CHEMICAL WARFARE

Chemical warfare, used several times by Iraqi troops in the fighting with Iran and against Iraq’s Kurdish minority, has been banned by international treaty since World War I.

A Deadly Chemical Weapon

The binary shell, the principal artillery vehicle used by Iraq, contains two components which combine to make nerve gas. These components are harmless as long as they do not mix. the components are kept in individual canisters and inserted into the shell just before firing. Once the shell is fired, the flight and spin cause the liquid in the canisters to mix. After traveling a set distance, it explodes and the mixed gases spread.

The fuse detonates the burster, exploding the projectile. The blast heats and sprays nerve gas as an aerosol.

Weight: 93 pounds

Diameter: 6.1 inches

Length: 36 inches

Medical Effects of Chemical Warfare Agents

MUSTARD GAS: Iraq manufactures this chemical weapon, which burns and blisters the parts of the body that it touches, causes coughing and bleeding in the nose. Inhaled, it can cause death in two days or less by blistering lungs and causing them to fill with fluid. It can be absorbed by the skin, damaging immune systems and causing death in four to six weeks. In non-fatal dosages, it can cause lifetime respiratory problems.

NERVE GAS AND BLISTERING AGENTS: These weapons can cause vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, blindness, malfunctioning of the nervous system, coma and death from paralysis and heart failure. The blisters that form are very persistent and incapacitating. Iraq makes colorless, odorless nerve gases tabun and sarin, both inventions of Nazi Germany. Experts say that inhalation of a drop the size of a pinhead is enough to kill, and a small drop absorbed through the skin may cause death within 15 minutes.

PROTECTION: Total isolation from the chemical agent is the only protection. Soldiers must wear special clothing and tanks can be sealed against gases, but absorbent chemical in the vehicles’ air filtering systems must be renewed often. Soldiers must carry injectors of atropine, an antidote for nerve gas. Mustard gas contaminates the soil across which it is dispersed, making passage hazardous for long periods afterward. Nerve gases dissipate more quickly.

Battle Dress for Chemical Warfare

OVER-SUIT: A two-piece suit that protects against contact with chemical and biological toxin agents and radioactive particles. The outer layer is made of nylon and cotton. The inner layer is charcoal-impregnated polyurethane foam. Once the suit has been used, it is discarded rather than decontaminated.

GLOVES: Made of impregnable black butyl rubber; worn with inner cotton gloves for perspiration absorption.

OVER-BOOT: Green vinyl slipped over combat boots.

The Chemical Mask

Replaceable filters are inserted into cheek pouches. Inhaled air passes through the inlet valves into the filter elements, which remove chemical or biological agents from the air being breathed. The filtered air then passes through tubes across the inner surface of the eyelenses to keep them free of condensation. Air then passes through to the nose. Exhaled air is discharged through the outlet valve.

The Hood

Worn over the mask, it protects the wearer’s head and neck against vapors and droplets. It is made of lightweight butyl-rubber-coated nylon cloth. The openings in the hood fit around the mask’s eye rings, inlet valves and voicemitter-outlet valve.