Al-Qaeda linked group claims they used Chemical Weapons against Green Zone and Iraqi ministries.

A day or two ago, Al-Qar\eda linked groups threatened to use Chemical Weapons against coalition forces.
Now they are claiming that they used them in Baghdad today.

Forbes

DUBAI (AFX) - An Al-Qaeda linked Sunni group in Iraq said it used chemical weapons to attack targets in Baghdad today, according to their statement released on an Islamist website.

Jaish al-Taefa al-Mansura (Army of the Victorious Community) said its fighters fired shells filled with chemical agents at the interior ministry, foreign ministry, the 'green zone' and Baghdad's security academy.

In Baghdad, the interior ministry said five rounds of mortar fire exploded, including two in the heavily fortified green zone which houses the Iraqi government as well as the US and British embassies.

Maybe they tried to use them but they weren't effective.
It's a bit worrying that they are sincerely trying to use them now.
This takes the war to another level if they are successful with a future attack.

[edit on 13-9-2005 by AceOfBase]

Please, use them! It will make proving their existence that much easier!

Originally posted by Army
Please, use them! It will make proving their existence that much easier!

The group that claims they used them also claimed that they were developed by the Mujahadin, not left over from Saddam.

dawn

The internet statement posted in the name of the Jaish al-Taefa al-Mansura, or Army of the Victorious Community, warned of reprisal attacks using “non-conventional and chemical weapons ... developed by the mujahedeen... unless the armed onslaught against the city of Tal Afar stops within 24 hours.”

Originally posted by AceOfBase
Maybe they tried to use them but they weren't effective.
It's a bit worrying that they are sincerely trying to use them now.
This takes the war to another level if they are successful with a future attack.

[edit on 13-9-2005 by AceOfBase]

That is their purpose, all they want to do is make people worry about new forms of terror. I see it as propaganda, nothing more. If they had the ability they would have used it sooner.

Originally posted by Army
Please, use them! It will make proving their existence that much easier!

I really hope you are joking. If yhey get used like you say, they would
be on our troops and I am sorry but that is just wrong. Just as wrong
as us using it on them. I don't agree with this war, but I do support my
troops. I also think that not one more person (either our troops or civilians)
should die in that country.

And by the way in case you have been sleeping, there were never any
to begin with, that is why there was never any found.

The mods should give you a warn for a blatent disrespect of life.

Originally posted by AceOfBase
The group that claims they used them also claimed that they were developed by the Mujahadin, not left over from Saddam.

Key word there, AceOfBase: "developed".
That would or could imply a totally different meaning or interpretation than you have given.
Does the Mujahadin have the ability to place chemical agents within shells, as mentioned in your initial article?

Jaish al-Taefa al-Mansura (Army of the Victorious Community) said its fighters fired shells filled with chemical agents....

Your Article

Do they have the ability to equip missiles containing chemical agents, as per this article's mention?

....threatened to attack the Green Zone in Baghdad with missiles containing chemical warheads....

Going on to say:

The firing of five rockets was confirmed by an Islamic site close to the Baathist-inspired guerrillas - islammemo - which referred to at least four rockets with chemical warheads. The site, which tends to publish unreliable biased news reports, celebrates it as the first chemical attack in Iraq."

Anyhow, I highly doubt that the Mujahdin has such capabilities [to develop, etc.] and the facilities to do so. The question should be were did they get such missiles, warheads, and shells from and who filled them, if they were filled with chemical agents at all? Hence, what member Army mentions could well be true. Were they leftover from the Iran-Iraq war or were they some that were stashed by Saddams government during various periods or Russian leftovers from the Russian Afghanistan campaign, or mere propaganda, etc.?

Its going to take more than a link to Dawn.com to prove to me, anyhow, that the Mujahdin had and have such capabilities to develop, arm, and equip missiles, warheads, and/or shells with chemical agents.






seekerof

[edit on 13-9-2005 by Seekerof]

Dawn.com was the first google link that came up for me.
Here's an AFP link that you posted a day or two ago:

yahoo
The Internet statement, whose authenticity could not be verified, said weapons "developed by the mujahedeen (holy warriors)," would be used "unless the armed onslaught against the city of Tal Afar stops within 24 hours."

It was posted on one of the Islamist websites used by the group of Al-Qaeda's frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and the Army of Ansar al-Sunna, another insurgent group linked to the Al-Qaeda network.

Ansar al-Sunna (not the group that claimed this attack, just share the same site it was posted on) is a major insurgent group in Iraq and they regularly build and detonate massive IEDs. They obviously have sources to some powerful explosives but I don't know for sure if they have the knowlege to manufacture chemicals for the weapons. It's possible these groups are linked and are helping each other out.

If they did manage to obtain the chemicals from another source, they would have no trouble modifying the existing rockets to deliver a chemical payload.


[edit on 13-9-2005 by AceOfBase]

Sorry pal, but ATS members only believe terrorists when they're accusing the U.S. of using chemical weapons, not when they are admitting to using them themselves!

Just as Zarqawi only exists when he accuses the US of doing something horrible, then he's known to ATS as Abu Musab al Integrity.

I'm not sure how reliable this sorce is but they are saying that they found a crude chemical weapon rigged to explosives.

Start and Stripes

ARLINGTON, Va. — While taking down the insurgent stronghold of Tal Afar, U.S. troops discovered a crude chemical weapon, the commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment said Tuesday.

The troops had just entered a building when their ears and throats started to burn, said Army Col. H.R. McMaster in a briefing to reporters.

U.S. forces determined insurgents had rigged the chemicals to explosives, McMaster said, though he did not identify the type of chemical.

“We evacuated the civilians from the area and we demolished that building without a hazard to the people,” McMaster said.

I haven't seen this on any other site yet so I'm not sure how much credibility we should give this story.

Originally posted by Army
Please, use them! It will make proving their existence that much easier!

I have to agree with Army. I don't want to see anyone hurt by them I'll settle for a miss or better yet the people launching them contaminating themselves. I just want their existance proven. Seems the existing proof isn't enough. By existing proof I mean the confirmed use on Iranians and Kurds in the 1980's.

existing proof?

the 80's was over 20yrs ago..

why does that mean they HAVE To have them now?

By existing proof I mean the confirmed use on Iranians and Kurds in the 1980's.

You mean the chemical & Biological weapons that
we the United States of America supplied to Saddam?