Iraqi “Ministry of Health” Accuses America of Banned Weapons Use in Fallujah

Jihad Unspun | March 3 2005

Dr Khalid ash-Shaykhli, a representative of the so-called “Iraqi ministry of health” who was authorized to assess the health conditions in Fallujah after the end of the major battles there, announced that the surveys and studies that a medical team did in Fallujah and then reported to the “ministry” confirm that US forces used substances that are internationally prohibited, including mustard gas, nerve gas, and other burning chemicals in the course of its attacks on the city.

Ash-Shaykhli held a press conference in the health ministry building in Baghdad’s Bab al-Mu‘azzam section on Tuesday. He began by reporting on the final results of the fact-finding mission’s survey of the situation in which the people of Fallujah now find themselves. He said that the city is still experiencing the effects of chemical and other types of weapons used by the Americans, which will be causing serious diseases over the long term.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam asked ash-Shaykhli what the facts were regarding the use of limited nuclear weapons by the occupation forces. Dr. ash-Shaykhli said, “what I saw during our research in Fallujah leads me to me believe everything that has been said about that battle. I absolutely do not exclude their use of nuclear and chemical substances, since all forms of nature were wiped out in that city. I can even say the we found dozens, if not hundreds, of stray dogs, cats, and birds that had perished as a result of those gasses.”

During the press conference, which was attended by more than 20 Iraqi and Arab journalists, Ash-Shaykhli promised that he would be sending the study and the results that the committee produced to responsible bodies, both Iraqi and international.

The press conference was attended by correspondents of the Iraqi ash-Sharqiyah television network, the Iraqi “government”-run al-‘Iraqiyah satellite TV network, and the as-Sumariyah network, in addition to foreign media, such as the American Washington Post and the Knight-Ridder service and the Iraqi as-Sabah newspaper, in addition to the correspondent of Mafkarat al-Islam.

The findings disclosed at Tuesday’s press conference must be seen as the most serious statements to be made since the end of nearly four months of military operations in Fallujah, Mafkarat al-Islam noted. Mafkarat al-Islam was the first to report on the American occupation forces’ use of gasses and burning and chemical substances during the first days after the outbreak of fighting in the city, as JUS reported at the time.