Posted on 10/21/2004 11:45:00 PM PDT by Jeff Head
This compound is extremely hazardous because of its lack of warning properties and delayed biological effects. It may cause burns of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Eye damage may be permanent. Effects may be delayed occurring hours after exposure. Skin permeation may occur in toxic amounts. Both the fumes and the liquid may produce severe irritation. Inhalation may cause irritation of the nose, throat and lungs. Death may occur from overexposure. Prolonged exposures may cause liver and kidney effects. DuPont controls this compound as a potential carcinogen.Also note the barrel indicating it is some sort of chlorine. Chlorine Gas was also a chemical weapon used in World War I. Crates, barrels and boxes of other stuff as well. I believe the Kurds and the Iranians were familiar with some of this stuff.
Dimethyl sulfate vapor and liquid is extremely hazardous because of its deficient warning properties (NO ODOR THRESHOLD, LOOKS LIKE WATER, AND HAS ANALGESIC EFFECTS) and delayed biological effects. DMS hydrolyzes to methyl hydrogen sulfate and eventually sulfuric acid and methanol. Skin or eye contact with low concentrations of Dimethyl Sulfate may cause analgesia (numbness). Therefore, the corrosive action of Dimethyl Sulfate may not be readily detected.
Skin contact with Dimethyl Sulfate may cause skin burns or ulceration. Inital effects include itching, reddening of the skin followed hours later by severe blistering. Evidence suggests that skin permeation can occur in amounts capable of producing the effects of systemic toxicity. Eye contact with Dimethyl Sulfate may cause eye corrosion with corneal or conjunctival ulceration. Permanent eye damage may occur. Both the vapors and the liquid can cause severe irritation; upon slight vapor exposure the whites of the eyes turn red (bloodshot).
Ingestion of Dimethyl Sulfate may cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat and gastrointestinal tract.
Inhalation of Dimethyl Sulfate may cause irritation of the upper respiratory passages, angioneurotic edema of larynx with hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing; temporary lung irritation effects with productive cough, discomfort, difficulty breathing, chest pain, shortness of breath or cyanosis; or possibly modest initial symptoms, followed in hours by severe shortness of breath, requiring prompt medical attention. In severe poisonings, central nervous system effects may occur which include unconsciousness, cramps or convulsions, and paralysis. Fatality may result from gross overexposure.
There's no doubt he had the stuff. He used it in the past and that use is well documented.
Exactly.
It's up to you to believe that or not...but that doesn't change the reality of it one way or another.
What do they mean? IMHO, they mean Saddam had plenty of material. in the possession of the ministry of defense to make chemical WMDs. I do not believe that is, or ever has been in doubt. They just haven't found stockpiles of the actual weaposn for this particular stuff.
I personally do not believe WMD reasoning was a good one to go to war anyway...never have. We should have taken Saddam down long before for his repeated violations of the agreements he signed to end Desert Storm.
You're welcome my friend. He will see you post and thanks on this thread himself, but I will pass it along.
Thank you for those kind words.
I agree 100%.
DMS is nasty stuff.
Just posting what a friend took there and asked to be posted. It's generated some good discussion and that is a good thing. Wish we had a lot more of that on so many issues.
bump
Thanks for the information!
What Blix said and Clinton's reaction to it is something that is supposed to be forgotten...as if though it is not relevent or germaine now. Fact is, we didn't need the WMD issue IMHO...we should have put Saddam down long before for his violation of the agreements he signed to end the fighting the first time. But not doing so, we emboldened him and every other tin-horn around the world.
"the white lettering on the barrel in the first pic, the chemical name and then the letters "UN". "
i tend to agree with your assessment. however, saddam is not that stupid. he very well could have marked the barrels himself.
Good point...in addition to the traditional dual use nature.
Read on...the UN followed by the number is a labeling designator for hazardous material.
(Not to be selfserving, but I got no replies to this earlier post. Seems to me worth discussing so I'm trying again.)
"You notice the white lettering on the barrel in the first pic, the chemical name and then the letters "UN". Ill bet those barrels were found during the first inspections just after Gulf War 1, so this would be on the list of declared stuff."
You know, that raises another whole set of interesting questions. Think about it. You're a brutal dictator. The UN has "stockpiled" your declared WMDs. What does it matter whether they are in your warehouse or the UN's? You know where they are. If you need them you just in and take them. Bottom line, if they are not destroyed, and they are still in your country, there nothing stopping you from taking them and using them if you so decide.
Not to pat myself on the back, but I've never seen that concept discussed. Could the argument not be made that Saddam's WMDs were in essence being kept by the UN and were at his disposal any time he decided it was no longer necessary to play the game?
But your point is generally well taken. Saddam knew where his stuff was and regardless of any dual use, or stewardship by others...if he decided he needed it, he was going to go in and get it.
Bump! I was about to post this myself. That monogram does not necessarily indicate that the UN inspectors found that barrel.
"I do not believe the United Nations was keeping this stuff for him."
Thanks. I didn't mean to suggest that they were doing intentionally, but in effect that's what it amounted to.
Not really can do some good too.. DMS can carry good chemicals into your body through the skin without a needle as well..
DMS is like water.. too much of it will kill you.. but water does have its uses...
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