November 30th, 2002
ANCHORS: JOHN SIEGENTHALER
REPORTERS: ROSILAND JORDAN
NBC Nightly News (6:30 PM ET) - NBC
While those inspections continue, the United States is still preparing
for the possibility of war with Iraq. Today some US lawmakers warned that
American soldiers may not have the right suits to protect them against
biological or chemical weapons. NBC's Rosiland Jordan reports.
ROSILAND JORDAN reporting:
The Gulf War, 1991, US troops issued protective gear against biological
and chemical warfare. The Iraqis never used those weapons, but hundreds
of thousands of suits made for that conflict may still be in circulation.
And there are concerns in Congress that some may be defective, putting
US troops at risk. Representative CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (Republican, Connecticut):
We need to highlight this issue. We need to put pressure on DOD to say
with all the other things you're focused in, don't forget this very serious
issue. Make sure the men and women we send into battle have the best equipment
and that they've had an opportunity to train with it.
JORDAN: The problem brought out in a GAO report to Congress. Hundreds
of thousands of defective suits possibly mixed in with good ones. One Democratic
member of Congress found the information so disturbing she's written a
letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld asking him to certify troops
headed for the region will get equipment that will protect their lives.
TEXT:
REP. JANICE SCHAKOWSKY
"I, DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, CERTIFY THAT ALL UNITED STATES
ARMED FORCES THAT COULD BE DEPLOYED, OR ARE INTENDED TO BE DEPLOYED, AGAINST
IRAQ... HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH EQUIPMENT TO PROTECT AGAINST CHEMICAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ATTACKS..."
Representative JAN SCHAKOWSKY (Democrat, Illinois): Parents of this
country who are willing to see their children go off to--to war at least
want to know that they're--that they have as much protection as possible.
JORDAN: A Pentagon official tells NBC News this is a very small problem,
1.6 million new protective suits, which have passed DOD testing now on
hand; another 190,000 suits now being produced every month for the near
future. But a former Gulf War commander says what was a real concern 11
years ago has been fixed.
Retired General BARRY McCAFFREY (NBC News Military Analyst): There should
be no doubt in anybody's mind that this is something we are prepared to
handle.
JORDAN: Congressman Shays says the military needs to make sure American
troops will be able to protect themselves, otherwise...
Cong. SHAYS: If we rush into battle and do it now, I think they have
reason to be concerned.
JORDAN: Congressman Shays says this is not something the White House
needs to deal with yet, but with the prospect of war looming, he says the
government needs to make sure all American troops will be fully prepared.
Rosiland Jordan, NBC News, the White House.
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