Video of the Day: Watch stupid CNN reporter sniff backpack allegedly contaminated with chemical agent

CFL StaffApril 19, 2018

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cnn contaminated backpack chemical agent

This, in our opinion, is weapons-grade stupid. Video footage posted to YouTube by CNN shows reporter Arwa Damon sniff a backpack that allegedly belongs to a child who was caught up in the most recent chemical weapons attack in Syria.

“The smell is still quite strong, maybe these were the things they weren’t able to wash,” she said.

Additionally, both her and the man with her handled the allegedly contaminated backpack with their bare hands. If this was a contaminated item, they should have been wearing gloves and a mask at a minimum.

Paul Joseph Watson noted some of the comments on YouTube:

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

Yes

“Take another whiff of that potentially chemical covered backpack,” remarked one.

“Sniffing a backpack contaminated by Sarin gas would kill you,” added another.

“Make sure we save some of the chemical laced clothes for when CNN comes and smells them. We don’t want people thinking this entire event was a hoax or anything,” joked another.

Conservative Firing Line editor Joe Newby spent most of his 10 years in the Marine Corps as a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense specialist and he tells us this is hogwash. For starters, if the backpack was, in fact, actually contaminated with sarin, she wouldn’t smell anything other than the odors native to the backpack since sarin is odorless.

Moreover, if it really had sarin on it, her and anyone else who came in contact with the backpack would have shown symptoms in fairly short order, since sarin can kill in a matter of minutes depending on the level of exposure.

According to the CDC:

People exposed to a low or moderate dose of sarin by breathing contaminated air, eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, or touching contaminated surfaces may experience some or all of the following symptoms within seconds to hours of exposure:
- Runny nose
- Watery eyes
- Small, pinpoint pupils
- Eye pain
- Blurred vision
- Drooling and excessive sweating
- Cough
- Chest tightness
- Rapid breathing
- Diarrhea
- Nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain
- Increased urination
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Weakness
- Headache
- Slow or fast heart rate
- Low or high blood pressure
Even a small drop of sarin on the skin can cause sweating and muscle twitching where sarin touched the skin.

None of these symptoms were mentioned in the video.

Reports say that chlorine gas was also used. The CDC says:

During or immediately after exposure to dangerous concentrations of chlorine, the following signs and symptoms may develop:
- Blurred vision
- Burning pain, redness, and blisters on the skin if exposed to gas. Skin injuries similar to frostbite can occur if it is exposed to liquid chlorine
- Burning sensation in the nose, throat, and eyes
- Coughing
- Chest tightness
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Thesemay appear immediately if high concentrations of chlorine gas are inhaled, or they may be delayed if low concentrations of chlorine gas are inhaled.
- Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) that may be delayed for a few hours
- Nausea and vomiting
- Watery eyes
- Wheezing
Showing these signs or symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to chlorine.