I Wonder Why?

The latest from Iraq:

The 329th Chemical Platoon, Task Force Phantom, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, participated in a joint operation July 12-17 to recover a large quantity of nitric acid found in a cache in the city of Fallujah.


(source: Victory Caucus)

The platoon, a reserve unit from Winter Park, Fla., helped remove of 40,000 gallons of the acid, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Hart, platoon leader, 329th Chem. Platoon, TF Phantom, MNC-I.


(source: Multi-National Force Iraq)

Nitric acid is a toxic, acidic, colorless liquid used to make fertilizers, dyes, explosives and other chemicals.

Why do you suppose all that nitric acid was there? What were "hundreds" of nitric acid containers doing in the Iraqi capital last month? Could there have been a plan to turn urban Baghdad and Fallujah into agricultural breadbaskets?

Just kidding. Nitric acid is considered "the 'bottleneck' of explosives production" and, if mixed with other, more common substances, cannot be transported or sold in the U.S. without a permit. Even by itself, the chemical is "highly corrosive," a fact radical Islamic terrorists have known at least since April:

A truck laden with nitric acid and explosives overturned before the driver could attack a security station run by US and Iraqi troops north of Baghdad, the US military said today.

The use of nitric acid in bomb attacks could mark another shift in tactics by insurgents, who in recent months have rigged nearly a dozen truck bombs with chlorine gas, mainly in western Anbar province.

The US military said a security patrol went to help the driver of the truck after it overturned and found it loaded with eight containers of nitric acid and explosives.

It said the driver confessed he had been paid to attack the joint security station in Mushada, which also houses the town's police station, north of Baghdad.

Opponents of the invasion erroneously insist the U.S. has killed Iraqi civilians with unlawful chemical weapons. Given April's attempt, and the just-secured stockpiles (which were exposed by tips from Iraqis tired of terror), will the anti-war crowd now applaud?

Nah, I don't think so either.

(via Victory Caucus)