Egyptian military using CR gas?

[riverwalker]

(I keep reading tweets about "this tear gas is different")


Egyptian Military Using Banned Lethal Substance as Tear Gas; Could Cause Vital Organ Damage

By Amrutha Gayathri:
November 22, 2011 12:23 AM EST

The Egyptian military and police are using tear gas that could cause acute damage to the lungs, liver and heart, and increase the risk of miscarriage, Egyptian media report. Apart from the detrimental side effects, the gas canisters were at least five years past the expiry date.
The news site Bikyamasr says demonstrators were exposed to dangerous levels of CR gas over the past two days of protests, with many calling the use of gas a "crime against humanity." Protesters who were exposed to high doses of CR gas reportedly coughed and vomited blood and many were taken to medical care after they passed out. <more>
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/253740/20111122/egyptian-military-using-banned-lethal-substance-tear.htm


and here:
http://margaretlitvin.com/2011/11/22/cr-gas-combat-class-chemical-weapon-made-in-the-usa/

"People recovering cannisters in Tahrir and indep news outlets are reporting that the military may be using CR gas, not regular tear gas, on protesters. It’s causing side effects (like spitting blood), unseen in the January wave of protests."

[EFerrari]

1. Sharif Kouddous says some of those canisters are clearly marked

as tear gas and some are blank. So.

[Luminous Animal]

2. The reports that I am now reading about this are horrible.

People never saw any smoke but started dropping like flies.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Nasty stuff

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CR_gas

[Luminous Animal]

4. Mohamed ElBaradei says nerve gas...

He's the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

http://twitter.com/#!/ElBaradei/status/139081472064761856

http://www.iaea.org/About/dg/elbaradei/biography.html

[Luminous Animal]

5. Gassing people through the metro vents.

AalamWassef Aalam Wassef
In case tear gas is coming out from metro ventilation stations in #tahrir please help cover them with plastic covered with blankets. pls rt

[TheWraith]

9. I dare say that that's an exaggeration.

Use of nerve gas would pretty much kill everyone in the area within minutes.

[Luminous Animal]

12. It depends on which agent and the dose.

[TheWraith]

15. No, actually.

Any nerve agent worth the name is fatal in even microscopic doses. I'm sure this is just a muddled report.

[Luminous Animal]

17. Someone is muddled, that's for sure.

[Luminous Animal]

6. Kick. It is mind boggling how the pro-democracy activists in Egypt can't get any DU respect.

Dozens killed, thousands injured and yet these unarmed incredible people continue to face off against both the army and the police.

[MedleyMisty]

7. From what I saw with Libya

Seems a lot of DUers think brown people shouldn't have democracy and that they need dictators to keep them in line with the DU poster's personal views on religion. Either that or the protesters aren't real Egyptians and are all secretly CIA agents.

And yes, it's terrifying what's happening to them. And we should be paying attention, because the weapons being used on them were provided by the US. And I bet the idea to use the weapons was also provided by the US. Tahrir will be us one day, and we'll be up against that gas.

[TheWraith]

10. I think it's mostly the latter of the two you mention.

The widespread belief that anyone who is at odds with the US must be pure and noble souls, and any efforts to remove them are therefore automatically secret imperialist capitalist plots.

[Luminous Animal]

11. Thank you for taking the time to bash DUers. The protesters in Egypt appreciate it.

[TheWraith]

14. Right, because NOT debunking drivel on a message board ten thousand miles away...

...is so much better for you when you're getting tear gassed. :eyes:

[Luminous Animal]

16. And that YOU for your insightful input, as well.

What is that phrase? American exceptionalism?

[Luminous Animal]

8. 86 hours of non-stop gas and shooting

sharifkouddous Sharif Kouddous
2am in Cairo. It's been 86 hours of non stop gas and shooting around #Tahrir with no sign of letting up.

[Luminous Animal]

13. Perhaps if they protested naked, Egypt would garner more interest. (Good article linked below.)

http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/egyptian-revolution-part-deux-don%E2%80%99t-fire-until-you-see-their-eyes/article15930.html

"hey are firing rubber tipped steel bullets directly at the eyes of protestors from rooftops and great distances with high powered rifles and using what appear to be expired tear gas canisters that are many times more potent than the CS gas used in previous protests.

Protestors have lost eyes, suffered horrific brain injuries and when exposed to this gas become so physically ill, some gravely, just inhaling it that it appears by many accounts to contain a chemical or nerve agent attacking organs and the central nervous system. Too, the police have used launching systems to strategically fire both beyond and in front of protestors to ensure they are completely enveloped by the gas forcing stampedes to flee and/or ensure they inhale a mixture so highly toxic it makes the UC Davis pepper-spray look tame by comparison."