Material in office ruled harmless

Tests by U.S. authorities have confirmed that substances found in a U.N. office and at first feared to be a chemical weapon from Iraq were harmless, the United Nations said.

A scare erupted after material believed to have been taken from Iraq 11 years ago by U.N. weapons inspectors was found Aug. 24 as the inspectors were closing their offices near the main U.N. headquarters in New York City.

The U.N. said at the time it had found papers indicating the substances included phosgene, a chemical that attacks the lungs and was used in World War I.