Well, we finally have weapons of mass destruction being used against us in Iraq. Unfortunately, it's the insurgents, not Saddam, and the weapons are about as primitive as you can get -- chlorine used as part of truck and car bombs. Chlorine was the first agent used by the Germans at Ypres in 1915, and it established the pattern of chemical warfare. It can make life miserable for troops who have protection, but it really is a bitch against people without protection. Casualties against troops who were protected and trained were ultimately not so great, contrary to the propaganda. But, on the Russian front against unprotected serf armies, a radically different story.
Chemical weapons are not intrinsically evil any more than furry gerbils are inherently good. They are...the question is the use to which they are put. If we assume that the Soviets used chemical weapons against the Muhajadeen in Afghanistan, we can see why they would have been effective -- but, delivery required a wide variety of platforms and, oh yeah, they lost. But, against the civilians in an urban area, burning chlorine to produce a gas is a good way to kill a few, injure a lot and terrify a helluva lot.
They are all evil bastards. We need to get the hell out of there. If the Sunnis are willing to use this weapon which is by its nature indiscriminate, or the Shiites on the Sunnis, then we have no place because like it or not, we exercise some restraint. Otherwise, we just turn the place into greenish glass. The world could use more trinitite
chlorine, like oxygen, is one of the worst chemicals on the planet.
shit.
Posted by: mr. fun | 22 February 2007 at 07:52 PM
how about dropping some ice-nine in the Tigris?
Posted by: Comandante Agi | 22 February 2007 at 09:52 PM
No damn cat and no damn cradle...of civilization. Just destruction. I like it, I like it a lot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat's_Cradle
Posted by: Crusader AXE | 24 February 2007 at 10:17 AM