Posted on 10/08/2006 10:15:15 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Hundreds of Iraqi policemen fell sick from poisoning tonight at their base in the southern part of the country after the evening meal breaking their daily Ramadan fast, raising fears of a new type of terrorist attack – perhaps even involving chemical, biological or nerve agents.
Some of the policemen reportedly began bleeding from the ears and nose immediately after the meal...
The suddenness and severity of the mass poisoning immediately raised fears of a new kind of terrorist attack for the nation of Iraq where weapons of mass destruction have not been used since Saddam Hussein was in power.
Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein had an extremely potent mustard gas called "khardal" in Arabic. It was originally manufactured in Russia. Symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose two minutes after exposure.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
Hundreds of Iraq police fall ill at meal
Seems like WND either read one of our FReeper's, , michigander's posts about mustard gas being an agent that was found in Iraq and exposure produces bleeding of the nose and ears, or have done their own research and came to a conclusion that mustard gas could at least be considered as an agent that caused the illness.
PING
Nah, there were no WMD in Iraq.../s
Where would terrorists get chemical weapons? There weren't any WMD in Iraq.
But Iraq doesn't have any WMD.
Dreadful, just dreadful.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/021114/2002111406.html
Washington's worries over Iraq's demands for Atropine
Iraq-USA, Politics, 11/14/2002
The US has expressed concern over the information rumored by the mass media on Iraq's request of more than one million of doses of Atropine -- which is used for immunization against Khardal gas (chemical) from a Turkish company.
In a press statement a high ranking official at the US Department of State said that Washington is concerned over this Iraqi demand which includes 1.25 million dose which was handed over for the UN.
The source added that Washington discussed this issue with Ankara, adding that similar demands for the same material might be handed over to other countries which he did not identify.
For his part, the spokesman for the US Department of State, Richard Boucher, said that Iraq's demand for amounts of Atropine that exceed ordinary humanitarian needs is a source of concern because this might indicate preparations for using chemical weapons and the desire of Iraq to ensure protection for its forces from using these weapons.
On Tuesday, the US secretary of state Colin Powell said replying to a question in this regard in conclusion of a meeting he had held with the UN secretary general Kofi Annan that Atropine is a dual military and civilian use material, but its basic use is an for immunization against poisonous gases.
On Tuesday the New York Times daily quoted high ranking officials in the Bush administration saying that Iraq has asked, through a Turkish company to get large amounts of Atropine material which is an immunization for Khardal gas and that the US is pressuring the said company in order not to implement the contract.
Hmmm
At some point it was reported that we found mustard gas in the Euphrates river, during routine testing of the water -- during the 2003 war. It seemed this was one way they were getting rid of it.
ON the other thread everyone was trying to come up with some poison, that would act so quickly and cause these symptoms, but nobody could, that included people doing searches.
Until michigander posted the intel info about the mustarg gas and low and behold it specifically said that it caused bleeding from the mouth and nose within two minutes of exposure.
I hope they will test the place for residue of mustard gas, not just test the food and drinks.
"Iraq's demand for amounts of Atropine that exceed ordinary humanitarian needs is a source of concern because this might indicate preparations for using chemical weapons and the desire of Iraq to ensure protection for its forces from using these weapons. "
Interesting. Thanks for posting it.
Not much worth bragging about there, to say we beat AP or Reuters.
(Damn straight we're better - <grin>)
Ping
Atropine is the antidote for nerve gas agents such as Sarin, Tabun, or Vx.
WOW!!!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1716099/posts?page=10#8
Thought this would interest you (from previous posts)
Busy night... Also check out post #8.
I've seen no proof that you're not really Bill Clinton or Helen Thomas.
(I checked SNOPES too. They don't say you're not.)
Thanks for sharing your personal experience. It's unimaginable that people calling themselves human being can do this. Anyone perpetrating these horrors doesn't deserve to be called human and needs to be exterminated.
And be sure to check out
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716003/posts?page=163#163
Iraq had/still has WMD? Oh surely that isn't so.......it can't be, since the MSM and all of the Dems keep telling us now, after years and years and years of saying there were, that there aren't any WMDS there and never was any.
Document Dated February/3/2003: Chemical Gears for The Chemical Group http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1603039/posts
But Thallium doesn't cause "bleeding of the nose and ears shortly after ingestion".
There are quick acting poisons, but not with those symptoms.
So far the mustard gas theory was the one that matched the symptoms and very short timeline.
People considered warfarin, ricin, but the symtoms and timeline couldn't be made to match.
The story is from World Net Daily.
Thanks for the info. I know thallium is deadly and was used in rat poisons. In rats, at least, it kills quickly.
Wow, thanks for that link in #21. I just pinged my list to michigander's post.
I had it in my first post, but I figured people may miss clicking on it, that's why I posted it again.
You're exactly right. I can imagine one or two people that are mental cases doing something like this but these terrorists are all like this.
But I think they may have gotten the idea ( note the "MAY HAVE") from a FReeper post,please go back to my post 1.
And even if they did get it from there, they recognized that it made a lot of sense and were willing to take a chance and go with it, at least as a possibility.
Is it just me or is this a little worrying considering that NK just detonated what looks like a baby nuke or an atomic fizzle tonight as well?
Ping for later
It's not you, the entire world has gone stark raving mad in the past 24 hours.
I'd like to kick the dims in the teeth for their BLATANT LIES about the WMDs in Iraq. The WOT has just been ratcheted up about ten thousand notches.
God help us!
Is this being reported in the media,does fox know this ?
Only WorldNetDaily picked it up.
But hopefully others will pick it up from them and from FR.
NOVEMBER 27, 2002 - MARCH 7, 2003 : (UNMOVIC INSPECTORS ARRIVE IN IRAQ, UNMOVIC BEGINS DESTRUCTION OF 50 LITERS OF MUSTARD GAS IRAQ ADMITTED IT HAD) Since the arrival of the first inspectors in Iraq on 27 November 2002, UNMOVIC has conducted more than 550 inspections covering approximately 350 sites, 44 of which were new. All inspections were performed without notice and, in virtually all cases, access was provided promptly. In no case have the inspectors seen convincing evidence that the Iraqi side knew in advance of their impending arrival. The UNMOVIC has identified and started the destruction of approximately 50 litres of mustard declared by Iraq.- according to the UN, "Statements to the UN Security Council by two Inspectors and Members of the SC, 7 Mar 2003 ," UN Press Release SC/7682, 07/03/2003, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/859554/posts
that translation you mentioned would fit into the time period in my last post.
#24 & #38
BTTT
woner=wonder, sorry.
Iraq PM orders probe into mass poisoning of police
Mon Oct 9, 2006 8:18am ETBy Jaafar al-Taie
NUMANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered an investigation on Monday into a case of food poisoning that left hundreds of policemen ill.
It was not clear if the poisoning of at least 350 police was deliberate, but police sources said they arrested four cooks suspected of tampering with food at the Iraqi military base in Numaniya, about 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
"The (Prime Minister) has ordered the formation of a committee to investigate why members of the police force were poisoned," Maliki's office said.
Iraq's Health Ministry said on Monday an early investigation into the Numaniya poisoning showed a chemical substance was used that caused difficulty in breathing and severe pain in limbs. They said 17 people had seizures after they broke their fast on Sunday evening.
A military spokesman denied reports of fatalities.
"Only 350 to 400 people were poisoned, they were given medical treatment instantly and four were taken to a nearby hospital and everyone has returned to normal," spokesman Brigadier Qasim al-Musawi told a news conference.
However, Lieutenant-Colonel Hasan Nima at the base said the policemen, from the Interior Ministry's 4th division, became ill only minutes after the meal and insisted at least 1,350 of the 2,000 policemen at the base were hospitalized.
Other police sources at the base said seven people had died.
Last Updated: Monday, 9 October 2006, 09:33 GMT 10:33 UKPolice fall ill in central Iraq
Eighty-nine Iraqi police needed medical treatment after an outbreak of sickness and diarrhoea at a base in central Iraq, health ministry officials say.They say infected water is the most likely cause of illness in the town of Numaniya. The US military says some 200-300 people are affected.
Iraqi ambulances and US helicopters took the men to hospitals, and samples of food and water were being tested.
Iraqi and US officials denied earlier reports that some of the men had died.
The policemen started falling ill soon after breaking their daylight Ramadan fast on Sunday, officials said.
There had been suggestions that the suddenness and severity of the sickness pointed to deliberate poisoning.
The outbreak happened in the 4th police division - a largely Shia unit.
It is currently stationed in Numaniya - about 80km (60 miles) south-east of Baghdad.
Monday October 9, 4:49 PMThree Iraqi police die, hundreds sick after suspect meal
Hundreds of members of an Iraqi police unit fell sick and three died after eating a suspect meal, their commander said, although officials played down the idea of a deliberate poisoning.Colonel Badr al-Ziadi said his men started falling ill immediately after breaking their daylight Ramadan fast on Sunday at the Numaniyah training base in eastern Iraq, and that 60 of them had required hospital treatment.
"We are not sure whether there was something in the water or if the food was spoiled," the commander from the 4th police division, a largely Shiite unit answering to the interior ministry, told AFP.
A spokesman for the inerior ministry, Brigadier Abdel-Karim Khalaf, played down the incident, which he said appeared to be caused by food poisoning.
This analysis was backed up by the regional governor, Latif al-Tarfah, who confirmed that three officers had died, but also said that an accidental contamination was the most likely explanation.
Oct. 9, 2006, 9:47AMIraqis probe food poisoning of cops
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRAAssociated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq - Authorities arrested the head of the mess hall where at least 350 Iraqi policemen suffered food poisoning, and a military spokesman said Monday that it was likely the poisonings were intentional.
Brig. Qassim al-Moussawi, a senior spokesman for the Iraqi military, denied that anyone had died after Sunday's evening meal breaking the daily Ramadan fast.
On Sunday night, an official in the Environment Ministry, Jassim al-Atwan, said 11 policemen had died. The governor of the local province of Wasit, Hamad al-Latif, said "hundreds of soldiers were poisoned" at the police base in Numaniyah, but nobody had died.
Al-Moussawi put the number of poisoned policemen at 350 to 400, but said only four victims were admitted to hospital.
"A number of people have been arrested, including the man in charge of the mess hall," al-Moussawi said.
He said investigators were pursuing two theories _ the first that spoiled food was used in the meal, perhaps as part of a corruption scheme by the contractors or officers at the base to skim off funds for the food.
But al-Moussawi said that possibility was "less likely. The stronger possibility is that it was intentional sabotage."
Gov. al-Latif said the base's food and water are supplied by an Australian contractor working through Iraqi subcontractors. He did not identify the Australian company. The food is prepared elsewhere and brought to the base.
Al-Moussawi said the contractors, workers at the location where the food is prepared and others were under investigation, but would not say how many had been detained.
Sunni insurgents fighting the police and military have not been known to use poison as a weapon. The afflicted policemen belong to the 4th Division of the National Police, whose officers are mainly Shiites.
The division normally operates around the town of Salman Pak on the southeastern outskirts of Baghdad _ an area of intense Shiite-Sunni fighting.
The division was sent to the base in Numaniyah, 60 miles southeast of the capital, for further training.
Hundreds of Iraqi police poisoned
www.chinaview.cn 2006-10-09 10:59:08BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Hundreds of Iraqi policemen fell ill from poisoning Sunday after having their evening meal at a base located in the town of Numaniyah, southern Iraq.
Officials said they were investigating whether the poisoning was intentional, according to media reports Monday.
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.
"Hundreds of soldiers were poisoned after taking food and water in the iftar," said Wasit Governor Hamad al-Latif, referring to the meal that breaks the sunrise-to-sunset Ramadan fast. "Investigations are under way to determine the cause."
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.
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.
Between 600-700 policemen were affected to varying degrees, and 11 who had the heaviest amount of the food had died, al-Atwan told AP.
Some of the soldiers collapsed as soon as they stood up from the 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.
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. Enditem
(Agencies)
Mo Faster and Accurate!
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