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If I remember my Chem school training correctly both nerve agents and pesticides are organophosphates that interfere with the cholinesterase that controls muscles. Malathion 50% solution distilled down is nearly as lethal as VX a most portent nerve agent. Then the question is how to make is a binary agent two separate chemicals that are mixed in the delivery vehicle as it is fired and then rotates in flight. This provides the greatest safety factor for friendly troops, allows for easier storage and transport of two separate inert chemicals and generally allows for easier de-weaponization as the separate binaries can usually have a legitimate civilian use.

That's the question if a government which cares about the safety of its troops wants to use nerve agents. The Iraqi 'pesticide dumps' contained drums of stuff which caused symptoms of nerve gas exposure in those who investigated them, field tested positive for the presence of nerve agents, but then were pronounced to be pesticides. According to the original report (see the link in my original post), all the facilities where these were found also had lots of gas masks.

Plainly it was some sort of fairly nasty organophosphates in the drums, already potent enough to have dilaterious effects on folks poking around in the room where it was stored. Two possiblities suggest themselves: the Baathists decided to settle for using a pesticide which was of similar toxicity to Sarin (say within an order of magnitude) as a nerve agent, or they had a process whereby the pesticide and some very common chemical were the components of a binary agent.

Good point.......but I believe the pesticides you're refering to are generally in the catagory of cholinesterase inhibitors which is more a function of having effects on the nervous system which in turn can affect the muscles.

Pesticides or chemicals which are cholinesterase inhibtors are in two catagories....reversable and not.

An overdose/exposure of the organophosphates you spoke of creates all kinds of malfunctions in the body and could, in my opinion, be very effective on the battle field where a person must be absolutely alert.

I've been wondering why nobody broached the question of pesticides found in Iraq being used for more nefarious perposes?

Some of the older pesticides, pretty much outlawed in most countries, are coumpounds of a organic-cholorine combination (example; Chlordane). Heating these to a temp of about 500 degrees can create the highly toxic phosgene gas.

Keep in mind too, pesticides encompasses a variety of coumpounds. Loosely speaking a pesticide is any chemical that creates a hostile environment for living organisms, prevents the growth of living organisms or kills living organisms.

Hence, pesticides include fungicides, herbicides/weed killers, insecticides, rodenticides, not to mention disinfectants, biocides, sanitizers, slimacides, ect.

I worked for a chemical company for almost 30 years and at one time held a private applicators license.....it's been a while so I don't claim the above is absolutely correct....but y'all get the idea. Somebody should have held the found pesticides up to a greater scrutiny.