Vials Labeled Sarin Discovered In Fallujah

Buried in an article about new tactics being used by the insurgents in Fallujah, the Christian Science Monitor reveals that a suitcase filled with vials labeled "Sarin" was discovered in Fallujah:

In the course of locating seven weapons caches in a single block around a mosque in northeast Fallujah, an Iraqi platoon Wednesday found a suitcase full of vials labeled "Sarin," a deadly nerve agent.

While further analysis determined that the find was probably part of a Soviet test kit with samples, its discovery in a room with mortar shells appeared to indicate an intent to weaponize the material.

I don't understand why this hasn't been reported everywhere.

Following the lead of the article, the Christian Science Monitor provides additional information about the insurgents' use of mosques:

Mosques were used by militants when marines first attempted to invade the city last April. They were sometimes targeted by US forces, adding to the international outcry that grew at the time about civilian casualties.

This time, Iraqi nationalists and Islamic militants loyal to the network of Al Qaeda affiliate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, may have been depending on mosques as staging areas, US officers say.

"Almost every single mosque we've come through has been used for weapons storage and insurgent military training," says Lt. Col. Ramos.

Marines have shot at the speakers of minarets, which are normally used for the Muslim call to prayer, though in recent days they've served as a literal call to arms.

The article also reports on the insurgents' new tactic of using sleeper cells against U.S. and Iraqi government forces:

I posted here about U.S. forces attacking a mosque in Fallujah. If mosques are being used to attack our forces the mosques should be dealt with accordingly.

Instead, marines have found that small groups of unarmed men, claiming to have stayed behind to prevent looting of their house, may in fact be sleeper cells, waiting for orders to link up with prepositioned weapons and attack.

One example Wednesday was a group of four men, found in their house by the LAR Raider Platoon during a search. They said they had recently been caught by the mujahideen, or holy warriors of the resistance, and been tortured.

Later that day and several blocks away, Raider Scouts searching other buildings found four more men. They also said they stayed behind to guards their houses, and that they had been tortured.

But further questioning found that there were no signs of torture - militants in Fallujah typically kill suspected traitors - and that the men's claimed identities did not hold up to investigation.

"It was well rehearsed," said Lt. Michael Aubry from Arlington Heights, Ill. "The first time didn't look suspicious, but the second time ... it did."

"There are sleeper cells all over the place," says Juarez. "They are either going to start coming out of their holes and attack us, or [they] will leave."

The sleeper cells are an interesting and troublesome tactic and the use of mosques is to be condemned as violating the "rules of war," but I can't get over the lack of concern about the Sarin find. Besides the CSM article the only references I can find are to NPR audio reports.

Comments

[mlc]

I followed the link to the npr site and listened to the embedded reporter who was with the group that discovered the sarin. It turned out to be test kits for sarin. Tho this raises the question of why the insurgents would have sarin test kits. Oh and by the way, the were not found in a room but rather in the back of a truck loaded with other munitions. It was found in a briefcase.