Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Report: Islamic State Using Chemical Weapons

Mangled and rusted chemical munition shells found near the Muthanna chemical weapons complex. CIA

Saddam-Era Chemical Weapons Now Under ISIS Control: Reports -- IBTimes

According to a recent report published in the journal Middle East Review of International Affairs, or MERIA, militants of the Islamic State group used chemical weapons, including mustard gas, against Kurdish fighters in the Syrian border town of Kobani during their first attempt to capture the town in July.

The report, which is based on testimonies from eyewitnesses on the ground, said that the chemical weapons had been transferred to the Syrian province of Raqqa from a Saddam Hussein-era chemical weapons facility located near the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The report has prompted fears that ISIS could have access to vast stockpiles of chemical weapons, including sarin, mustard gas, and VX, a nerve agent.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That The Islamic State Is Now Using Chemical Weapons

Has ISIS looted chemical weapons from former Iraqi nerve agent factory that US failed to destroy? UN told 2,500 rockets containing deadly Sarin are in the hands of the jihadists -- Daily Mail
Iraqi facility seized by IS likely contained deadly chemical weapons: NYT -- Business Standard
ISIS Terrorists May Have Used Chemical Weapons On Kurds In Syria -- Inquisitr
Report cites evidence ISIL used chemical weapons in Kobane assault -- World Tribune
Is ISIS Using Chemical Weapons? -- Joseph Cirincione and Paul Walker, Defense One
Does ISIS Have Chemical Weapons? -- Cairo Scene
ISIS Likely Captured Iraqi Chemical Weapons, New York Times Confirms -- Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Huffington Post

My Comment: Ever since the fall of a major Iraqi chemical weapons plant to Islamic State forces in July, reports have been circulating that the Islamic State had retrieved some chemical munitions and were in fact using them on the battlefield. This blog reported a story that IS soldiers were killed last month while preparing such warheads .... Scores Of Islamic State Militants Killed In Iraq While Loading A Chemical Warhead .... but no one inside IS controlled territory could confirm it. This was followed by more reports of chemical weapons being used .... Breaking News: Islamic State Militants Are Now Using Chemical Weapons. And now we are receiving reports of Kurdish soldiers being found dead with all the signs of chemical weapons being use .... hmmmm .... as they say .... when there is smoke there is fire .... and there is a lot of smoke coming from this story.

5 comments:

James said...

An article to clarify:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2014/10/nyt-discovers-iraq-had-chemical-weapons.html

War News Updates Editor said...

Thank you for the link James. I am familiar with the CIA report that Blackfive mentions .... I have quoted it more than once in this blog (for those whom may not know .... it chronicles to great lengths Saddam Hussein's chemical stockpile).

As to the New York Times report .... I am surprised not because of the New York Times .... their covering for the Obama administration is always predictable .... but by the author.

J.C. Chivers is a war correspondent familiar with the conflicts in the Middle East .... he of all people would know that this is old news.

James said...

Maybe just trying to keep his job.

War News Updates Editor said...

Or his post was edited. My money is on his editors doing some changes.

James said...

Yeah, that would be a good guess.