Wednesday, March 24, 2004



WMD discovery

Phosgene and perfluoroisobutylene, cannisters of the stuff, leaking in a shed. But not in Iraq - in the US.

The US, it seems, doesn't keep track of its chemical weapons very well. Poor record-keeping means that they don't know what's where, and their habit of outsourcing manufacture and research to private contractors means that there are stocks outside of military control. "Safety and security at private chemical facilities are the responsibility of that company", according to the US Army; the companies unfortunately regard security as an expense to be dispensed with. As a result, stocks of chemicals that are restricted or banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention are lying around unguarded, literally waiting for terrorists to take them.

But instead of worrying about their own backyard, they insist that any WMDs falling into terrorist hands would come from Iraq. Is that stupidity or what?

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