Kurdish Militants Conducted Tests With Deadly Toxin Ricin

Wall St. Journal ^ | Aug 20, 2002 | David S. Cloud

[The Raven]

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. has evidence that a Kurdish militant group with possible ties to al Qaeda has conducted crude chemical-weapons experiments in northern Iraq, a U.S. official said.

The group, Ansar al Islam, allegedly has been producing ricin, a toxin that can easily be made from castor beans, at a camp in northeastern Iraq. Intelligence reports indicate that at least one man and some farm animals died after exposure to the poison, the official said.

[Kermit]

"Ansar al Islam is a radical Islamic group that has gained followers in Kurdish areas of northern Iraq that aren't under the control of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein."

From previous reports about this group, they are NOT Kurdish, they're Arabs. They haven't GAINED followers in Northeren Iraq, they moved into the area, possibly with the support of Saddam. So, take this report with more than a grain of salt.

[Jake0001]

I don't understand why we wouldn't bomb them. We bomb stuff in Iraq all the time and they are likely well within the "no fly zone" that the US patrols anyway. Besides the patrols come from Turkey and to the Turks, dead Kurds are good Kurds.

To me it seems a no-brainer to go ahead to strafe the facility.