesites.com/sergespitzvirgin.jpg

I think Sarin Gas could help out that problem as well!!!

HAHAHA

ok, I am out of here to see the fine Iraqi/Canadien Ballet..Joffrey rocks!
;-))) :rokk:

I think that was my point when I said that is what happens when you have embedded reporters and people too eager to report about stuff. I would rather have them wait and give accurate info rather than jump at every little thing and blare it as loudly as possible only to come back later and say.. "Oops, we didn't have all the facts there yet."