By staff writers and AFP
March 25, 2003
THE Iraqis have drawn a red line around a map of Baghdad and are ready to unleash chemical weapons when coalition troops cross it, an American TV network has reported.
CBS said its correspondent David Martin had been told of the threat by US officials.
He said Saddam's Husseins Republican Guards were authorised to use chemical weapons once the Allies reached the line.
Earlier today, a separate report, quoting a senior American official said Iraqi commanders had been authorised to use chemical weapons against Shiite Muslims in the south of the country and blame the attacks on US forces.
The State Department official said reports led Washington to believe Saddam had given the authority to one of his top generals, Ali Hassan al-Majid, who is also known as Chemical Ali.
He was blamed for the poison gas attack 15 years ago in the Kurdish town of Halabja.
"We have reports that would indicate the Iraqis intend to or could use chemical weapons in the south," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"Chemical Ali, the general who carried out the Halabja massacre, is reported to have authority to use chemical weapons against the Shia and then try to blame it on us."
Today's reports come after US Apache helicopters fired on Republican Guard positions to soften them up for ground forces heading north to Baghdad.
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