Egyptian Military Using Nerve Gas on Protesters

[midnight]

The Egyptian military has been using a banned chemical agent to deal with hundreds of thousands of protesters, according to several news sources.

At least 23 Egyptians have died and more than 1,700 have succumbed to a lethal gas military forces have been using during the past three days in clashes in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square.

The International Business Times reports that demonstrators have been struck with "dangerous levels of CR gas over the past two days of protests" and Australia's The Age said Wednesday that the canisters are marked "Made in the USA."

CR gas is an intense and lethal version of CS gas, called "tear gas," widely used by police for crowd control.


http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/egyptian-military-nerve-gas/2011/11/23/id/418927

[PDJane]

1. What else do you do with banned chemicals, eh?

We do that too; sell it to someone in the third world, natch.

[AntiFascist]

2. So what else is made in the US?

Will our troops start getting attacked by anthrax produced at our own laboratories and sold to the highest bidder?

[Fokker Trip]

6. The Anthrax attacks in Washington

used US military grade anthrax traced to a US military base. Hmmm.

[Gregorian]

3. Holy shit. Raw evil.

I only feel shame for my country. Some example we're setting. Come and get our chemicals that you can use on humans.

It sure as hell doesn't square up with us having an EPA all while dealing out death.

[jwirr]

4. Supplied by the USA just like Saddam Hussein did.

[TexasProgresive]

5. Misleading headline CR is not a nerve agent

If it was there would be a lot more deaths. That's like calling a car or truck bomb a Weapon of Mass Destruction. WMD was normally used to describe nuclear devices and chemical agents such as Sarin, Mustard and Phosgene.

[midnight]

8. Maybe the definition has changed. Do you have a link to back up your understanding.

[TexasProgresive]

11. Only in the minds of ignorant reporters who fail to fact check

They think the know something when in reality the don't.

Here's a good definition of nerve agents (think Organo-phosphate pesticides designed to kill people instead of roaches:

Nerve agents are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals (organophosphates) that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by blocking acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that normally relaxes the activity of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.

As chemical weapons, they are classified as weapons of mass destruction by the United Nations according to UN Resolution 687 (passed in April 1991) and their production and stockpiling was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993; the Chemical Weapons Convention officially took effect on April 29, 1997.

Poisoning by a nerve agent leads to contraction of pupils, profuse salivation, convulsions, involuntary urination and defecation, and eventual death by asphyxiation as control is lost over respiratory muscles. Some nerve agents are readily vaporized or aerosolized and the primary portal of entry into the body is the respiratory system. Nerve agents can also be absorbed through the skin, requiring that those likely to be subjected to such agents wear a full body suit in addition to a respirator.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/nerve-agent#ixzz1ecksx07W

http://www.answers.com/topic/nerve-agent

CR is in a class of chemical weapons called Lachrymatory agents:

These sensory irritants produce immediate pain to the eyes and irritate mucous membranes (aka lachrymatory agent or lachrymator).

a-Chlorotoluene
Benzyl bromide
Bromoacetone (BA)
Bromobenzylcyanide (CA)
Bromomethyl ethyl ketone
Capsaicin (OC)
Chloracetophenone (MACE; CN)
Chloromethyl chloroformate
Dibenzoxazepine (CR)
Ethyl iodoacetate
Ortho-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (Super tear gas; CS)
Trichloromethyl chloroformate
Xylyl bromide


http://www.answers.com/topic/lachrymatory-agent

http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-chemical-weapon-agents

This link is to an article on Dibenzoxazepine (CR)
http://www.answers.com/topic/cr-gas

[riverwalker]

7. was used in Ireland in '74, cancer link

http://ceartais.blogspot.com/2009/05/cr-gas-chemical-warfare-in-ireland.html
"Revealing the truth behind the CR gas exposure"


CR gas is a lachrymatory agent (LA) exerting its effects through activation of the TRPA1 channel. Its effects are approximately 6 to 10 times more powerful than those of CS gas. CR causes intense skin irritation, particularly around moist areas, blepharospasm causing temporary blindness, coughing and gasping for breath, and panic. It is capable of causing immediate incapacitation. It is a suspected carcinogen. It is toxic, but less so than CS gas, by ingestion and exposure. However, it can be lethal in large quantities. In a poorly ventilated space, an individual may inhale a lethal dose within minutes. Death is caused by asphyxiation and pulmonary edema.
The effect of CR is long-term and persistent. CR can persist on surfaces, especially porous ones, for up to 60 days.
In the late 1980s, CR was used in the townships in South Africa. It caused some fatalities, particularly among children.
Republican groups in northern Ireland have alleged that British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary units used CR gas against Republican prisoners.
Because of its alleged carcinogenic properties, the United States does not utilize CR for riot control. The U.S. military classification for this chemical agent is combat class chemical weapon causing serious side effects for humans.
http://www.arabist.net/blog/2011/11/22/on-the-tear-gas-being-used-in-tahrir.html

[midnight]

9. Good info. and links-thanks.

"‘The British government secretly authorised the use of a chemical riot control agent, to be used in prisons at the height of the troubles … CR gas was permitted from 1973 to be used on prison inmates in the event of an attempted mass breakout.’"


And the second link:

"To the doctors in the field (tahrir and elsewhere), my experience with the gas used by the police: It causes extra-pyramidal symptoms (involuntary jerks in extremities and trunk mimicking a convulsive seizure, occulo-gyric crisis, etc.) and little respiratory distress. The jerking is relieved by low-dose (3-5mg) diluted diazepam given slowly IV."

[pmorlan1]

10. News Max?

NewsMax is an extreme right wing publication that rarely gets the facts straight. Why are we posting it here?