Speaking on last Tuesday’s attempted chemical weapons attack by ISIS against US troops on Qayara Air Base, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis confirmed that ISIS is “dead set” on using chemical weapons in the fight, and are likely to continuing doing so in the offensive against Mosul, their largest city.
Last week’s incident saw a single shell fired onto Qayara base, landed in an empty part of the base, and containing a mustard agent. Tests on the contents of the shell were inconclusive, but positive at least some of the times, which may reflect ISIS’ rather tenuous grasp on the technology.
Davis said ISIS is believed to have launched “at least a couple dozen” such attacks so far using crude, makeshift chemical munitions. He described ISIS’ agents as “not generally in a lethal concentration,” and weaker than the mustard agents used during World War 1.
According to Davis, the US has sent some 50,000 has masks to Iraq, with the vast majority going to Iraqi military forces. A large force is expected to be involved in the invasion of Mosul, including a lot of militias and auxiliaries who may not have such equipment.
All antiwar hope needs to be put on hold. Americans have chosen two bad choices for president and it’s too late to change that. After Clinton becomes president will be the time for the antiwar cause to be pursued. And if it doesn’t succeed then it’s not going to be Clinton’s fault. It’s going to be the fault of the American people who are still pro-war in the large majority.
There is hope! False hope with Trump that is being realized now but real hope from Bernie Sanders’ efforts. And even Hillary will be there if a strong enough message is sent to her by the people. After all, she’s a politician and they do what their people ask of them. When the American people themselves take responsibility there will be immediate change. They’re far from ready yet but still, there is the glimmer of hope!
The use of chemical weapons is nothing to be surprised about; they’re out there, they’re relatively cheap, and if cooked properly relatively lethal. They are the ‘poor man’s atomic bomb’. It only stands to reason that they’d be used on today’s battlefield by someone, especially a financially and technically strapped outfit like ISIS. It’s okay when we do it- because we’re on the moral high ground, of course- but it’s bad when they do it because, you know, just because.