As if the world didn't have enough horrible problems to contend with, now terrorist and insurgents in Iraq are using chlorine in attacks on troops and civilian populations. U.S. officials and military leaders are concerned these recent attacks could signal a new approach to cause terror and instability in the region.
An Iraqi town 12 miles north of Baghdad was engulfed in a cloud of deadly toxic gas on February 20th after a tanker truck carrying chlorine exploded. The explosion occurred outside a restaurant, killing 6 people and leaving many more choking on chlorine fumes. Over 150 people were sickened by the fumes with many of those requiring medical attention. An Iraqi Interior Ministry official said the explosion was caused by a bomb on board the tanker.
U.S. military leaders are warning that terrorists in Iraq are adopting new guerrilla tactics in a campaign to spread fear and panic. Troops recently discovered a car bomb factory complete with chlorine cylinders and propane tanks. Insurgents have detonated 3 trucks containing chlorine canisters in the past month. Another attack on January 28th involved a dump truck filled with explosives and a chlorine tank that killed 16 people. United Nations weapons inspectors believe large quantities of chlorine are widely available in Iraq.
The amount of chlorine in a railroad tanker can cause devastating results if released. Homeland Security officials fear a scenario involving terrorists using explosives to detonate chlorine tanker cars in heavily populated areas in the United States. In 2005, a train crash in South Carolina released 60 tons of liquefied chlorine; about 6 times the amount that was released in the Iraqi tanker truck attack. U.S. security experts fear a coordinated railroad chemical attack involving strategically placed explosives in a series of chlorine tanks could have devastating effects on local populations exposed to the fume cloud.
Chlorine is a potentially dangerous chemical because it reacts with water in moist tissue, creating acid that burns the tissue. The respiratory tract and eyes are particularly susceptible. Just a few breathes of air containing a chlorine concentration of 1,000 parts per million can be lethal. Lower exposures can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea and burning in the eyes, throat and nose.
Although chlorine can cause severe discomfort and even death in high concentrations, a chlorine bomb is not necessarily a weapon of attack, but more a weapon of terror. The intent is not to produce mass casualties, but to strike fear and panic in the population.
This is where many chemical weapons differ from biological weapons. Biological weapons are derived from disease causing bacteria and viruses or their byproducts. The purpose of biological weapons is to create extremely lethal and immediate epidemics that kill or disable on a massive scale. Pound for pound, biological weapons are the most lethal type of munitions ever produced.
To help combat biological terrorism, the Department of Defense has awarded a contract Boeing and a team of U.S. biological defense companies to use particle counter technology to detect the presence of airborne biological warfare agents. This program was developed by the Department of Defense Threat Reduction Agency to specifically to detect and protect against bioterrorism.
No comments:
Post a Comment