When the political advertisements are (mercifully) behind us and the election is done, we hope the next Congress investigates the alleged mishandling of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. ADVERTISING When the political advertisements are (mercifully) behind us and the
When the political advertisements are (mercifully) behind us and the election is done, we hope the next Congress investigates the alleged mishandling of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
According to an extensive investigation from The New York Times, U.S. soldiers found chemical weapons, including mustard and sarin gas, that were manufactured with the help of the West as Saddam Hussein went to war with Iran in the 1980s. Hussein was our ally at the time.
And yes, there is a very long list of dictators like Hussein who were once American allies and then not only became our enemies, but also used or threatened to use our weapons against us.
Washington should stop propping up “freedom fighters” in the Middle East who almost always turn around and attack us or our allies after we helped them in their cause.
Those weapons were discovered between 2004 and 2011. The Times reported that 17 American service members, including Staff Sgt. Eric J. Duling, a Niceville resident, were exposed to them.
Finding the wrong chemical weapons might have been embarrassing to some members of the political and military ranks and our soldiers were ordered to keep quiet about what they found even as they dealt with the medical fallout from being exposed to chemical agents.
Soldiers like Jarrod L. Taylor used grim, battlefield humor to describe how they were all dealing with “wounds that never happened” from “that stuff that didn’t exist.”
What medical treatment they did receive was inadequate, the soldiers told the Times.
It also seems clear the secrecy surrounding the find may have compromised the primary mission in Iraq. Although we risk re-engaging in an old political discussion, the primary mission in Iraq was not to bring peace and freedom to the Iraqis. It was, instead, to remove an evil dictator from power and to destroy his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.
American military forces succeeded in defeating Saddam Hussein but could not find the weapons our leaders claimed were there. Regardless, the old chemical weapons we did find should have been properly destroyed so no new enemy could ever use them against us.
Apparently, we failed to do that.
ISIS, the terrorist group that is trying to take over the Middle East, may have stolen some of them from an unguarded compound, the Times reported.
It is, to say the least, disheartening to know that weapons of mass destruction — one of the main reasons for the invasion of Iraq — were not disposed of properly and may now have fallen into the hands of America’s enemies.
While we cannot and should not fight old political battles about the wisdom of the second Iraq war, we should seek out the truth of this situation.
This is one of those times where Congress should set aside politics in favor of doing the right thing for the American people.
Army officials have made the right first step by acknowledging there was a problem and promising to identify all the troops exposed to chemical weapons and update their cases.
It’s clear the soldiers who still are suffering as a result of exposure to chemical weapons should receive the medical care they are due. Also, those responsible for this failure and the cover-up should be held accountable.
The lessons we learned here should not be forgotten.
— From the Panama City News Herald
