US Plans for Use of Gas in Iraq

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday February 11, 2003 11:55 by Eoin Dubsky - Refueling Peace info at refuelingpeace dot org

From British American Security Information Council (BASIC)

According to a February 7 news release from The Sunshine Project top US military planners are preparing for the US to use incapacitating biochemical weapons in an invasion of Iraq. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed the plans in February 5 testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee. This is the first official US acknowledgement that it may use (bio)chemical weapons in its campaign to rid other countries of such weapons.

Rumsfeld stated that plans are being made for multiple
applications, including use of gas or aerosols on unarmed Iraqi civilians,
in caves, and on prisoners. Rumsfeld described applications of a "riot
control agent" that clearly imply the complete incapacitation of victims,
combatant and non-combatant, in armed conflict - a definition and usages
that are at odds with the CWC. Rumsfeld indicated that - in his opinion ? if
President Bush signs a waiver of long-standing restrictions on US use of
incapacitating chemicals, that the US will be able to legally field them in
Iraq and elsewhere.

Last October Russian Special Forces used an incapacitating
biochemical weapon when attempting to rescue hostages held by Chechen
separatists. It resulted in the deaths of over 100 hostages and as many as
50 Chechen separatists.