AP/Reuters Says Blackhawk Hostile Fire Loss and First Chem Munitions Found

The AP and Reuters are reporting that the Blackhawk that was lost last
Thursday was apparently a victim of hostile fire based upon results from a
preliminary investigation. Both sources also report that Danish troops have
found the first confirmed chemical weapons in Iraq--36 artillery or mortar
rounds (reports vary as to specific type) filled with a blister agent, and
that another 100 rounds may be in the cache. No doubt some folks will soon
be screaming that 36, or 136 for that matter, chemical rounds are not
indicitive of Saddam having had chemical munitions despite his protestations
otherwise...

Brooks

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 06:32:58 GMT, "Kevin Brooks"
wrote:

The AP and Reuters are reporting that the Blackhawk that was lost last
Thursday was apparently a victim of hostile fire based upon results from a
preliminary investigation. Both sources also report that Danish troops have
found the first confirmed chemical weapons in Iraq--36 artillery or mortar
rounds (reports vary as to specific type) filled with a blister agent, and
that another 100 rounds may be in the cache. No doubt some folks will soon
be screaming that 36, or 136 for that matter, chemical rounds are not
indicitive of Saddam having had chemical munitions despite his protestations
otherwise...

Brooks

According to some news reports the U.S. is tentivaly stating that
they appear to be left over from the Iran-Iraq war. They certainly are
corroded enough.

OTH, this could also be a desire to cross every T and dot every I,
so that should they be detirmend to be from after the gulf war, the
U.S. will have maximum credibility.

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 07:27:47 GMT, Charles Gray wrote:

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 06:32:58 GMT, "Kevin Brooks"
wrote:

The AP and Reuters are reporting that the Blackhawk that was lost last
Thursday was apparently a victim of hostile fire based upon results from a
preliminary investigation. Both sources also report that Danish troops have
found the first confirmed chemical weapons in Iraq--36 artillery or mortar
rounds (reports vary as to specific type) filled with a blister agent, and
that another 100 rounds may be in the cache. No doubt some folks will soon
be screaming that 36, or 136 for that matter, chemical rounds are not
indicitive of Saddam having had chemical munitions despite his protestations
otherwise...

Brooks

According to some news reports the U.S. is tentivaly stating that
they appear to be left over from the Iran-Iraq war. They certainly are
corroded enough.

OTH, this could also be a desire to cross every T and dot every I,
so that should they be detirmend to be from after the gulf war, the
U.S. will have maximum credibility.

Well, they just found them, so they are clearly from "after the Gulf
War. They may have been built before the war, but they exist, and
are WMD.

Al Minyard

"Alan Minyard" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 07:27:47 GMT, Charles Gray wrote:

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 06:32:58 GMT, "Kevin Brooks"
wrote:

The AP and Reuters are reporting that the Blackhawk that was lost last
Thursday was apparently a victim of hostile fire based upon results from
a
preliminary investigation. Both sources also report that Danish troops
have
found the first confirmed chemical weapons in Iraq--36 artillery or
mortar
rounds (reports vary as to specific type) filled with a blister agent,
and
that another 100 rounds may be in the cache. No doubt some folks will
soon
be screaming that 36, or 136 for that matter, chemical rounds are not
indicitive of Saddam having had chemical munitions despite his
protestations
otherwise...

Brooks

According to some news reports the U.S. is tentivaly stating that
they appear to be left over from the Iran-Iraq war. They certainly are
corroded enough.

OTH, this could also be a desire to cross every T and dot every I,
so that should they be detirmend to be from after the gulf war, the
U.S. will have maximum credibility.

Well, they just found them, so they are clearly from "after the Gulf
War. They may have been built before the war, but they exist, and
are WMD.

and they were required to be accounted for and destroyed.

"Alan Minyard" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 07:27:47 GMT, Charles Gray wrote:

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 06:32:58 GMT, "Kevin Brooks"
wrote:

The AP and Reuters are reporting that the Blackhawk that was lost last
Thursday was apparently a victim of hostile fire based upon results from
a
preliminary investigation. Both sources also report that Danish troops
have
found the first confirmed chemical weapons in Iraq--36 artillery or
mortar
rounds (reports vary as to specific type) filled with a blister agent,
and
that another 100 rounds may be in the cache. No doubt some folks will
soon
be screaming that 36, or 136 for that matter, chemical rounds are not
indicitive of Saddam having had chemical munitions despite his
protestations
otherwise...

Brooks

According to some news reports the U.S. is tentivaly stating that
they appear to be left over from the Iran-Iraq war. They certainly are
corroded enough.

OTH, this could also be a desire to cross every T and dot every I,
so that should they be detirmend to be from after the gulf war, the
U.S. will have maximum credibility.

Well, they just found them, so they are clearly from "after the Gulf
War. They may have been built before the war, but they exist, and
are WMD.

Al Minyard

Although all the testing has not been completed on these rounds. A similar
find of badly corroded mortar rounds, back in October, gave off the same
initial readings and turned out to have been white phosphorus after final
testing. This also happened with an ASM warhead found at an Iraqi airbase -
initial meter readings were reported to the media, but subsequent testing
proved it not to have been a chemical round.

TJ