IT'S been revealed that the US military planned to test deadly nerve gas on Australian soldiers in far north Queensland during the Cold War.
Newly declassified Defence and Prime Minister's office files show that the US was strongly pushing then prime minister Harold Holt's government in the 1960s to allow tests of two of the deadliest chemical weapons ever developed -- VX and GB, better known as Sarin nerve gas.
The revelation will air this morning on the Nine Network's Sunday program.
It says the top secret plan involved allowing 200 mainly Australian combat troops to be aerially bombed and sprayed with the chemical weapons.
It's understood the Iron Range rainforest near Lockhart River in far north Queensland was the likely location for the tests.
Peter Bailey, a former senior official with Mr Holt, tells the program the request caused consternation in Canberra, and as far as he knows the tests never went ahead.
But he says planning was very advanced in the US, which wanted the operation to be kept secret because the weapons were illegal under international law.
Its bad enough we suck up their culture. But being the expendable ally is possibly worse or on par with Aussie media coverage of Paris Hilton and other US celebs, or Britney Spears songs.
with the nerve agents mostly liquid or solid, what is the most effective way for solids to be spread over the target area?
TysonBoss1, with the nerve agents mostly liquid or solid, what is the most effective way for solids to be spread over the target area?
I assumed it was a chemical reaction to turn the agent into a gas on deployment and wind was the carrier.
2020, why compensation for gulf war soldiers? In this day and age they are well informed of past issues as you mentioned in Vietnam and the like.
If they have the IQ to join the forces entry tests, they sure as hell should have the nouse to realise they are in for both mental and possibly physical issues down the track. If recruits don't have the IQ to comprehend that and contemplate the possible outcomes before joining the forces, they are not fit to fire a weapon.
That's like a sprts star claiming compensation from the governing body for a sporting injury incurred during play.
U.S. and UK, with the highest rates of excess illness, are distinguished from the other nations by higher rates of pesticide use, use of anthrax vaccine, and somewhat higher rates of exposures to oil fire smoke and reported chemical alerts. France, with possibly the lowest illness rates, had lower rates of pesticide use, and no use of anthrax vaccine.
Superfly, I'm sure Saddam isn't the only person who had his Chemical Agent handling ticket.
But Saddam did use these WMD's against his own people. Oh did I say WMD, how is that possible ????... are these the same weapons that the UN WEAPON INSPECTOR'S were searching for in IRAQ for 12 years and were denied unrestricted access for those 12 years..say that again 12 years...in total breach of the UN.
So... chain of command mean anything to you, you blame President Bush for Iraq but not Saddam for using chemical weapons...thats smart .!As stringent as the testing is, surely someone else would have passed.
I'd also wager he himself never touched the stuff
He would be dead if he did that...
President Bush has never fired a weapon in Iraq but you blame him for Iraq..
and there is only so much one can learn from theory, Superfly so I'd probably not have taken his word on such a potentially important question.
And President Bush could not take Saddam's "word for it" that Iraq no longer had any WMD.... Saddam had 12 years to come clean...
Just like the IAEA and the west can not and will NOT take Irans word for it that it is not developing WMD's....
Be careful Stan 101 you are saying that the US were correct in entering Iraq.... and I thought you where just another one of the anti-US sheep.
2020, why compensation for gulf war soldiers? In this day and age they are well informed of past issues as you mentioned in Vietnam and the like.
If they have the IQ to join the forces entry tests, they sure as hell should have the nouse to realise they are in for both mental and possibly physical issues down the track. If recruits don't have the IQ to comprehend that and contemplate the possible outcomes before joining the forces, they are not fit to fire a weapon.
That's like a sprts star claiming compensation from the governing body for a sporting injury incurred during play.
especially if your boss is found negligent, If an office worker breaks her neck tripping over in the office and it is found that the office was not safe, then they are up for compensation.
Nasho officers in the RAE in the Vietnam days – (Royal Australian Engineers being responsible for NBC nuclear biological chemical) -:
:topicIt's really been a day for it, hasn't it. First Kennas lost his mind, Redrob and 2020 was duking it out, and my jokes fall flat. (as usual)
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