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NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS

October 31, 2006: Recently, an IED (roadside bomb) was encountered near Ramadi, Iraq, that was attached to a chlorine canister, apparently in the hope that security forces would incur gas casualties. Chlorine is an industrial chemical, not difficult to obtain, and toxic if inhaled. This is not the first time Iraqi terrorists have tried to use chemical weapons. In the past, some old, Saddam era, chemical weapons were found built into roadside bombs. Most roadside bombs are discovered, inspected, and destroyed, so there has yet to be a successful "chemical attack.". Since the Iraqi terrorists are largely composed of people who once worked for Saddam's security forces, there are quite a few of them possessing experience with chemical weapons. But incorporating chemical weapons into bombs has not been a priority for the terrorists. Probably because most of the bomb casualties have been civilians. So if one of these chemically enhanced bombs did go off, there would likely be civilian victims, including children. The terrorists have come to realize that this sort of thing produces the kind of publicity they do not want.