We know Saddam had such gas shells in the past, although I haven't found out whether they were binary or not. Theoretically, he was supposed to have destroyed them, but as with many other weapons he possessed, it was not clear how many were or were not destroyed.
If this shell was just one lost shell that came out of an out-of-the way ditch somewhere, it could have been there for years, left over from the old stockpiles. This would not be that significant in settling the WMD argument. I didn't see the fragments. I don't know if it was shiny, or old and rusted.
If it came from a stack of similar shells hidden somewhere, or if more of these show up in bombs, implying such a stockpile exists and has been discovered by the insurgents (or they knew about it), we have a whole new ballgame.
I assume these questions are being investigated with great vigor over there.
Current Events » in reply to What did the empty shells we found previously, look like?
I wouldn't change my vote based on one shell
The whole thread (24 posts)
- Sarin confirmed in artillery shell