Iraq Warns Residents Against Picking Up US Leaflets

voa ^ | 2/26/03 | Alex Belida - pentagon

[knak]

Authorities in Baghdad are using a new scare tactic in an effort to dissuade Iraqi civilians from picking up information leaflets being dropped by U.S. led coalition aircraft.

Pentagon officials tell VOA Iraqi authorities are warning residents throughout the southern part of the country that the leaflets being dropped by coalition aircraft are treated with a deadly chemical and should not be touched.

To underscore the claim, U.S. officials say the Iraqis are dispatching personnel in what appear to be protective chemical suits to collect the leaflets.

U.S. officials deny that the hundreds of thousands of leaflets that have been dropped in recent weeks throughout southern Iraq are anything other than mere pieces of paper with information printed on them.

Ironically, the latest batch, dropped this week near Basra and several other cities, warn Iraqi troops not to use weapons of mass destruction. The leaflets say any military unit that chooses to use chemical or biological weapons will face what is termed "swift and severe retribution" from coalition forces.

The leaflets also warn that Iraqi commanders will be held personally accountable for the use of weapons of mass destruction, an indication they would face trial for war crimes following any war.

[Hodar]

It reminds me of the "don't touch the shuttle debris because it is deadly poison that will turn your lungs to jelly" warning of a few weeks ago.

Most of the interior components of the shuttle, and several other areas of the shuttle use a very corrosive/poisonous chemical called hydozine. This chemical is very nasty. On the plus side, the waste product is chemically pure water, which the astronauts acutally drink.

[far sider]

To underscore the claim, U.S. officials say the Iraqis are dispatching personnel in what appear to be protective chemical suits to collect the leaflets.

Saddam will probably poison the pamphlets and re-release them.

[newgeezer]

the leaflets being dropped by [U.S. led] coalition aircraft are treated with a deadly chemical

But of course! Would the well-informed Iraqi expect anything less from The Great Satan (us)?

[demlosers]

The english version of a leaflet:

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Hodar]

I hate interruptions .... sorry, let me be less ambiguous. The shuttle has several generators onboard, that provide power for various components. These generators are used, instead of batteries, which are heavy and somewhat unpredictable. Hydarzine (I'm an engineer,not a chemist so I'm not sure on the spelling) fuels are also used on the exterior. Essentially, there are quite a few gallons of the stuff onboard. And the stuff is quite toxic. However, once burned, the waste products are water and O2; so the benefits offset the risks. That's why the warnings exist.

[Hodar]

I have no doubt that what you say may be true. All I know is that when I worked for NASA as an R&D engineer; I received a lot of training of what to do in case of a hydrazine spill, and to avoid contact with it. My area of specialty is electronics, not generation or fuels. I'm an EE, not a chemical engineer (although sometimes I wish I was ..$$$). All I know is what I was told while I worked on the Shuttle program.