Iraq's mortal threats

By Ken McManaman

Our military forces around Iraq number more than 200,000. They wait. A number of allies have sent forces, including Czech and German biochemical experts to assess the nuclear, biological and chemical threats of Saddam Hussein, who will use these weapons against us if Gulf War II takes place.

I have a son, a young enlisted Marine whose specialty is nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) defense, in Kuwait ready to fight. But I am worried about his safety and that of other military personnel there, especially since these troops are sitting ducks if Iraq were to launch an attack against them before we begin the invasion. The longer we wait, the more at risk our troops are..

Iraq has huge stockpiles of sarin, mustard, and VX gas in its chemical arsenal and anthrax, botulinum toxin, smallpox and ricin among its biological weapons. Most sources believe Iraq also has the capability to disperse a dirty bomb. Anybody who doesn't believe this despot has these weapons is naive.

Recently the officer in charge of the U.S. Army's chemical and biological defense indicated our NBC preparation and defenses have holes. This is disturbing, despite the fact the military brass give this statement no credibility. But just what kinds of weapons are these chemical and biological agents that our military must face?

Chemical agents are classified as nerve, blister, choking, blood and vomiting agents. Biological weapons are divided into bacterias, toxins and viruses. All these weapons are horrifying. Chemical weapons are easier to deploy than biological weapons. With some agents, we have no ability to neutralize their effects at all.

Sarin and VX are nerve agents that interfere with signals passed to muscles and the central nervous system. The effects of these nerve agents range from a runny nose to death. There is a major problem with one form of Iraqi VX nerve agent called dusty VX. It sticks to and eats through clothing, including chemical suits. If dusty VX is used, decontamination must take place immediately on the battlefield. VX is easily absorbed. It remains on the ground for weeks.

If there is any good news about these agents, it is that atropine and pralidoxime chloride are antidotes. These drugs are packaged in kits issued to troops.

Biological weapons are difficult to deploy but are extremely dangerous. There is a delayed reaction. Smallpox, one of the worst, is extremely contagious. A number of nations have maintained smallpox in state-supported laboratories. There is concern that some smallpox has been sold or stolen. These possibilities have demanded that our military troops be vaccinated. There is a concern as to whether all troops in the war zone have been vaccinated. One-third who contract smallpox die. Survivors are left with permanent scars. Some end up blind. Once contracted, there is no treatment.

Anthrax is a natural substance. Iraq has tons of anthrax, which is most deadly if inhaled. Symptoms include fever, fatigue and coughing followed by labored breathing. Death occurs quickly. Anthrax may be successfully treated. Our government required military personnel to endure a six-shot series of controversial vaccinations against anthrax in 1998, but the process was suspended due to health problems. The vaccinations were recently reinstated, with many troops receiving a series of vaccinations all at once, something not recommended by the makers of the vaccine. Other troops have not received the entire series of vaccinations.

Ricin is a powerful biological toxin taken from castor beans. Recently there was a report from Kuwait that Marines discovered a local food-service employee with ricin in his possession. Luckily, no one was harmed. It is fatal if not quickly dealt with.

So although we are better prepared to handle the NBC problem on the battlefield now than we were during the Gulf War, the possibility still exists that their usage will kill many American troops -- so much so that the Defense Department has been agonizing over how to dispose of contaminated bodies, rejecting the option of cremation after loud objections. This is an awfully scary scenario.

Sometimes there is no viable alternative to the use of force. No one wants war, especially those who have experienced it. But there may be no other way. It is delusional to believe Saddam will disarm, less likely he will cease making and using biochemical weapons, and even less probable he will cease assisting terrorists in the use of these weapons against America itself.

What are we to do? Wait for the next disaster which kills thousands? Let's wake up, America. The world is against us because their homes and lives are not at risk, but ours are. The peaceniks act like if we put our heads in the sand the problem will magically go away. Appeasement has never solved problems historically, and it won't now, either. It will likely make the problems worse.

Do we allow Saddam to continue to defy 17 existing U.N. resolutions and, more importantly, to continue to threaten Americans and American interests, with the ultimate effect that U.S. combatants may not now suffer in battle but that civilians will likely suffer and die later on the streets of American cities as the result of the use of dirty bombs and chemical and biological terror?

Has anything has changed since Sept. 11, 2001? No. Our support for Israel and military action in Afghanistan have made terrorists hate us more. Soon after 9/11, I questioned whether Americans would have the guts to do what the Greatest Generation did during World War II -- put their lives on the line to combat evil and protect democracy.

Now we are near to putting our troops in harm's way, and there is a great outcry for a peaceful solution. I wish there were one. Still, I pray we have exhausted all possible alternatives before we launch a military invasion of Iraq. I hope we neutralize all of Iraqis chemical and biological stores at the start of the war, or we will regret it.

It is time to put up or shut up. We will be sorry regardless of what we do or not do in Iraq. We will suffer if we invade with the United Nations, and we will suffer even more if we go into Iraq alone. Regardless, terrorists will continue to use any excuse to harm Americans at home and abroad, whether we liberate Iraq or let Saddam stay in power.

No alternative to war is plausible, though my heart yearns for a peaceful solution. But, recognizing reality, I worry about and pray for our armed forces who are about to engage a very dishonorable and cowardly enemy, one that will not go away even if we are successful at unseating Saddam, as we should have done in 1991.

Ken McManaman of Jackson is a lawyer.