The nerve agent VX is the deadliest nerve agent ever created, according to the infamous Council on Foreign Relations.
Known by its U.S. Army code name, it is a clear, colorless liquid with the consistency of motor oil. A fraction of a drop of VX, absorbed through the skin, can fatally disrupt the nervous system. Although a cocktail of drugs can serve as an antidote, VX acts so quickly that victims would have to be injected with the antidote almost immediately to have a chance at survival. VX is the only significant nerve agent created since World War II.
The two victims who are suspected to have come into contact with VX were treated for respiratory difficulties.
Initial testing after the incident revealed the presence of "chemical-grade weapons and nerve gas," and subsequent testing produced a positive reading for VX, the source said. (Source)
The official results to verify if it was definitely VX are pending.
The initial report said that the facility which received the package handles international mail and that the package seems to have come from China, which is an interesting first detail to have been released.
Again, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, there are only two nations known to possess this highly lethal nerve gas: Russia and The United States.
The only countries that have admitted to having VX or a closely related agent are the United States and Russia. (The United States has destroyed about 9 percent of its VX stockpile, and Russia has promised to eliminate its own supply of a VX-like agent.) Experts say Iraq successfully weaponized VX sometime in the late 1980s. There were reports that Syria successfully produced VX or a similar agent and tested missile warheads armed with VX.
The CFR also highlights that VX is unlikely to be used by terrorists since it is complicated, extremely volatile, and incredibly dangerous. They also openly state that while it was initially a British experiment in the 1950s, it was fully developed by The United States in 1961. Another lovely gift given to us by the military-industrial complex.
Based on the stated lethality of VX, it would seem that any contact would likely result in far more than "respiratory distress." However, we should keep in mind the history of this deadly WMD and keep our eyes and ears open for how this might be spun to implicate whichever organization or state is hauled out by the U.S. government as the culprit.
Update: As we reported earlier, it was indeed unlikely that VX would be responsible for simple respiratory problems, when it is known to be incredibly lethal in the tiniest amounts. CBSNews reports that it was merely beauty supplies after all.
There were initial reports that the package tested positive for VX nerve gas, but officials said soon afterward that it was unlikely that the substance was the chemical weapon.
But on Sunday evening, the FBI confirmed that it had been leaking “beauty supplies and nothing further” all along.
Specifically, the substance that made workers sick was nail polish remover, a law enforcement source told CBS 2.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the airport, didn’t respond to a call seeking comment. (Source)
Authorities and corporate media cite an "abundance of caution," but it would be better understood as planting the seeds that anything is possible, no matter how unlikely ... just like the entire continuous threat of mass terrorism. We'll continue to expose the fear-mongering and chronicle their outrageous tales while real-world problems remain completely unadressed by these so-called public servants.
Read the entire CFR entry for Nerve Agent VX here:
