<U.S. tests say chemicals not weapons

But rockets, barrels found separately remain suspicious

NBC NEWS AND NEWS SERVICES

April 8 — U.S. military forces in Iraq were reported Monday to have uncovered at least two caches of what may be banned chemical weapons — barrels of chemicals buried outside an agricultural compound near Karbala and medium-range rockets found in a warehouse south of Baghdad. More sophisticated U.S. tests later indicated that the chemicals in the barrels were not chemical weapons agents, but U.S. troops found more barrels of suspicious substances on Tuesday.

SAMPLES FROM the sites investigated Monday were sent to laboratories in the United States for more definitive tests. If any of the discoveries were confirmed, it would be the first find of chemical weapons during the war.

The barrels of chemicals discovered Monday were buried at a pesticide plant in Hindiya, 20 miles southeast of Karbala, by troops of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. The barrels initially tested positive for the nerve agents sarin and Tabun, as well as mustard agent, a blistering chemical first used in World War I.

NBC’s Dana Lewis said the 15 barrels appeared to have been recently buried in a pit and indicated that troops also found weapons in the pesticide plant, suggesting that it might have been a disguised military facility. He said the troops were led to the site by an Iraqi.

Subsequent, more sensitive, tests turned out to be negative, U.S. military sources officers said Tuesday.

The military sources said it was not yet clear what the substances were, but one officer had said Monday that they might turn out to be simple pesticides.

Soldiers with the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne on Tuesday discovered an unknown number of barrels near Najaf, south of Karbala, NBC News reported. Soldiers who opened one barrel experienced nausea, vomiting and a rash. Preliminary testing of the substances was under way.