Chemically challenged?

I hesitated to write about this yesterday -- I only saw reporting of it on Fox ... and, well, it was Fox.... However, various European news agencies have picked up on it, so here goes:

From Jane's Defence Weekly.

It appears that Syria is looking for the trifecta of military problems. In July the Syrians were working with some of their cronies -- Iranian "advisers" -- to mount a chemical warhead on a SCUD missile, when a tiny mishap occurred. That little accident resulted in the fuel for a missile catching fire causing it to explode. The explosion released a cloud of VX and Sarin nerve agents as well as mustard gas.

The July 26 explosion was initially reported as killing 15 Syrian military personnel and injuring about 50 others -- as a result of "very handling explosive products." Of course, the Syrians made no mention of the Iranians also killed in the blast. But Jane's being the insider organization that it is, pieced together the info that Iranians were working at the facility as a part of a 2005 agreement. And they were trying to weaponize the 300 mile SCUD. The effort was part of a deal to accept Iranian help in constructing 5 facilities to produce chemical weapons -- a long term project set into motion in the 1970's.

But let us consider this a moment: how is it possible that the explosion of a single rocket warhead or its fuel could set off a chain reaction? Could it mean that the Syrians are stupid enough to conduct testing of rockets in the same facility as they store chemical warheads? It is unthinkable that they could have the warheads and rockets anywhere near each other, unless it was time to pop them off at someone. And if they had a cocktail of gases and agents (some of which are binary in the US arsenal) lying around, it speaks to a level of idiocy that is hard to comprehend. What do they have, a building with a bunch of warheads of different types lying around, while Ahmed and Parvis tinker with some advanced rocket components? "No, you fool! I want the hammer, not the allen wrench!"

Could some of these things be as a result of taking delivery of someone else's WMDs and shoving them in a storehouse, without really knowing what was inside them? Even the Syrians have to know better when developing chemical warheads to be a bit more careful?

And even more frightening, if I were living in Israel, I'd consider investing in decon suits, really good bio-hazard clothing and perhaps even a positive pressure bunker for my basement. VX gas .... From Wikipedia:

VX is one of the most toxic nerve agents ever synthesized.^[1] The VX nerve agent is the most well-known of the V-series of nerve agents.

The only countries known to possess VX are the United States and Russia^[1]. However, under Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq was suspected of buying VX^[1]; a Sudanese pharmaceutical facility was bombed by the U.S. in 1998 following allegations that it in some way used VX and that the origin of the agent was associated with both Iraq and Al Qaeda.^[2]

VX agent is considered an area denial weapon due to its physical properties.

With its high viscosity and low volatility, VX has the texture and feel of high-grade motor oil. This makes it especially dangerous, as it has a high persistence in the environment. It is odourless and tasteless, and can be distributed as a liquid or, through evaporation, into small amounts of vapour. It works as a nerve agent by blocking the function of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Normally, an electric nerve pulse would cause the release of acetylcholine over a synapse that would stimulate muscle contraction. The acetylcholine is then broken down to non-reactive substances (acetic acid and choline) by the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. If more muscle tension is needed the nerve must release more acetylcholine. VX blocks the action of acetylcholinesterase, thus resulting in sustained contractions of all the muscles in the body. Sustained contraction of the diaphragm muscle causes death by asphyxiation.

The lethal dose for an average human is estimated to be about 200 micrograms, depending on the method of incorporation. If the absorbed dose is not too high, death can be avoided if the appropriate antidote is injected immediately after exposure.

Ok, that is more than you wanted to know -- but get this: the lethal dose is a tiny droplet or vapor, anywhere on the skin or inhaled. Death is by muscular spasm -- body cramp. Painful, but quick. Both Russia and the U.S. have programs to get rid of the stuff. Saddam admitted to the UNSCOM that Iraq had researched VX, but denied weaponizing it. Subsequent to 2003's invasion, the U.S. learned that Iraq had in fact succeeded in dropping three VX bombs on Iran during their war.

And here we are with VX in Syria. Am I the only one to find this strange? Where did it come from? Hopefully the explosions killed everyone involved in the project with Iran, even though their demise must have been awful.