New rebel tactics emerge in Fallujah (Sarin also found)

[Roland99]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1112/p01s02-woiq.html

After three days of measurable progress, American forces trying to take full control of Fallujah are confronting an insurgent force that has renewed energy.

And as American and Iraqi forces spread their grip across the city, the constant skirmishes of close urban combat and burst-in searches door-to-door are revealing more about insurgent tactics, including sleeper cells.

<...>

In the course of locating seven weapons caches in a single block around a mosque in northeast Fallujah, an Iraqi platoon Wednesday found a suitcase full of vials labeled "Sarin," a deadly nerve agent.

While further analysis determined that the find was probably part of a Soviet test kit with samples, its discovery in a room with mortar shells appeared to indicate an intent to weaponize the material.

[derby378]

1. So if they DID find sarin...

Where did it come from, and how long have the insurgents had it? I sense a mighty "WE TOLD YOU SO" drumbeat coming from the White House any minute now...

[BlueEyedSon]

2. The sarin was labelled in ENGLISH

fucking bush-league covert op

[Zhade]

4. Not even subtle. Pathetic.

So, we went to war for a single suitcase of planted sarin???

[derby378]

5. English is the de facto tech/science language

Even the Japanese borrow heavily from English for scientific words. The only major holdouts I know of are the French.

[BlueEyedSon]

9. Come on, any terra-ist worth his salt knows our troops cant read

arabic for "sarin".... wouldn't that be more uhhhhh surreptitious?

[bobbyboucher]

3. "Soviet test kit with samples"?

Yeah, OK, whatev.

[daleo]

11. More likely to test if someone else was using it on you

That is probably what a Soviet Test Kit would be for. The vials marked Sarin would be like the litmus paper, not the acid.

[MrMonk]

12. Vials labelled "Sarin"?

Not even "Sarin I" and "Sarin II"? IIRC, Sarin has two components that must be mixed to generate the Sarin gas. If that's so, it's hardly likely that the stuff could be weaponized simply by pouring liquid into a mortar shell.

[Barrett808]

6. They have "uncovered unarmed sleeper cells" ... hmmm....

What does an "unarmed sleeper cell" look like? A mother, father, and a couple of kids?

[RedCon1]

7. Sleeper cells?

It makes perfect sense, they were sleeping when troops came in and shot them or, if they were "lucky", arrested them and put them in a cell, a sleeper cell. Get it?

[BlueEyedSon]

10. i call my "sleeper cell" a "bedroom"

:)

[manic expression]

8. Even if

the Sarin WASN'T planted (which it probably was), it was in all likeliness brought into the country after the invasion, no thanks to our stellar security of the country.

[Miss Authoritiva]

13. Hmm. Would it have been a successful intent?

its discovery in a room with mortar shells appeared to indicate an intent to weaponize the material

Let's see: Would somehow fashioning sarin from a sarin test kit and attaching it to a mortar in an attempt to weaponize the sarin gas result in the successful dispersal of the gas or simply in the destruction of the gas?

Let's see how long we have to wait to hear from our media whether (1) the vials actually contained sarin; (2) whether the sarin was still lethal or whether it had decomposed; and (3) whether it is possible to "weaponize" sarin using a mortar.

File under: intention of weaponizing sarin-related program activities