Iraq buying nerve-gas antidode

[Cybrludite]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/12/ira...eut/index.html

[Dr. Jonas Bashir]

"In other news, the stocks of NervoCalm, a new company making antidotes for several nervous toxines like Sarin gas and Agent Orange have soared 4500% to $45 a piece. Meanwhile, Gas-B-Gone, a renowned gas mask industry, is up 68% for 3 3/16. Please keep watching CNN Money."

[toadkiller]

Which begs the question of why they are being allowed to buy this stuff. Atropine is a valid drug (as the article says) but autoinjectors are not something that is going to be used in a hospital setting - they are somewhat dangerous things to have around really. Really big needle on a hair trigger with a big spring - ouch!

[Capt.Hunter]

Because we've taken the capitalist ideal so far we're even willing to sell to people we're about to kick the s**t out of...?

[Liz Not Beth]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[First of Two]

Well, let's see, either:

1: They're planning on using nerve gas, or

2: They're assuming we're going to blow up their stockpiles of the stuff, and want to be prepared for leakage.

[Cybrludite]

Originally posted by First of Two
Well, let's see, either:

1: They're planning on using nerve gas, or

2: They're assuming we're going to blow up their stockpiles of the stuff, and want to be prepared for leakage.

But how can this be, given that the harmless and peace loving government of Iraq doesn't possess anything of the sort?

[Cybrludite]

Originally posted by Dr. Jonas Bashir
"In other news, the stocks of NervoCalm, a new company making antidotes for several nervous toxines like Sarin gas and Agent Orange have soared 4500% to $45 a piece. Meanwhile, Gas-B-Gone, a renowned gas mask industry, is up 68% for 3 3/16. Please keep watching CNN Money."

Just to be picky, Agent Orange was a defoliant that happened to contain a lot of dioxins. Not by any means good for you, but not a true chemical warfare agent by any stretch of the imagination. It was actually a mix of two herbacides, one of which (2, 4, D) I've actually used in the late '80s. I think it may even still be available. Nerve gases are organophosphates, and are a development of German insecticide research in the '30s. See this webpage for the effects that these have on people.

[Capt.Hunter]

Actually, during the last Gulf War the Iraqi people were given instructions on what to do in case of a Sarin attack (it was assumed that going up into the attic would help, since the gas is denser than air and thus sinks). I get the feeling that, like most dictators, Saddam doesn't expect his enemies to play by the rules any more than he does - and so was planning for if the allies used Sarin...

[First of Two]

Naw, he was planning for if and when his own stockpiles were hit. Or if deployed gas drifted the wrong way.

There's some thought that "Gulf War Syndrome" is the result of being exposed to various trace amounts of bio and chem stuff blown up by the allied bombing. I'm not a doctor, but it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case.

[Capt.Hunter]

It's pretty damn likely to be depleted uranium, no matter how much the government wants you to think otherwise. Matter of fact, there are rumbles of discontent over the "bunker-buster" mini-nukes, as these would still dangerously irradiate land for miles around the actual target.

[First of Two]

Effects and relative dangers of uranium:
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q754.html