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BREAKING NEWS ON TRADING ROOM WIRES: Nerve gas found at UN Bldg [UPDATED]

“Evacuations in progress. Still unconfirmed by any major media sources.” (h/t Old Texas Turkey, in the comments here).

More as it develops (or fizzles).

update: From ABC’s Brian Ross, writing for The Blotter:

United Nations weapons inspectors discovered six to eight vials of a dangerous nerve gas, phosgene, as they were cleaning out offices at a U.N. building in New York this morning, federal authorities tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

The federal authorities said the office, in a U.N. building near headquarters, was being evacuated and the White House had been notified at 10 a.m.

New York police and fire officials reported to the scene around 12:15 this afternoon.

A U.N. spokesperson said a statement would be issued shortly.

Authorities said the phosgene was believed to have been discovered in Iraq and manufactured prior to 1991.

Former U.N. weapons inspectors told ABCNews.com that vials of phosgene had also been used by inspectors in Iraq to help calibrate air sampling instruments.

That’s a possibility, sure. Or maybe the vials just got mixed in with one of the big ass boxes of kickback loot Saddam was spreading around.

Accidents happen, you know.

43 Replies to “BREAKING NEWS ON TRADING ROOM WIRES: Nerve gas found at UN Bldg [UPDATED]”

  1. JD says:

    As John Edwards would say, terrorism is just a bumper sticker slogan.

  2. tim maguire says:

    “Fizzles” I suspect. They don’t say what offices were being cleaned out, but since it was weapons inspectors doing the cleaning, my guess is it is their own.

  3. happyfeet says:

    So the weapons were hidden there all this time and the inspectors never found them until they moved?

  4. happyfeet says:

    This has to be a joke.

  5. l4n3 says:

    Not important, but phosgene is not a nerve gas. It messes up your lungs, not your nerves…

    Nice fact checking MSM

  6. happyfeet says:

    I wish someone in my office would find a vial of phosgene.

  7. T-web says:

    Wow. We were so close to finding out if John Bolton was right in saying we could remove 10 floors from the UN and nobody would notice.

    In all seriousness, though, I’m glad everyone’s ok.

  8. Breaking: “Dangerous” chemical vials found at UN headquarters…

    Via Fox News:
    DEVELOPING STORY: Vials of dangerous chemicals believed originating from Iraq were discovered Thursday in the world headquarters of the United Nations in the heart of New York City.
    No evacuations were ordered, and there was no immediate …

  9. Major John says:

    I sure hope we hear from “Regis” later on…

  10. Breaking: Terrorism At The UN?…

    Apparently not:
    United Nations weapons inspectors discovered six to eight vials of a dangerous…
    ……

  11. SarahW says:

    John Davy
    Stained his tie with some gravy
    He tried bleach and some sunshine
    and his eyes started cryin’

  12. A fine scotch says:

    According to CNN.com, the samples have been on-site for more than a decade.

    See here:http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/30/un.gas/index.html

  13. SarahW says:

    Just run of the mill sloppiness. Who among us hasn’t kept a lost a vial or two of lung-ripper in back of the file-o-fax? I know I have.

  14. Hypocritical Extremist says:

    Phosgene is not a nerve agent. It is a blood agent. It smells like freshly cut grass.

  15. SarahW says:

    It makes hydrocloric acid in contact with water. It burns your eyes and lungs. Nasty and stingy. And the smell…sometimes not even noticeable…When concentrated, it’s like clorine and ammonia, only worse.

  16. Squid says:

    Nasty and stingy.

    If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s an ill-tempered, miserly chemical agent.

  17. McGehee says:

    I think the initial report was misinterpreted as a result of a typo. It should have read, “Nerve and gas found at UN bldg.”

    Which, that just means everybody showed up for work.

  18. N. O'Brain says:

    Wait, I thought Saddam didn’t have any WMDs……

  19. JD says:

    Combining the UN and the Media is a recipe for bad actions and even worse reporting.

  20. eLarson says:

    It smells like freshly cut grass.
    Honey… I think we need a new lawn service.

  21. topsecretk9 says:

    Can one even believe this is Shifting Sands – UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter

    Testimony of Major Scott Ritter
    Former Chief, Concealment Investigations Unit
    U.N. Special Commission on Iraq
    House International Relations Committee

    September 15, 1998

    The argument that saddam is causing more damage than the sanctions is irrelevant and offensive.Let’s see…the man in the past has ordered NERVE GAS and other chemical agents used against military targets AND HIS OWN CITIZENS. He has also prevented needed foodstuffs and medical supplied to reach his populace so that he can use the plight of the Iraqi people as propaganda – increasing international pressure to ease –up on existing sanctions. Once those embargoes are lifted, Saddam is in the world market for long-range missile systems and components as well as chemicals that will be brewed into Iraqi VX, Phosgene, Sarin, CS, Mustard Gas, Anthrax bombs and warheads. THAT is what is RELAVANT and OFFENSIVE. Throw on top of that the possible and I think probable support that Saddam has given organized terrorist organizations and you have a ruler and a country that must be contained. You’ll be singing a far different tune (and doing it CASTRATO) if Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec City or Montreal has a 757 “landing” like the one I see still smoking downtown – maybe next time some lunatic will be carrying little vials in carry-on. We’re preparing ourselves for “what if’s” that we never even thought of and Iraq is high on the list of “where can I get my hands on the most deadly poison, cheap” countries.

  22. topsecretk9 says:

    Actually, my bad –Comment by topsecretk9 on 8/30 @ 12:42 pm #- that was someone with prescience commenting on Ritter’s testimony…sorry

  23. BJTexs says:

    Ha! I was having a tough time visualising Ritter using the word CASTRATO in a Senate hearing!

  24. happyfeet says:

    The Chicago “bank robbery standoff” today has been hysterical. No one has any idea where the bank robbery is, and he may or may not have held hostages, which have been released, if they were in fact hostages. Here’s my favorite part so far:

    Starks said SWAT teams, comprised of Chicago police officers and FBI agents, used robotics to sweep the building. Dogs were also used.

    “We used all of our resources we have in conjunction with the FBI,” said Starks.

    […]

    A description of the bank robber was not released.

    “We have details, but we’re not going to share with the public at this time,” said Grant. “Obviously, anybody who’s going to rob a bank is considered armed and dangerous.”

    Dogs and robots.

  25. happyfeet says:

    oops – robbery = robber

  26. topsecretk9 says:

    –Ha! I was having a tough time visualising Ritter using the word CASTRATO in a Senate hearing!–

    Yeah, I know – the formatting of the page didn’t distinguish Ritter vs. commenter very well, that’s why I was a little astonished it would be him.

  27. Rick says:

    Off-topic, but pursuant to a couple posts earlier this week, more hard-to-spot media trend in

    From NRO’s Corner.

    Cordially…

  28. Rick says:

    Ahhh…bugger. Here’s the addy: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/carl_hiaasen/v-print/story/155598.html

    ,,,for “Guess the Party.”

  29. BJTexs says:

    Is it just me, Rick, or was there no mention of party affiliation?

    I’m asking this humbly and carefully because as a conservative I’m genetically predisposed to blaming bias in the media.

  30. Ardsgaine says:

    So that’s where I left them!

  31. davec says:

    They said they were not samples FROM Iraq. They were samples supposedly used to calibrate sensors that are used to detect C/BW agents. An interesting point is how easy it was for them to get back into the United Nations building — assuming even the diplomatic nature of items taken to the U.N does that mean they are not searched at all?

  32. Stix Blog says:

    Now we know where the WMDs went…

    They were at the UN. Kind of makes you wonder about the UN inspectors. They couldn’t keep track of WMDs at their office, so how are they going to tell what is what in Iraq Dangerous Iraq chemicals found stored…

  33. happyfeet says:

    Oh. I thought this was more about breaking news generally. Nevermind about the Chicago thing then. Scott Ritter is a strange guy. What’s he been doing lately, anyone know?

  34. Rick says:

    BJTexs

    None that I could see. Let’s note here that it wasn’t a proper story, but a column. Still…I guess our visiting journalist the other day would say the “D” is important, because there’s no news value/hypocrisy in a Democrat being corrupt. I mean, such is certainly not “new,” nor is there any integrity to grate against.

    Cordially…

  35. Phone Technican in a Time of Roaming says:

    I remember visiting the UN in New York. The gift shop doesn’t charge sales tax because it’s not part of New York.

    So, does the UN support itself with a tax free furniture store with fleets of moving vans with diplomatic plates?No, they do not.

    Some organizations lack gumption.

  36. Ric Locke says:

    happyfeet — since the UN is Sanctified Hallowed Ground, where No Wrongdoing Is Possible Except By the American Ambassador and his Staff, the media required something to take attention away from the poison gas story. Five gets you twenty the perp in Chicago works, however indirectly, for either Knight-Ridder or one of the TV networks.

    Regards,
    Ric

  37. happyfeet says:

    that’s good thinking – they still don’t have the guy, though they have for sure definitely decided the hostages were not hostages.

    Silver lining:

    “It’s always better to be looking for a bank robber than to have a hostage situation,” said Grant, who added that the robbery will be investigated by the violent crimes task force.

    I wonder if the violent crimes task force has dogs and robots.

  38. Brian says:

    “Former U.N. weapons inspectors told ABCNews.com that vials of phosgene had also been used by inspectors in Iraq to help calibrate air sampling instruments.”

    Heh. This is why I don’t do experiments anymore. Chemists like the UN inspectors handle scary compounds all the time, and inevitably get complacent about the dangers in their labs. Handle phosgene every day for a year, and pretty soon you’ll have vials of it rattling around in the desk drawer where you keep your supply of extra pens and microwave popcorn. I’ve seen considerably nastier compounds handled in similarly cavalier fashion, and had to evacuate several buildings on account of this behavior. The only question, really, is why the Hell the weapons people keep their lab equipment and supplies in the headquarters complex.

    Not coincidentally, chemists tend to die relatively young from exotic varieties of cancer.

  39. happyfeet says:

    That’s depressing.

  40. Swen Swenson says:

    Phosgene? Pfah. This is what happens when you keep jello shots unrefrigerated in your desk drawer.

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