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U.S. Analyzes Drums of Chemicals Found in Iraq
Aired April 08, 2003 - 12:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. experts are analyzing about a dozen drums of chemicals found in an agricultural site in central Iraq. Let's talk about this find with Terence Taylor. He's a former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq. He's joining me live from Washington.
Mr. Taylor, thanks for joining us. It's been about 24 hours since we began seeing those pictures of those drums at the supposedly agricultural complex outside Karbala. What are the recent -- and we heard earlier today from the Central Command they are still investigating to determine what precisely are these chemicals, whether benign or chemical weapons.
What would lead you to believe one way or another which way the investigation is moving?
TERENCE TAYLOR, FMR. U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Well, let's look at some of the signatures. There was also near the agricultural depot of some kind what appeared to be some kind of special operations forces training camp. And there in the reports we've heard there were respirators, for example. You could possibly have those for using riot control agents.
But if you go on, there were chemical suits. These would only be used to protect yourself against lethal agents. And even more important, there were atropine autojects found there. Atropine is a kind of automatic injector, specifically designed as an anecdote to a nerve agent, a lethal or prohibited chemical agent.
Now the Iraqis know very well the coalition forces do not have these kinds of nerve agents, so the only conclusion I can come to with this kind of equipment, these people were preparing themselves to operate in an environment where a nerve agents were being used and used by them. So those are the signatures, and they are important ones.
But on the other hand, the compound where these chemicals were found, but suspiciously some of them buried, I understand, and covered up and disguised. It's not clear whether this is actually bulk chemical warfare agent, some kind of nerve agent. The agricultural compound could have organo-phosphorous compounds, the same basic chemical that's used for chemical warfare agents, and also used for insecticides.
So I think we have important signatures, and we have just have to wait and see whether the chemical warfare agent is also there. And we need more analysis for that. BLITZER: They first came upon these sites at these locations near Karbala on Friday. What's taking so long? To a layperson like me, they should be able to determine relatively quickly whether or not these are the mustard gas, the nerve agents, if you will, or if they're simple insecticides or pesticides?
TAYLOR: Well, I think, clearly, the U.S. administration and the military authorities will want to be absolutely clear about this. This is a very important and fundamental aspect behind the whole operation. Where are the Iraqis weapons of mass destruction in this particular case, possibly chemical weapons. So they have to do it right. And the best way to test and be absolutely clear about what type of chemical is there is to do it in laboratory conditions.
And the sort of equipment that the troops have in the frontline are equipment. This is very good and good for testing, giving warning there are some kind of chemical agent around, that they ought to put their masks on and maybe do some contamination. But it's pretty rough and ready.
And so what you need is very specific laboratory analysis. There is a lot of international interest in this. So I think rightly, the administration is being very, very careful.
I don't think at the moment we have an absolute obvious case that there's chemical weapons material there, not weaponized obviously, perhaps some kind of bulk form that might be used for filling ammunitions. But that's not proven yet, but certainly the signature by the equipment seems pretty clear to me, these people were preparing themselves to use chemical warfare agents, in particular nerve agents.
BLITZER: Terence Taylor one final question before I let you go. If you had to assess right now the kind of intense scrutiny these chemicals are getting not only on the scene, but if they're being flown back to formal laboratories in the United States, this is a high priority specifically, because one of the major reasons the U.S. went to war was, what, to find weapons of mass destruction. This might be the first find.
TAYLOR: Indeed it might be. This is a very important issue. That's why it's got to be done right. At the moment, It's not a clear cut case where we have munitions filled with chemical agents, for example, 122 millimeter rockets or artillery munitions filled. This is not an absolute clear cut case. They got to handle this carefully. They got to get it right, and it had to be credible to the international community. I think the U.S. authorities are rightly taking very great care.
BLITZER: Terence Taylor, thank you very much for joining us, once again. We'll continue to watch this story, see where this investigation winds up.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 8, 2003 - 12:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. experts are analyzing about a dozen drums of chemicals found in an agricultural site in central Iraq. Let's talk about this find with Terence Taylor. He's a former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq. He's joining me live from Washington.
Mr. Taylor, thanks for joining us. It's been about 24 hours since we began seeing those pictures of those drums at the supposedly agricultural complex outside Karbala. What are the recent -- and we heard earlier today from the Central Command they are still investigating to determine what precisely are these chemicals, whether benign or chemical weapons.
What would lead you to believe one way or another which way the investigation is moving?
TERENCE TAYLOR, FMR. U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Well, let's look at some of the signatures. There was also near the agricultural depot of some kind what appeared to be some kind of special operations forces training camp. And there in the reports we've heard there were respirators, for example. You could possibly have those for using riot control agents.
But if you go on, there were chemical suits. These would only be used to protect yourself against lethal agents. And even more important, there were atropine autojects found there. Atropine is a kind of automatic injector, specifically designed as an anecdote to a nerve agent, a lethal or prohibited chemical agent.
Now the Iraqis know very well the coalition forces do not have these kinds of nerve agents, so the only conclusion I can come to with this kind of equipment, these people were preparing themselves to operate in an environment where a nerve agents were being used and used by them. So those are the signatures, and they are important ones.
But on the other hand, the compound where these chemicals were found, but suspiciously some of them buried, I understand, and covered up and disguised. It's not clear whether this is actually bulk chemical warfare agent, some kind of nerve agent. The agricultural compound could have organo-phosphorous compounds, the same basic chemical that's used for chemical warfare agents, and also used for insecticides.
So I think we have important signatures, and we have just have to wait and see whether the chemical warfare agent is also there. And we need more analysis for that. BLITZER: They first came upon these sites at these locations near Karbala on Friday. What's taking so long? To a layperson like me, they should be able to determine relatively quickly whether or not these are the mustard gas, the nerve agents, if you will, or if they're simple insecticides or pesticides?
TAYLOR: Well, I think, clearly, the U.S. administration and the military authorities will want to be absolutely clear about this. This is a very important and fundamental aspect behind the whole operation. Where are the Iraqis weapons of mass destruction in this particular case, possibly chemical weapons. So they have to do it right. And the best way to test and be absolutely clear about what type of chemical is there is to do it in laboratory conditions.
And the sort of equipment that the troops have in the frontline are equipment. This is very good and good for testing, giving warning there are some kind of chemical agent around, that they ought to put their masks on and maybe do some contamination. But it's pretty rough and ready.
And so what you need is very specific laboratory analysis. There is a lot of international interest in this. So I think rightly, the administration is being very, very careful.
I don't think at the moment we have an absolute obvious case that there's chemical weapons material there, not weaponized obviously, perhaps some kind of bulk form that might be used for filling ammunitions. But that's not proven yet, but certainly the signature by the equipment seems pretty clear to me, these people were preparing themselves to use chemical warfare agents, in particular nerve agents.
BLITZER: Terence Taylor one final question before I let you go. If you had to assess right now the kind of intense scrutiny these chemicals are getting not only on the scene, but if they're being flown back to formal laboratories in the United States, this is a high priority specifically, because one of the major reasons the U.S. went to war was, what, to find weapons of mass destruction. This might be the first find.
TAYLOR: Indeed it might be. This is a very important issue. That's why it's got to be done right. At the moment, It's not a clear cut case where we have munitions filled with chemical agents, for example, 122 millimeter rockets or artillery munitions filled. This is not an absolute clear cut case. They got to handle this carefully. They got to get it right, and it had to be credible to the international community. I think the U.S. authorities are rightly taking very great care.
BLITZER: Terence Taylor, thank you very much for joining us, once again. We'll continue to watch this story, see where this investigation winds up.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
