>> Could it be a chemical that could be used
>> in the nerve agent manufacturing, but is also used in the
>> production of other substances that have no military
>> application?
from http://www.eob.org/terror/html/precursors.html -->
Chemical Weapon Precursors and Associated Agents Table
Precursor Material Precursor For Legitimate Use ------------------------------------------------------ ...
Diethyl VX Organic synthesis. Methylphosphonite
which appears on the Australian's Control List of __Dual-Use__ Chemicals:
http://www.stimson.org/cwc/ag-chems.htm
and is a Schedule 2 precursor (1 tonne annual quantity threshold) as per:
http://www.dfat.gov.au/cwco/pages/sch2.html
A basic primer on bio/chem weapons and how precursors and their 'schedules' under the CWC fit into the picture:
http://www.chemsoc.org/gateway/chembyte/cib/chemwar.htm
from another site, i forget the URL, but will "remember" it if you want:
22.Binary CW munitions contain two separate canisters filled with relatively nontoxic precursor chemicals that react to form a lethal agent while the munition is in flight to the target. The United States developed three types of binary munitions: a 155mm artillery shell containing precursors of the volatile nerve agent sarin; the BIGEYE spray bomb containing precursors of the persistent nerve agent VX; and a warhead for the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) containing precursors of a mixture of intermediate-volatility nerve agents. Although the 155mm shell and the BIGEYE bomb were produced, the MLRS system was terminated in 1990 in the final stages of development.
from http://www.fas.org/irp/gulf/intel/961031/502br_90.txt
DIA believes that Iraq has limited numbers of binary warheads for its ballistic missiles. These warheads are probably filled with precursor chemicals which when mixed in flight will produce the G-series nerve agent (GB or GF) or binary components to form the nerve agent VX.
-- ____ Les Schaffer godzilla at netmeg.net ___| --->> Engineering R&D <<--- Theoretical & Applied Mechanics | Designspring, Inc. Center for Radiophysics & Space Research | Westport, CT USA Cornell Univ. schaffer at tam.cornell.edu | les at designspring.com