[cynwoody]

prototype based on the captured design, which comprised two separate chambers for sodium cyanide and a stable source of hydrogen, such as hydrochloric acid. A seal between the two could be broken by a remote trigger, producing the gas for dispersal. The prototype confirmed their worst fears: "In the world of terrorist weaponry," writes Suskind, "this was the equivalent of splitting the atom.

Sounds less than impressive to me. Sodium cyanide plus hydrochloric acid is just the old reliable San Quentin recipe. Drop the cyanide pellets into the acid, plop plop, fizz fizz, smell the apricots, and choke and croak! A subway car could make a serviceable green room, with seating for a few dozen instead of just two, but it escapes me how the "invention" solves the gas distribution problem to enable a larger attack.

[null and void]

To me cynaide smelled more like almonds.

[finnman69]

Sounds less than impressive to me. Sodium cyanide plus hydrochloric acid is just the old reliable San Quentin recipe. Drop the cyanide pellets into the acid, plop plop, fizz fizz, smell the apricots, and choke and croak! A subway car could make a serviceable green room, with seating for a few dozen instead of just two, but it escapes me how the "invention" solves the gas distribution problem to enable a larger attack.

Except if you consider a packed NYC ruh hour subway car probably has at least 100 passengers on board.

[GATOR NAVY]

A subway car could make a serviceable green room, with seating for a few dozen instead of just two, but it escapes me how the "invention" solves the gas distribution problem to enable a larger attack.

That may be so, but the psychological effect of such an attack would be far greater than the actual physical casualties.

[edpc]

Sounds less than impressive to me. Sodium cyanide plus hydrochloric acid is just the old reliable San Quentin recipe.

I agree to a point. I doubt they could manufacture a strong enough toxin and method of dispersion to cause huge numbers of casualties. It would probably be more like the Aum attack in Japan where many got sick, but the actual deaths were low, due to poor quality homemade nerve toxin and crude dispersal methods.

This, on the other hand, would be a different story. I know the chemical shells found in Iraq are after the planned attack, but that really isn't my point. People like to say there were no WMDs, but there were. After that, they say there were no stockpiles to justify the invasion. Well....a single drop of this type nerve toxin can kill. There are a lot of drops in 17 shells. People would rethink 'stockpile' if something like this were ever realeased in a NYC metro station.

Chemical Munitions In Iraq (July 2004)

[patton]

the subways pull the gunk through the tunnels in their wake