History Forum / General / British History / February 2007

Yet we still have ignorant, often arrogant, pogues who insist President Bush
has grossly exaggerated the dangers of Weapons of Mass Destruction [WMD] and
the use of any such weapons in the hands of Al  Q'aeda and other terrorist
groups against U.S. interests is nothing to get too alarmed about.

DSH
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Iraqi Insurgents Use 2nd 'Dirty' Bomb

Feb 21, 8:17 PM (ET)

By BRIAN MURPHY

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Insurgents exploded a truck carrying chlorine gas
canisters Wednesday - the second such "dirty" chemical attack in two days -
while a U.S. official said ground fire apparently forced the downing of a
Black Hawk helicopter. All nine aboard the aircraft were rescued.

The attacks offer a sweeping narrative on evolving tactics by Sunni
insurgents who have proved remarkably adaptable.

Military officials worry extremists may have recently gained more
access to firepower such as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft rockets and heavy
machine guns - and more expertise to use them. The Black Hawk would be at
least the eighth U.S. helicopter to crash or be taken down by hostile fire
in the past month.

The gas cloud in Baghdad, meanwhile, suggests possible new and
coordinated strategies by bombers trying to unleash toxic - and potentially
deadly - materials. "Terrorists are using dirty means," said Brig. Gen.
Qassim Moussawi, an Iraqi military spokesman....

In Baghdad, a pickup truck carrying chlorine gas cylinders was blown
apart, killing at least five people and sending more than 55 to hospitals
gasping for breath and rubbing stinging eyes, police said.

On Tuesday, a bomb planted on a chlorine tanker left more than 150
villagers stricken north of the capital. More than 60 were still under
medical care on Wednesday. Chlorine causes respiratory trouble and skin
irritation in low levels and possible death with heavy exposure.

In Washington, two Pentagon officials said the tactic has been used at
least three times since Jan. 28, when a truck carrying explosives and a
chlorine tank blew up in Anbar province. More than a dozen people were
reported killed.

A third Pentagon official said the United States has been concerned
about Iraqi militants' ability to get weapons like chlorine bombs and use
them effectively. But the official cautioned that chlorine bombs are just
one threat on a long list of possible attacks that Iraqi fighters may try to
carry out.

It was unclear whether the confluence of new insurgent tactics -
attacking isolated combat posts, targeting helicopters more intensely and
using chlorine bombs - was coincidental or in response to the U.S. troop
increase.

W. Patrick Lang, a former official at the Defense Intelligence Agency,
said the insurgents are always "seeking to achieve higher levels of
effectiveness" and these new tactics are part of the normal "evolution of
sophistication."

Lang said trucks filled with chlorine gas are "really quite deadly"
because the gas is potent and spreads easily.

Some authorities believe militants could be trying to maximize the
panic from their attacks by adding chlorine or other noxious substances.

"It is an indication of maliciousness, a desire to injure and kill innocent
people in the vicinity," said [Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military
spokesman], who also predicted militants may begin to launch similar attacks
because of the widespread mayhem caused
by this week's chlorine clouds.

"If there is a particular success, we'll see copycats. ... They
certainly pay attention to what they think is successful," he said.
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DSH

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