"Now that we have penetrated Baghdad's outer ring, the likelihood (of a chemical or biological attack) is negligible," U.S. forces

Additional reporting by Khaled Mamdouh, IOL Staff

NEAR NAJEF, Iraq, April 4 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The threat of an Iraqi chemical or biological attack against coalition forces has become "negligible," U.S. military sources in Iraq said Thursday, April 3.

"Now that we have penetrated Baghdad's outer ring, the likelihood (of a chemical or biological attack) is negligible," Captain Adam Mastrianni, the intelligence officer of the 101st Airborne Division's Aviation Brigade, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"The commanding general of the 101st, General David Petraeus, gave the order at 9:00 pm (1800 GMT) that soldiers in the division would be able to take off their anti-chemical and biological suits as of Friday morning," he added.

Mastrianni's aviation brigade is still based near the central Iraqi town of Najaf. He explained to the AFP correspondent traveling with U.S. troops that the non-conventional threat against coalition troops engaged in Iraq had receded across the board.

U.S. military planners had feared that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein might launch a chemical attack when U.S. and British troops reached three zones.

"We thought if he was going to use chemicals, the first major town he was going to use them in was in Karbala," a major Shiite town less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad, Mastrianni said.

"The next major zone, was when we (coalition troops) penetrated outer Baghdad," he said, saying that could be defined as areas within 30 kilometers (20 miles) of the capital.

"Now the 3ID (3rd Infantry Division) is in Baghdad and no chemicals have been used," he added.

"We think that quite frankly, even if Saddam Hussein is in control, which is still debatable, he's paralyzed by the fact he knows he will be prosecuted over war crimes," he said.

"If he somehow survives this, and if he doesn't use them, then he looks kind of like the victim to the Arab world," he added.

Mastrianni added that a third reason was that U.S. troops "did not find too many chemical areas."

“The Banned Weapons”

“Saddam Hussein possesses some of the world’s deadliest weapons,” Bush

U.S. President George W. Bush has decided to invade and occupy Iraq to “disarm the Iraqi regime of weapons of mass destruction”, to ensure the security of “American people, as well as that of our friends and allies”.

Time and again, Bush kept repeating “Saddam Hussein possesses some of the world’s deadliest weapons”, and that “time was running out”, for the disarmament of Iraq.

In November 2002, the UN Security Council adopted a tough-worded resolution, 1441, calling on Iraq to cooperate with UN inspection teams or face “dire consequences”.

The UN inspection teams started their work in Iraq in November 27, inspected every and each building they wanted to, amid full and conditional cooperation from the Iraqis.

However, no “material breach” was found, no signs of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons were located despite intelligence information offered by the United States, Britain and other countries.

Washington then, insisting the Iraqis were too careful for the UN teams and hid their weapons, tried to pass another resolution, giving it authorization to disarm the Iraqi regime by force.

Failing to convince other allies and friends, except for Britain and Australia, the U.S. withdrew its war resolution, and went ahead with Bush’s “coalition of the willing” and attacked a state plagued by 13 years of embargo and isolation.

After 16 days of intense, ferocious attacks and with U.S. troops reportedly occupying Saddam International Airport, some 10 KMs from the capital, the question remains; if Saddam Hussein possesses some of the world’s deadliest weapons, when is he going to use them, if he ever will?!

On Wednesday, April 2, as U.S. troops got closer to Baghdad, they were ordered to move up to the next level of precaution against chemical or biological weapon attacks by donning rubber boots along with the protective clothing they have worn almost every day since the U.S.-British invasion began on March 21.

Each soldier also has a gas mask slung around his waist, and has been trained to put it on within nine seconds of the alarm being raised.

At the time, Brigadier General Vincent Brooks told reporters at the Central Command forward headquarters in Doha that "there may be a trigger line where the regime sees a sufficient threat to use weapons of mass destruction.

Last week, Brooks warned that intelligence officers had received "indications through a variety of sources" that the Iraqi regime had issued "first orders" to use chemical or biological weapons if the coalition forces crossed the line.