Posted on 10/08/2006 4:40:30 PM PDT by ARealMothersSonForever
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of Iraqi policemen fell sick from poisoning Sunday at a base in southern Iraq after the evening meal breaking their daily Ramadan fast, and officials said they were investigating whether the poisoning was intentional.
An official with the Environment Ministry said 11 policemen had died. However, the governor of Wasit province — where the poisoning took place — denied any deaths, though he said some of the victims were in critical condition. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory reports.
Some of the policemen began bleeding from the ears and nose after the meal, said Jassim al-Atwan, an inspector for the Environment Ministry, who was serving as a liaison in the investigation between the Health Ministry and the base, located in the town of Numaniyah.
"Hundreds of soldiers were poisoned after taking food and water in the iftar," Wasit Gov. Hamad al-Latif told the Associated Press, referring to the meal that breaks the sunrise-to-sunset fast during the Islamic holy month. "Investigations are under way to determine the cause."
Samples of the food and water were being tested "to determine the substance in them" and will be sent to Baghdad for further tests, al-Latif said.
Sunni insurgents who have targeted police and military forces with bombings and shootings have not been known to use poisoning as a weapon. But the suddenness and severity of the sickness raised speculation that the incident could be a new attack. The division is mainly made up of Shiites.
Between 600-700 policemen were affected to varying degrees, and 11 who had the heaviest amount of the food had died, al-Atwan told The Associated Press.
Some of the soldiers collapsed as soon as they stood up from them meal, others fell "one after the other" as they headed out to the yard in the base to line up in formation, al-Atwan said.
Iraqi ambulances and helicopters sent by the U.S. military rushed the policemen to hospitals in Numaniyah and the nearby city of Kut.
The afflicted policemen belonged to the 4th Division of the National Police, nicknamed the "Karrar" Division, after a title of Imam Ali, the most revered Shiite saint.
The division normally operates around the town of Salman Pak on the southeastern outskirts of Baghdad — an area of intense Shiite-Sunni killings. The division was sent to the base in Numaniyah, 60 miles southeast of the capital, for further training.
Al-Latif said food and water at the base are provided by an Australian contractor working through Iraqi subcontractors. He did not identify the Australian firm.
And strangely - I couldn't find any other updates that mentioned the 'chemical substance'... and why ever did Drudge take the link down, I wonder?
Scratch my last comment: they all have the 'chemical substance' story now:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=iraqi+police+chemical+substance&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d
It will prove interesting whether the substance is named. I am not holding my breath, yet if you find it named; please update either thread.
Last night CNN International was blaming Bush for the nuclear test by North Korea.
I don't think Al Jezerrrra or any Arab TV program could have done a better job than CNN did shaping the anti Bush talking points.
Madam Albright and her minions were all over CNN International denouncing Bush's failed policies in dealing with poor little harmless Kim Jong ll.
major bump!!
wow- from that link
"...insisted at least 1,350 of the 2,000 policemen at the base were hospitalized."
"THE MAJORITY OF THE FACILITIES WERE UNDERGROUND WITH DECOY
FACILITIES ABOVE GROUND. MANY OF THE DECOY FACILITIES WERE
SLAUGHTER HOUSES AND CHICKEN FACTORIES. [b.1. sec. 1.5.(c)] --CHICKEN
FACTORIES COVERED POULTRY PRODUCTION FROM HATCHERY TOPACKAGING.)"
DON'T EAT IRAQI CHICKEN!
MadIvan found a post that claims spoiled meat-
Hundreds of police are poisoned by bad meat
The Times ^ | October 10, 2006 | James Hider
Posted on 10/09/2006 6:02:10 PM CDT by MadIvan
HUNDREDS of Iraqi policemen were poisoned and up to seven were reported dead yesterday after eating rotten meat at their base’s mess hall.
The defence ministry said that about 400 were affected at the army and police training camp of Numaniyah, near the town of Kut, south of Baghdad. Officers at the base said, however, that about 1,300 fell ill soon after eating a meal on Monday night to break their daily Ramadan fast.
Iraqi staff at the base accused senior officials of skimming more than 50 percent off the mess budget and providing poor food to the recruits. They said the local hospital was overwhelmed by victims in a case reminiscent of the corruption and poor rations prevalent in Saddam Hussein’s army.
A number of people were arrested, including the man in charge of the mess hall, said a ministry spokesman. He said that the mess halls were operated under a contract with an Australian company which subcontracted to an Iraqi firm.
Rotten meat is not going to cause almost instant bleeding. Unless by rotten they mean 'intentionally poisoned' by some very nasty chemical.
Exactly. That is why MadIvan was pinged to the thread. There are different accounts floating around. We are simply trying to keep the old media in check ;)
I never thought of that...
The latest news says it was merely "food poisoning"...I've seen really bad food cause stomach cramps within a few hours, but the story is confused.
I'll have to keep an eye on the CDC website that gives out information on epidemics. Although if it was poisoning, they will probably cover it up.
"'An officer ordered me to select 50 healthy female prisoners,' she said. 'One of the guards handed me a basket full of soaked cabbage, told me not to eat it but to give it to the 50 women. I gave them out and heard a scream from those who had eaten them. They were all screaming and vomiting blood. All who ate the cabbage leaves started violently vomiting blood and screaming with pain. It was hell. In less than 20 minutes they were quite dead.'" -Soon Ok-lee, was imprisoned for seven years."
http://www.myspace.com/mindgasms
My heart goes out to those that have been afflicted. Many have been attached to each other with sharpened cables inserted through their hands and collarbones. Horrific indeed. Yet we (Americans and westerners) continue to ignore the atrocities of the Stalin regime. And so?
"Look, Iraq was a worthy experiment, but it's time to concentrate our efforts on the one group of people there who do deserve our time, money, blood and protection -- the Kurds.
Screw the rest of these Arab Islamofascists. Contain that part of the country and let them stew in their own hatred.
It's not cut and run. We handed these people a golden opportunity to become a civilized country and succesful economy (an opportunity the Kurds have seized with both hands, btw). We didn't fail -- they did."
Ok, let's play out your little scenario into the future. The future will be, not may be, but will be that terrorists take over the sunni and shia portions of what we now call Iraq, then they will take over the kurdish area. After that they will spend every penny earned from oil sales to attack America.
And you say this is not "cut and run"?
What do you think it is, if it is not "cut and run"?
Now we can have a new TV hit. CSI Iraq.
Looks like the jihadists are testing out food poisoning as a weapon of mass destruction.
exactly right
Well, another day MadIvan posted the report that it was attributed to the rotten meat.
Lettuce or spinach?!!!!!
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