Looking for WMD? 8 million chemical weapons exist
September 27, 2004
BY CHARLES J. HANLEY
They were no-shows in Iraq, but tons of chemical weapons are stoking fears and costing billions to clean up elsewhere in the world -- from concrete ''igloos'' in Oregon, to the Panama rainforest, to the highlands of China, where Japanese war leftovers reportedly have killed hundreds.
In fact, more chemical munitions have turned up lately in Australia than in Iraq, where the Bush administration claimed up to 500 tons would be found. As Baghdad arms hunters searched in vain, chemical weapons material was even being unearthed in Washington, four miles from the White House.
At least 8 million such weapons are stockpiled worldwide, and concern is deepening not only over the health and safety of nearby communities, but also over the threat of theft or attacks on depots brimming with sarin or VX, fearsome nerve agents.
''Chemical terrorism is something we should all be very concerned about,'' chief international watchdog Rogelio Pfirter said. His OPCW, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, oversees destruction of the armaments under a 1997 treaty.
As troubling as the terror potential is, ''these weapons are leaking and pose a threat even without terrorist involvement,'' said Jonathan Tucker, a Monterey Institute specialist in unconventional arms. ''The sooner we get rid of them, the better.''
AP
September 27, 2004
BY CHARLES J. HANLEY
They were no-shows in Iraq, but tons of chemical weapons are stoking fears and costing billions to clean up elsewhere in the world -- from concrete ''igloos'' in Oregon, to the Panama rainforest, to the highlands of China, where Japanese war leftovers reportedly have killed hundreds.
In fact, more chemical munitions have turned up lately in Australia than in Iraq, where the Bush administration claimed up to 500 tons would be found. As Baghdad arms hunters searched in vain, chemical weapons material was even being unearthed in Washington, four miles from the White House.
At least 8 million such weapons are stockpiled worldwide, and concern is deepening not only over the health and safety of nearby communities, but also over the threat of theft or attacks on depots brimming with sarin or VX, fearsome nerve agents.
''Chemical terrorism is something we should all be very concerned about,'' chief international watchdog Rogelio Pfirter said. His OPCW, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, oversees destruction of the armaments under a 1997 treaty.
As troubling as the terror potential is, ''these weapons are leaking and pose a threat even without terrorist involvement,'' said Jonathan Tucker, a Monterey Institute specialist in unconventional arms. ''The sooner we get rid of them, the better.''
AP
