"This has to be the most bizarre twist in the WMD saga yet. Insurgents in Iraq could very well have chemical weapons. And they may be using them - on themselves." After experimenting on a variety of hallucinogens, the Pentagon selected BZ, or 3-quinuclidinyl benzillate, a potent mind-altering substance that was colorless and odorless and readily amenable to delivery in an aerosol cloud, to weaponize in the '50's. It incapacitates with both physical and mental effects, supposedly without lethality. (From the description, it appears that its effects are largely anticholinergic actions. Anticholinergic toxicity from medications is a common cause of confusion, agitation and delirium in hospitalized patients. — FmH) However, it produced uncontrollable aggression in its victims, which among other unpredictable effects, caused it to fall out of favor. Supposedly, the US stockpile of hundreds of thousands of pounds of BZ was destroyed by 1990.
Although the US CIA discounts the reports, British intelligence sugests that Iraq developed a similar compound. A weblog by a US Marine, since taken down, suggested that insurgents were often juiced up with this chemical warfare agent, among other mind-altering drugs, in preparation for suicide attacks on occupation forces, the modern equivalent of the proverbial half-pint of rum issued to British seamen before naval actions. The article suggests that 'cannon fodder' guerrillas were exposed to the agent involuntarily, since it seems unlikely that anyone would take 'this ultimate bad trip' voluntarily.
Interesting speculation but, as the article takes pains to conclude, it is only speculation, with little evidence. It leaps from surmise to hypothesis to assumption, it seems to me. I find it much more likely that the paranoia and fanaticism of the insurgents attacking occupation forces have been inflamed by reason, not madness.
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Also see:
PUBLIC LAW 95-79 [P.L. 95-79] TITLE 50, CHAPTER 32, SECTION 1520 "CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE PROGRAM" "The use of human subjects will be allowed for the testing of chemical and biological agents by the U.S. Department of Defense, accounting to Congressional committees with respect to the experiments and studies." "The Secretary of Defense [may] conduct tests and experiments involving the use of chemical and biological [warfare] agents on civilian populations [within the United States]." -SOURCE- Public Law 95-79, Title VIII, Sec. 808, July 30, 1977, 91 Stat. 334. In U.S. Statutes-at-Large, Vol. 91, page 334, you will find Public Law 95-79. Public Law 97-375, title II, Sec. 203(a)(1), Dec. 21, 1982, 96 Stat. 1882. In U.S. Statutes-at-Large, Vol. 96, page 1882, you will find Public Law 97-375.
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