# Chemical weapons confirmed! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 10, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860 "2003-04-10T19:39:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/1 "2003-04-10T19:39:58Z")
Confirmation of chemical weapons in the Iraqi region has been [confirmed](http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,931873,00.html). This is a clear and irrefutable violation of international law. Uh, unfortunately, the weapons and the violations are on the part of the United States. > [@](#): > > Last week Bush authorised US troops to use teargas in Iraq. He is permitted to do so by an executive order published in 1975 by Gerald Ford, which overrides, within the US, the 1925 Geneva protocol on chemical weapons. While this may prevent Bush’s impeachment in America, it has no standing in international law. > > The chemical weapons convention, promoted by George W’s father and ratified by the US in 1997, insists that “each state party undertakes not to use riot control agents as a method of warfare”. Teargas, pepper spray and other incapacitants may be legally used on your own territory for the purposes of policing. They may not be used in another country to control or defeat the enemy…Last month Victoria Clarke, an assistant [DoD] secretary, wrote to the Independent on Sunday, confirming the decision to use riot control agents in Iraq, and claiming, without supporting evidence, that their deployment would be legal. Last week the US Marine Corps told the Asia Times that CS gas and pepper spray had already been shipped to the Gulf. The government of the US appears to be on the verge of committing a war crime in Iraq. Dubya was damned bound and determined to find chemical weapons in Iraq and by God, if we can’t find them there we’ll bring 'em along ourselves! I suppose I should be surprised and disgusted by this but given my level of disgust with the whole situation nothing really surprises me any more. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/2 "2003-04-10T19:47:49Z")
First off, nothing has been used. Secondly, tear gas ain’t in the same ballpark as Vx. It doesn’t look too good though. ---
**Author:** ![coyasicanbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bcef8e/32.png) [@coyasicanbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coyasicanbe)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/3 "2003-04-10T19:51:37Z")
“Surprised and disgusted” seem a bit strong. We are, after all, dropping bombs and shooting people. Is non-lethal tear gas a step up? Obviously, if we signed a treaty stating we wouldn’t use them, then we shouldn’t. But c’mon… ---
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/4 "2003-04-10T20:02:26Z")
Well, since we now “own” it we can use it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/5 "2003-04-10T20:59:33Z")
There’s a pretty big fuckin difference between riot gas and mustard gas or sarin. ---
**Author:** ![Spite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spite)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/6 "2003-04-10T21:02:29Z")
Just as there is a difference with Saddam’s regime and Bish’s regime. But seems to me that even liberal Presidential candidates don’t have the mental capacity to differentiate the two. I am sick of the left wing hyperbole. Posts like this just show how immature your rhetoric truely is. ---
**Author:** ![Spite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spite)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/7 "2003-04-10T21:03:44Z")
B **u** sh, but we all knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Iacob\_Matthew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Iacob\_Matthew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iacob_Matthew)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/8 "2003-04-10T21:04:51Z")
Will we be able to hold you to that opinion if we find Saddam’s tear gas? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/9 "2003-04-10T21:17:58Z")
In not too long from now, Iraq will be under our jurisdiction. The Geneva convention ALSO makes occupying countries live up to a standard of maintaining peace and order in the countries they control. So it’s not clear that this would violate the convetion at all. It isn’t likely that they’d use tear gas in the war: they can just use bullets and bombs. Likely, the tear gas is for domestic control AFTER the war, by forces controlling large crowds, not fighting guerillas. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/10 "2003-04-10T21:19:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Iacob\_Matthew \* > \*\*Will we be able to hold you to that opinion if we find Saddam’s tear gas? \*\* Tear gas is not on the list of proscribed items in Security Council Resolution 687, unless you want to argue that tear gas is a “chemical weapon.” That would be a pretty specious argument. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/11 "2003-04-10T21:39:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Will we be able to hold you to that opinion if we find Saddam’s tear gas? Sure. But then, I’m one of the apparent few in the country who realizes that The Hunt For WMD’s isn’t the only reason for wanting to take out Saddam… ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/12 "2003-04-10T21:53:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > But then, I’m one of the apparent few in the country who realizes that The Hunt For WMD’s isn’t the only reason for wanting to take out Saddam… Apparently Bush doesn’t realize it, since WMD’s were the justification he gave for the invasion. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/13 "2003-04-10T21:54:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spite \* > \*\*…I am sick of the left wing hyperbole. Posts like this just show how immature your rhetoric truely is. \*\* Yeah, I just thank the good lord above that the hyperbole and rhetoric coming from the right has been so fair and balanced. It has been a sane counterpoint to what would otherwise be and intolerable situation.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/14 "2003-04-11T03:06:13Z")
It’s fucking tear gas. We’re lobbing cruise missiles at these people, and you give a shit about _tear gas_? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/15 "2003-04-11T04:22:39Z")
Tear gas is not a WMD, dipshit. ---
**Author:** ![Spite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spite)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/16 "2003-04-11T04:30:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Binarydrone \* > \*\* It has been a sane counterpoint to what would otherwise be and intolerable situation.:rolleyes: \*\* Otherwise my ass. My point is that it _is_ intolerable doncha see? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/17 "2003-04-11T04:35:27Z")
Teargas a WMD? You Otto know better… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/18 "2003-04-11T05:04:43Z")
I consider **Otto** to be a man of reasonably astute intelligence, so I doubt he really _needs_ my help. But as long as I’m here, I will point out that he didn’t CALL teargas a WMD; he called it a chemcal weapon. The _Guardian_ article linked in the OP supports this label. Should anyone care to put forward an argument that it is not, this thread might offer a convenient place to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/19 "2003-04-11T05:10:41Z")
The excited thread title “Chemical weapons Confirmed!” made in the recent context of “Gotcha” threads crowing about any rumor of a WMD discovery, strongly implies that someone had found WMD’s. This is a non-story. Tear gas is a chemical weapon like a heavy flashlight is a “radiological” weapon. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860/20 "2003-04-11T05:50:51Z")
**Diogenes** – take a pill, man. It’s an **IRONY** rant, okay? It’s _Dubya_ being credited by the Guardian with authorizing the use of a chemical weapon. **Otto** is tweaknig _Dubya_, not the anti-war crowd, get it? Dubya. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemical-weapons-confirmed/167860.md?page=2)