IRAQ: UNITED STATES-LED FORCES ACCOMPANY JOURNALISTS TO SITE WHERE SUSPECTED WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WERE FOUND

Record ID: 338373

  • Title: IRAQ: UNITED STATES-LED FORCES ACCOMPANY JOURNALISTS TO SITE WHERE SUSPECTED WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WERE FOUND
  • Date: 14th January 2004
  • Summary: (EU) 75 KM (45 MILES) SOUTH OF AMARA , IRAQ (JANUARY 12,2004)(REUTERS) 1. SLV TROOPS ARRIVING AT SITE; SLV TROOPS WALKING ALONG MUDDY FIELD; SLV SHELLS (6 SHOTS) 1.10 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH LIEUTENANT A. J. KING, SAYING "There were three shells on the surface and with a little bit more investigation we found that there were actually shells buried into the bank in twos and all wrapped in plastic bags." 1.24 3. SLV SOLDIERS PREPARING SHELLS FOR TRANSPORTATION 1.29 4. 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KING SAYING "If the contents are confirmed by the American system then possibly. I can't really comment on that." 1.39 5. SLV SOLDIERS AT SUSPECTED WEAPONS SITE 1.48 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OUDA URAIBI, IRAQI MAN, SAYING "We found the weapons here and we informed the Danish patrol When they came here. We have told them that weapons and mortar shells are here. The troops came and checked out the area and took pictures. There are more buried. They said that they would come again and after a week, or eight days and later they came with the engineering personnel." 2.23 5. WIDE OF FIELD 2.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th January 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: 75 KM (45 MILES) SOUTH OF AMARA, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA69S140K8274O0XYYH1TWXLPH7
  • Story Text: U.S.-led forces accompanied a number of journalists
    to a site in Iraq where suspected weapons were found last
    week.

    U.S.-led forces in Iraq on Monday (January 12, 2004)
    reported finding possible chemical weapons close to the
    Iranian border.

    A Danish spokesperson said its troops had found 36
    mortar shells buried in southern Iraq which initial
    chemical weapons tests showed could contain blister gas.

    The shells had been buried for at least 10 years and the
    site may contain another 100, it said.

    "There were three shells on the surface and with a
    little bit more investigation we found that there were
    actually shells buried into the bank in twos and all
    wrapped in plastic bags," British Lieutenant A.J. King said.

    Blister gas, an illegal weapon which Saddam said he had
    destroyed, was used extensively against the Iranians during
    the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

    Icelandic bomb experts working with the Danes said the
    120mm shells were concealed in road construction some 75 km (45
    miles) south of Amara.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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