New evidence released in the Middle East Review of International Affairs journal claims that ISIS is in possession of U.S.-linked chemical weapons such as mustard gas, and may have already used them to expand its efforts in Iraq and Syria -- weapons that U.S. military had previously found and kept secret.
The weapons were initially discovered between 2004 and 2010 by the U.S. military, who actively worked to keep secret the discovery of the munitions stockpile due to embarrassment, stated The New York Times. In all, U.S. forces found around 5,000 chemical weapons, and coalition forces were even wounded by discovered weapons on at least six occassions.
The chemical site now under terrorist control was previously controlled by the U.S. until forces withdrew. It was turned over to the Iraqis with instructions on how to destroy, dismantle and "entomb" the chemical contents, reported The New York Times.
But after ISIS advances in June drove off Iraqi forces, ISIS captured the Saddam-era chemical weapons, including mustard gas and sarin, which were stored at a site at Al Muthanna. The group may have used them in July to kill three Kurdish fighters in the Kobani region of northwest Syria, suggests the journal report released Sunday.
Most of the chemical agents were manufactured before 1991 and provided to Iraq during their war against Iran. "The munitions appeared to have been designed in the United States, manufactured in Europe, and filled in chemical agent production lines built in Iraq by Western companies," reported The New York Times.
The Middle East Review found the following:
"The July offensive commenced on July 2nd. According to Kurdish activists, the use of the chemical agent took place on July 12th, in the village of Avdiko, in the eastern part of the Kobani enclave (now in IS hands)," the report said. "Nisan Ahmed, health minister of the Kurdish authority in Kobani, established a medical team to examine the incident. According to Ahmed, the bodies of three Kurdish fighters showed no signs of damage from bullets. Rather "burns and white spots on the bodies of the dead indicated the use of chemicals, which led to death without any visible wounds or external bleeding."
Disturbing photos of what appear to be victims suffering from chemical burns were also made available in the report, and expert Israeli sources who have seen the photos told the journal that they appear to show the use of a mustard gas blistering agent, however, without further investigation, a conclusive confirmation is not possible.
After ISIS took over the compound in June, the Iraqi government sent a letter to the United Nations informing them of around 2,500 remaining chemical rockets, also saying that Iraqi officials had witnessed looters taking equipment.
