Nerve Agent Artillery Shells Found in Iraq

Nerve Agent Artillery Shells Found in Iraq

Diaz-Balart: Thankfully none of our troops were seriously harmed

WASHINGTON-Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) today released the following statement regarding the discovery in Iraq on Saturday of an artillery shell containing deadly sarin nerve agent, which Saddam claimed to have destroyed before the 1991 Gulf War, and a couple of weeks ago the Iraq Survey group found an artillery shell containing mustard gas, possibly one of 550 such shells that Hussein failed to account for before the Iraq War:

"The discovery of sarin gas and mustard gas in Iraq shows that the search for weapons of mass destruction is not finished and must continue," Diaz-Balart said. "Saddam claimed to have destroyed all sarin gas rounds before the 1991 Gulf War. Obviously, he lied. Saddam was supposed to account for 550 shells containing mustard gas. No surprise, he lied again.

"We must rid Iraq of these lethal chemical weapons," Diaz-Balart continued. "This, along with the fact that Saddam had already used them to slaughter his own people, once again proves how much of a threat Saddam really was.

"Thankfully none of our troops were seriously harmed by these bombs or by the nerve agents."