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Iraq Issue Troops New NBCD Suits

Fri, January 24, 2003

Source:

Documents obtained by the BBC appear to suggest Saddam Hussein is preparing to use chemical weapons against western troops in the event of war

Documents obtained by the BBC appear to suggest Saddam Hussein is preparing to use chemical weapons against western troops in the event of war. The hand-written Arabic-language notes state that elite units of the Iraqi military have been issued with new chemical warfare suits and supplies of the drug atropine - used to counter the effects of nerve gas.

Radio 4 reports the papers were passed on to the BBC by opposition group, the Iraqi National Coalition, which claims to have received them from serving members of Baghdad's military during secret meetings.

It says the documents were brought out of Iraq within the last month, and have been verified by three different experts.

The papers suggest the chemical suits and anti-nerve gas drugs have been smuggled into Iraq from neighbouring countries. Also included are details of methods for attacking ships in the Gulf region.


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