This sounds suspicious:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of Iraqi policemen fell sick from poisoning Sunday at a base in southern Iraq after the evening meal breaking their daily Ramadan fast, and officials said they were investigating whether the poisoning was intentional.
An official with the Environment Ministry said 11 policemen had died. However, the governor of Wasit province -- where the poisoning took place -- denied any deaths, though he said some of the victims were in critical condition. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory reports.Some of the policemen began bleeding from the ears and nose after the meal, said Jassim al-Atwan, an inspector for the Environment Ministry, who was serving as a liaison in the investigation between the Health Ministry and the base, located in the town of Numaniyah.
"Hundreds of soldiers were poisoned after taking food and water in the iftar," Wasit Gov. Hamad al-Latif told the Associated Press, referring to the meal that breaks the sunrise-to-sunset fast during the Islamic holy month. "Investigations are under way to determine the cause."
Samples of the food and water were being tested "to determine the substance in them" and will be sent to Baghdad for further tests, al-Latif said.
Sunni insurgents who have targeted police and military forces with bombings and shootings have not been known to use poisoning as a weapon. But the suddenness and severity of the sickness raised speculation that the incident could be a new attack. The division is mainly made up of Shiites.
Between 600-700 policemen were affected to varying degrees, and 11 who had the heaviest amount of the food had died, al-Atwan told The Associated Press.
Some of the soldiers collapsed as soon as they stood up from them meal, others fell "one after the other" as they headed out to the yard in the base to line up in formation, al-Atwan said.
It sounds like the terrorist insurgents are changing tactics.
Update: Jay at Stop the ACLU has a great suggestion:
Maybe we should use our captured terrorist as food testers?
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Comments (8)
"This sounds suspicious"</p... (Below threshold)1. Posted by jp2 | October 8, 2006 9:30 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"This sounds suspicious"
Very astute, Kim.
1. Posted by jp2 | October 8, 2006 9:30 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 21:30
2. Posted by Synova | October 8, 2006 9:31 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Bad chicken?
2. Posted by Synova | October 8, 2006 9:31 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 21:31
3. Posted by jdavenport | October 8, 2006 9:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"It sounds like the terrorist insurgents are changing tactics."
It could be inter-agency thuggery. Politics is war by other means, but the Iraqi's are straddling that fence.
3. Posted by jdavenport | October 8, 2006 9:35 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 21:35
4. Posted by jdkchem | October 8, 2006 10:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
California Spinach?
4. Posted by jdkchem | October 8, 2006 10:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 22:09
5. Posted by Lee | October 8, 2006 10:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
quick! Turn on Fox News! They're saying it was Bill Clinton's fault! lol!
Or maybe it was someone from Hastert's office, trying to deflect the bad news. Some Republicans will do anything to stay in power, including looking the other way while sexual predators prey on 16 year pages.
ABC Radio News just reported that some Republican senator (sorry, I didn't catch his name) is saying Hastert shouldn't resign because "it would be to the Democrat's advantage in the election". Oh yeah, good reason you guys. Forget what's right and wrong, let's just hold onto as many votes as we can... what *sshats.
Meanwhile Iraq spirals further and further into chaos -- as Bush and company fiddle away.
5. Posted by Lee | October 8, 2006 10:25 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 22:25
6. Posted by Peter S | October 8, 2006 11:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
quick! Turn on Fox News! They're saying it was Bill Clinton's fault! lol!
Actually it was the people who chose to poison them that are guilty. No one, not even GW Bush or the Republicans are powerful enough to force anyone to commit such an atrocity.
6. Posted by Peter S | October 8, 2006 11:04 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 23:04
7. Posted by 914 | October 9, 2006 1:10 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Maybe some of Sodomy nonexistent ricin just happened to be mixed in with the food?
Nah, its Bushs fault.
7. Posted by 914 | October 9, 2006 1:10 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 9, 2006 01:10
8. Posted by Jason | October 9, 2006 1:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Souns a lot like radiation sickness.
8. Posted by Jason | October 9, 2006 1:23 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 9, 2006 01:23