Forty hurt in Bulgaria gas attack

BBC ^ | 9 April, 2004 | BBC

[Eurotwit]

At least 40 people have been hurt, some seriously, in a poison gas attack in the Bulgarian capital. A bomb containing a toxic chloride gas was thrown into a visitors' area in a Sofia traffic police office, the Interior Ministry said.

At least one person was said to be in a life-threatening condition and four others were critically ill.

Police said a suspect was held two hours after the attack, but there was no word on possible motive.

The attack occurred at 1000 (0700GMT) when the office was crowded with people.

The health ministry identified the chemical as chloropicrin, a pesticide that has also been used in the past as a military-grade tear gas.

It can be extremely dangerous when inhaled in large quantities.

Officials later said the gas content in the air had dropped back to safe levels.

"We have measured for poisonous emissions in the air...and there is no further danger to the public," a civil defence official said.

Deadly gas

Inhaling significant quantities of chloropicrin damages the breathing system, and can cause vomiting, the lungs to fill with fluid and eventually to death.

In smaller quantities it causes skin and eye irritation.

It is used mainly as a pesticide and to combat fungi in soil, but can also be used in treating timber. It was used in chemical weapons in World War I by both Germany and the Allies.

[Dane]

Is Bulgaria part of the coalition?

[Support Free Republic]

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[proxy_user]

The traffic police?

I think I know what the investigation will discover....

[mtbopfuyn]

Ya know, if the traffic police wouldn't give out speeding tickets this wouldn't have happened.

[Cap Huff]

Yes, Bulgaria is part of the Coalition.

[boxerblues]

Yes, they have some troops in the Karbula area

[Peter J. Huss]

Yes. They were forced to leave Kut because the US could not send reinforcements. We now have retaken Kut.

Gas attack = bad.

[FreedomPoster]

It was Ukranians in Kut, not Bulgarians.

[Cap Huff]

This from a Bulgarian source:

Bulgaria's Iraq Base under Mortar Fire

Politics: 9 April 2004, Friday.
Mortars were fired at the Bulgarian base in Karbala on Thursday evening. Over the last week, Shiite insurgents have been trying to seize the city hall and the police office.

Last night, attacks on the municipal hall continued. Bulgarian and US soldiers managed to drive off the attackers.

None of the Bulgarian soldiers got injured.

Army Headquarters, however, were apparently disturbed by the news of aggravating hostilities in Karbala. Officials used satellite to contact the Karbala unit on Friday, and make sure there were no casualties.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=33212

[Dane]

Yes, Bulgaria is part of the Coalition.

Thank you for the information.

JMO, from initial reports could be another terrorist attack towards a coalition ally.

[boxerblues]

When will they start calling this WWIII. Coalition of the willing countries under attack for supporting the US in Iraq.

[Eurotwit]

Yes, Bulgaria is part of the coalition. In fact they are probably engaged as we speak along with polish troops around Karbala.

[txrangerette]

But wait, IRAQI bad guys in sync
with al-Queda terror cells in EU?

The Dems/Media know better.

Right?

[boxerblues]

Dont forget about the Iranian "pilgrims". We all know this is Bushs fault and that we are the bad guys in world. If we would just bend over all the violence in the world would stop.

[Cap Huff]

That would be my take on it too. I'd give it maybe 80 or 90% al-Qaeda inspired, get out of Iraq motivated. There is always the chance that it is related to something else, but given the timing I'd lean heavy toward the Iraq connection.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Poison Gas. Doesn't that qualify as a WMD? I bet the media will say not, claiming the dual use nature of this gase disqualifies it as a WMD.

[af_vet_rr]

Yes, Bulgaria is part of the coalition. In fact they are probably engaged as we speak along with polish troops around Karbala.

As international politics begans to sort out, it's interesting that many nations are hanging in there with us, and who they are. Some people may say "Germany and France are not behind us, the horror", but for every one of those, there is a Poland, a Ukraine, a Bulgaria, a Japan, an Italy, that are hanging in there along with us and the main allies (England/UK, and Australia).

I've been very impressed with Japan, and their resolve. They are just coming to terms with deploying troops outside of Japan, and then to have the hostages taken and threatened to be burned alive on TV.

[traumer]

"Is Bulgaria part of the coalition? "

Yes. It is also a new member of NATO.

[white trash redneck]

Any info on whether the perps are adhere to the Religion of Peace?