Attack Iraq? Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Attack Iraq?

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: GROUND ZERO™ who started this subject	9/13/2002 4:26:16 PM
From: Elmer Flugum	Read Replies (1) of 8683

Iraq's arsenal economist.com The IISS's assessment, Nuclear/radiological • Does not possess facilities to produce fissile material in sufficient amounts for nuclear weapons. • Would require at least several years and extensive foreign assistance to build such fissile material production facilities. • Could probably assemble nuclear weapons within months if fissile material from foreign sources were obtained. • Current interest in radiological weapons unknown. Could divert domestic civil-use radio-isotopes or seek to obtain foreign material for a crude device. Biological • Probably retained substantial growth media and agents from pre-1991 stocks. • Capable of resuming agent production on short notice (weeks) from existing facilities; could have produced thousands of litres of anthrax, botulinum toxin and other agents since 1998. Actual stocks unknown. • Production of viral agents, possession of smallpox unknown. Chemical • Probably retained mustard and precursors for a few hundred tonnes of sarin/cyclosarin; perhaps similar amount of VX from pre-1991 stocks. • Capable of resuming production on short notice (months) from existing civilian facilities; could have produced hundreds of tonnes of agent (mustard and nerve agents) since 1998. Actual stocks unknown. Delivery means • Probably retained a small force of 650km (400 mile) range al-Husseinmissiles, perhaps around 12 missiles. • Lacks facilities to produce long-range missiles, would require several years and extensive foreign assistance to construct such facilities. • May have produced some al-Samoud missiles, with ranges up to 200km. • Capable of manufacturing rudimentary chemical and biological warheads. • Capable of converting civilian vehicles to mobile launchers. • Capable of delivering biological weapons with simple airborne wet-spray devices; development of more advanced devices for wet spray or dry agents unknown.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next