Iraq: November 12, 2002

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Iraq tried to buy 1.25 million atropine self-injectors from a Turkish firm. The Turks reported. The atropine devices are used by troops who have come into contact with nerve gas (to counteract the effect of nerve gas.) Iraq would issue the atropine devices to it's troops only if Iraq were planning on using nerve gas. This would protect Iraqi troops from accidental exposure to nerve gas delivered by Iraqi artillery or rockets.  However, you need nerve gas detectors to really make this work in a practical sense, and there's no indication that Iraq has gotten nerve gas detectors. But the atropine is good for morale, showing that Saddam really cares.