re: saddam not the real threat
Iraq has admitted to manufacturing the chemical agents mustard gas, VX, sarin and tabun before the 1991 Gulf War, although much of this has been destroyed by UNSCOM inspectors.
However, the UK Government estimates that 360 tonnes of chemical warfare agent remain unaccounted for – and that Iraq could produce mustard gas within weeks and nerve agents such as VX, tabun and sarin within months.
Iraq says anything that has not been destroyed will have degraded beyond use by now.
Mustard gas: 'Mustard' is liquid at room temperature, but is more commonly used in its gas form - which has a strong smell likened to horseradish or garlic.
Absorption: Contact with skin or inhalation
Effects: Mustard gas is a blistering agent, burning eyes and skin exposed to it and lungs, mouth and throat if it is inhaled. It is not normally lethal, but can cause cancer and serious disfigurement.
Symptoms: Conjunctivitis, skin burns, throat pain, cough and susceptibility to infection and pneumonia. Symptoms are not usually noticed until 1 – 6 hours after exposure.
Protection: Protective clothing and early decontamination, followed by antibiotics.
Iraqi programme: Iraq has admitted making 2,850 tonnes of mustard gas, has filled bombs with it and used it against Kurds at Halabja in 1988. VX: A clear, colourless liquid – technically named methylphosphonothioic acid and described as the most deadly nerve agent ever created.
Absorption: Through eyes, lungs and skin
Effects: Like other nerve agents, VX attacks the nervous system – severe doses can cause death within 15 minutes of exposure.
Lethal dose: Fraction of a drop
Symptoms: Small doses trigger nasal discharge, chest tightness, wheezing and headaches – severe doses lead to convulsions, confusion and respiratory failure.
Protection: Immediate injection of atropine
Iraqi programme: Iraq has admitted making 3.9 tonnes, including 1.5 tonnes which the UK says remain unaccounted for. Also unaccounted for are 300 tonnes of a chemical which Iraq had used only for the production of VX. VX was used in the Iraqi attack on the Kurds at Halabja and traces of it have also been found on remnants of ballistic missile warheads.
Sarin: A colourless liquid several times more deadly than cyanide, sarin is related to a group of pesticides and was initially developed in Germany in the 1930s.
Effects: Sarin attacks the nervous system when inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Inhalation can cause death within 1 – 10 minutes of exposure.
Lethal dose: 0.5 milligrams
Symptoms: Pupils shrink to pinpoints and sweating and twitching precede symptoms similar to those for VX exposure.
Protection: Injection of antidote immediately after contact.
Iraqi programme: Iraq has admitted to manufacturing 795 tonnes of sarin, filling bombs with it and developing ballistic missile warheads to deliver it. Iraq used sarin against Iranian troops during the Iran-Iraq war, and against Kurds at Halabja in 1988.
Tabun: Also known as GB, tabun was discovered in Germany by Dr Gerhard Schrader, who also first developed sarin.
Effects: If inhaled or absorbed through the eyes or skin, tabun can kill in as little as one or two minutes.
Symptoms: Similar to VX and sarin.
Protection: Injection of antidote immediately after contact.
Iraqi programme: Iraq has admitted to producing 210 tonnes of tabun and using the agent to fill bombs. A UN-backed team has confirmed that Iraq used tabun as early as 1984 against Iranian forces. Tabun was also used in the Iraqi attack on Kurds at Halabaja in 1988.
The British government’s dossier says Iraq is currently able to produce the biological agents anthrax, botulinum toxin, ricin and aflatoxin.
Iraq has admitted to manufacturing all of these before the 1991 Gulf War, but says it has since destroyed all stocks.
The UK’s intelligence services maintain that Iraq could still produce biological agents within weeks.
Anthrax: A disease caused by the bacteria bacillus anthracis, which is found in soil and sometimes carried by animals.
Spread: Anthrax develops differently depending on whether the spores enter the body through cuts in the skin, in contaminated food or by inhalation.
Effects: Inhalation and intestinal anthrax frequently kill their victims. Untreated skin anthrax can lead to blood poisoning, which can also kill.
Symptoms: Inhalation anthrax has flu-like symptoms, intestinal anthrax has symptoms similar to food poisoning, skin anthrax starts with lesions.
Lethal Amount: One billionth of a gram
Protection: Can be treated with antibiotics. A vaccine is available.
Iraq’s programme: Iraq has admitted making 8,500 litres and filling bombs and ballistic missile warheads with this. The UK says enough growth medium to produce another 25,000 litres is unaccounted for.
Botulism: A disease caused by botulinum nerve toxin – produced by clostridium botulinum bacteria.
Spread: Via wounds on the skin, or through contaminated food supplies.
Effects: Toxins disrupt nerve system causing muscle paralysis, leading to possible death by suffocation within hours or days.
Symptoms: Blurred double vision, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness leading to paralysis.
Lethal Amount: One billionth of a gram
Protection: Can be treated with anti-toxin injection.
Iraq: Iraq has admitted making 19,000 litres of botulinum toxin and filling bombs and ballistic missile warheads with it.
Ricin: Natural toxin derived from castor beans.
Spread: By inhalation or ingestion
Effects: When inhaled, ricin breaks down lung tissue and can kill within 36 - 72 hours. It can also be fatal when ingested, with death usually occurring at least three days after exposure.
Symptoms: Fever, chest tightness, cough, nausea and joint pain if inhaled; nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and severe diarrhoea if ingested.
Protection: No vaccine or anti-toxin available
Iraqi development: Unscom inspectors say they have found evidence that Iraq produced ricin. Some reports say Iraq carried out a weapons test with ricin, but abandoned production when it was unsuccessful. There is concern that a castor oil plant at Fallujah which has been rebuilt in recent years may be linked to ricin manfacture.
Aflatoxin: Fungal toxins, sometimes found in grain or nuts
Spread: Food contamination or inhalation of aerosolised form
Effects: Aflatoxin is generally considered non-lethal, but is known to cause liver cancers which may not occur for many years after exposure to the toxins.
Iraqi development: Iraq has admitted producing 2,200 litres of aflatoxin, and using some of it to fill bombs and ballistic missile warheads.
