With all the preoccupation with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq , it is interesting to note that materials for WMD can come illegally from our own backyard. Murky middlemen can buy material from companies that may or may not know what the ultimate purpose of the materials is. The middleman in this case is Dutch businessman Frans Van Anraat who is standing trial for genocide and war crimes. He is accused of supplying Saddam Hussein?s regime with thiodiglycol, a key ingredient in mustard gas. Saddam Hussein used mustard against both Kurds and Iranians. This ingredient was manufactured by a Baltimore, Maryland, chemical company, Alcolac, Inc. Export control laws are supposed to prevent certain items from being put to ill use. In this case, dual-use chemicals can be used to manufacture lethal chemical weapons. The problem with dual-use technology is that it is inherently hard to control.

The Van Anraat case has been building for a long time, and Anraat has proved to be an elusive character. It has also demonstrated a level of cooperation between the US and Dutch authorities in their investigations. This is very important to stemming or tracing the proliferation of such items, as, indeed, this is an international problem. It is also interesting to see what US authorities have uncovered about this particular manufacture. The company pled guilty to knowingly violating export control laws in 1989 for shipping thiodiglycol to Iran . US authorities believe they supplied both sides during the Iran-Iraq war. The question is if they knowingly or unknowingly supplied Saddam Hussein?s regime, something the Van Anraat trial should bring to light. Although the company has been sold and restructured, the extent of their role is a potential embarrassment to the US government, especially in relation to Iraqi WMD. Both private citizens and private companies may undermine their country?s policy and legal obligations for profit. They are not interested in politics or the consequences of their actions. Both government and the industry as a whole must do a better job of monitoring and regulating their transactions, as nefarious individuals are looking to exploit these weaknesses.

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