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 today.
Federal authorities said the office, in a U.N. building near headquarters, was being evacuated and the White House had been notified. New York police and fire officials said federal authorities had not notified them of any problem at the U.N. building. 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 said that vials of phosgene had also been used by inspectors in Iraq to help calibrate air sampling instruments. The former inspectors said the remaining vials were supposed to have been destroyed. “If it is properly sealed, it should not pose much of a threat unless it is dropped,” said former New York City emergency services director Jerry Hauer.
“They need to get it out of there and put it in a safe canister,” Hauer said. “It shows immense stupidity to have that kind of thing sitting around as a souvenir.”
(Source: WABC)
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7 Responses
Nah! I don’t think it was a result of stupidity. Unfortunately I think it was there as a result of a desire by the Arab delegates to unleash it in primarily Jewish New York City. Hashem Ya’azor!!!
Hashem Ya’azor in any case. But the UN is notorious for its stupidity.
relax bubby
i take that back sorry
Too bad it didn’t blow up the UN together with all the diplomats.
5. Including the Jewish ones?
C’mon, people. The vials were in the office for 10 years before they were discovered. Likelihood of danger to life is minimal, but it is rank stupidity for UNers to bring such material, regardless of the quantity or safety measures allegedly employed, into a metro area like NY.
Heads should roll, but they won’t.
Just wait till they go through the rest of Kofi Anans drawers!