CNN.com - Iraqi forces find chemical materials in Falluja lab : "
Iraqi soldiers have discovered chemical materials in a Falluja lab, while a top aide of wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Mosul, Iraq's interim national security adviser said Thursday.
The reports came as U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted anti-insurgency operations in Falluja, Mosul and south of Baghdad in the province of Babil.
Iraq's interim National Security Adviser Kasim Dawood announced discovery of the lab with chemical materials which he said was 'manufacturing death, intoxication and assassination.'
'We have also discovered in this laboratory a pamphlet and instructions showing how to manufacture explosives and toxins,' Dawood said. 'And they also talk about the production of anthrax.'
In Washington, a U.S. military official confirmed that materials found in the laboratory included instructions for making anthrax, as well as formulas and ingredients for making explosives and chemical blood agents.
Also found in the lab were hydrochloric acid and sodium cyanide, which can be used to make the blood agent hydrogen cyanide, the military official said.
A U.S. military spokesman in Falluja downplayed the discovery, saying "there is no indication right now that (the chemicals) were being used to produce chemical weapons.""
UPDATE november 28:
From the Australian
"Even though the US military said yesterday it had uncovered a "stunning" amount of arms in Fallujah, US officers later played down remarks by an Iraqi minister that they had found a chemical weapons workshop there - the US officers said the chemicals seemed destined for making ordinary explosives."
Iraqi soldiers have discovered chemical materials in a Falluja lab, while a top aide of wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Mosul, Iraq's interim national security adviser said Thursday.
The reports came as U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted anti-insurgency operations in Falluja, Mosul and south of Baghdad in the province of Babil.
Iraq's interim National Security Adviser Kasim Dawood announced discovery of the lab with chemical materials which he said was 'manufacturing death, intoxication and assassination.'
'We have also discovered in this laboratory a pamphlet and instructions showing how to manufacture explosives and toxins,' Dawood said. 'And they also talk about the production of anthrax.'
In Washington, a U.S. military official confirmed that materials found in the laboratory included instructions for making anthrax, as well as formulas and ingredients for making explosives and chemical blood agents.
Also found in the lab were hydrochloric acid and sodium cyanide, which can be used to make the blood agent hydrogen cyanide, the military official said.
A U.S. military spokesman in Falluja downplayed the discovery, saying "there is no indication right now that (the chemicals) were being used to produce chemical weapons.""
UPDATE november 28:
From the Australian
"Even though the US military said yesterday it had uncovered a "stunning" amount of arms in Fallujah, US officers later played down remarks by an Iraqi minister that they had found a chemical weapons workshop there - the US officers said the chemicals seemed destined for making ordinary explosives."
Comments