Danish Army: Iraqi Shells WMD-free

[kskiska]

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Mortar shells found in Iraq and believed to be suspicious in fact contained no chemical agents, the Danish army said after a week of tests.

The 36 shells, found 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the city of Qurnah in southern Iraq on January 9, had initially been thought by Danish and British troops to contain a blister agent.

But further tests carried out in southern Iraq and the United States were negative, the Danish army said in a statement on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.

It was unclear why the initial field tests were wrong, the Danish army said from its headquarters in Karup, 265 km northwest of Copenhagen.

"The Danish Army Operational Command will now investigate what could be the cause to this," the statement said. It added that the testing kits would be sent to Denmark for examination.

U.S. Army officials had said the 120 mm shells, which are at least 10 years old, was surplus from the Iran-Iraq war in the mid-1980s. Blister agents are used in chemical weapons.

more…
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/01/18/sprj.irq.chemicals/index.html

[gristy]

1. Well, whadaya know. Who woulda thought?

This is just so surprising. I am speechless. Not.
Good for CNN.

[alcuno]

2. But as we know. The debunking never gets the play that the

original charge gets. I just have to say, "CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE NOT FOUND ONE WMD IN THAT COUNTRY?" I never cared but I always thought they had them, for God's sake.

[cthrumatrix]

17. where is a "Faux Breaking News" alert for their propaganda LIES

[catmandu57]

3. Unfortunately

people will remember the original story and claim that wmds were found. Like so many other claims this is yet another that has to be backtracked on.

[kskiska]

4. They did add this at the end of the article:

The U.S. pulled 400 weapons-disposal experts from Iraq this month in what The New York Times called "a sign that administration might have lowered its sights." The move raised suspicions that weapons are unlikely to be found.

The White House played down the move, saying the group focused on hunting weapons was remaining in Iraq.

Maybe someone should tell Drudge? He hasn't had this up yet. Maybe he doesn't know.

[oneighty]

6. Weapons Disposal Experts

EOD, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians in my time had field test kits which could ID explosive types in minutes, and chemical test kits, as well. That was in the fifties when I was Navy EOD. Seems in the past fifty years these test kits/methods would have improved greatly.

This was more BS..From the top down.

180

[jbfam4]

5. How many of our papers

have published this information. Anyone see it or hear about it on TV?

[0007]

9. Are you kidding?

Didn't the shelling have the markings, Made in U.S.A.?

[Philosophy]

7. I'll bet Bush* will still say they found these WMD's in the SOTU

Except they'll word it carefully like:

"The Danish Army just days ago discovered hidden morter shells that field tests indicated contained chemical weapons."

It doesn't matter if the field test were later proved inacurate. It doesn't matter if it turned out that they were not chemical weapons. This statement is "factually correct", just like the 16 words.

[Thor_MN]

8. I talked with my sister a while ago and said that they had not found

a single confirmed WMD find. She replied "Are you sure???... Well, you never liked Bush from the start.."

It's criminal that the media shouts from the rooftops when a test strip gives a false positive and then essentially ignores that the find was not confirmed with more accurate testing.

[underpants]

15. Indeed this will probably appear on page 12 of the newpapers

I wonder if this will get ANY airtime on CNN or FOX.

[interupt]

10. The freepers went nuts over this news

Crying foul and cover-up. They were stunned that mortar shells could never contain fluid unless they had WMDs.

Guess they haven't heard of exudate, but why let facts get in the way of a good cry.

[jbfam4]

11. Fox had this info as a crawler....

Never heard them talk about it tho.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. David Kay is leaving his post

Bush is really desperate to find Saddam's WMDs. Therefore, has decided the only way to find them is to get the right man to lead the hunt.

To replace Dr. Kay, White House psychics will channel Ponce de Leon. He'd be perfect for the job.

[0007]

13. That's a scream!! - White House psychics will channel Ponce de Leon.

[are_we_united_yet]

14. No No No No No

Iraqi insurgents\Baathist elements\Saddam Loyalists\pockets of resistance, coordinated by a drugged, beaten and incarcerated Saddam Hussein, smuggled the toxins to Syria and Iran before the US could test them. Whats wrong with you people?

[catmandu57]

16. This was actually covered by the local

Kansas City news last night, it surprised me that they would. The newsreader didn't have a happy look on her face, but they were telling the truth for once.