Posted on 11/04/2004 6:49:55 PM PST by Right Wing Professor
The Los Angeles Times this morning ran an article on the alleged looting of the Al QaQaa explosives. Pivotal to the article, whcih relied on unidentified GI alleged witnesses to the looting, was this:
One soldier said U.S. forces watched the looters' trucks loaded with bags marked "hexamine" — a key ingredient for HMX — being driven away from the facility. Unsure what hexamine was, the troops later did an Internet search and learned of its explosive power.
"We found out this was stuff you don't smoke around," the soldier said.
The trouble is, it's completely bogus. Hexamine isn't an explosive, and has no 'explosive power'. It's a urinary antiseptic. It is used in the synthesis of RDX and HMX - but without a chemical plant and a number of other chemical ingredients, some dangerous and hard to obtain, you can't make RDX or HMX from it. All the explosive properties of RDX and HMX come from the fuming nitric acid which is another ingredient in the manufacture. I doubt you could even get hexamine to burn decently, let alone explode. I wouldn't be at all surprised that Saddam was manufacturing RDX and HMX, and that's why he had sacks of hexamine, but no terrorist is going to be able to do anything with hexamine (except, maybe, treat his gonorrhea).
I'm befuddled how the LA Times could have used a second-hand google search as a source for the most element on the story. I contacted them, and their 'reader representative' gave me an implausible story of how they'd checked their chemical information with the Encyclopedia Britannica, but promised to tell their editors. I'm not holding my breath waiting for a correction.
In case I need to establish my credentials on this, just google 'hexamethylenetetramine harbison' and look at the first hit. Hexamethylenetetramine is the correct chemical name of hexamine. I've done quite a bit of published research with the stuff.
So, should we change the name from Al QaQaa to Al PePee?
Actually HMX is Octogen.....or homocyclonite.......RDX is cyclonite . Regardless it was a good story........:o)
Stay safe !
You mean IRFNA do you not ? aka ..."BFRC" (Big Friggin Red Cloud on the Titan Missle Accidents I was invited to in late 70's.......
Titan , SCUD and Lance Missle Oxidizer.....Nasty crap !
It's nothing but Powerful Piss? Well...THAT'S GLOBAL. Is it a component of Rice Butt's Global Test? This International Piss sounds dangerous to me...call the UN. A new treaty must be worked out--and this issue given TOP priority. STAT.
Damnit, everybody else is having all the fun!
(The Iraqi's probably used IRFNA for some systems, but they did use RFNA in their scuds.)
--Boot Hill
--Boot Hill
Wow! Another great catch by a freeper.
Old Media seems to have forgotten how to do research.
I'm afraid not.
I totally disagree with your cavalier attitude on chemical safety. I hope you don't do that for a living.
I will give your concerns all the seriousness they deserve.
placemark.
Great find.
Another example of the plicks in charge of AP and their lies and spins.
Ass. Plicks is total waste of time.
The maggot plicks at AP have one mission.
That is to lie and spin about GW 24/7/365. Most of its liars are Fudge Packers for Kerry.
The Ass. Plick Fudge Packers pretending to be journalists are life's complete losers.
bttt
so this stuff was disguised in that the Jane Fonda Urinal Stickers weren't readily visible?
"....These include the chlorine and phenol plant at Fallujah...."
Geez......those 2 combined with excessive heat produce dioxins and furans.....2378 TCDD is the ultimate dioxin, it is rather slow acting, but carcinogenic and mutagenic and offers a plethora of nasty and fatal diseases/conditions.....this is the dioxin of the 'agent orange' matter......parts per billion in humans in exposure produce these effects....a large and deliberate dispersal of it as a CW agent might not be noticed and the effects wouldn't become apparent for quite some time.
But that the lefts major problem right now you give them ANY wild ass roomer that supports there view or cause and they run with it without double checking...look at memogate...its nuts that something like that should slip by... their just destroy them self being so sloppy
Look at what happen even here when we get something good for our side..it will be question and double check.... but the left had lost there ability to even to a simple reality check
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