Bobert, I asked you what Saddam and his buddies needed all the Atropin for. Your answer:

"With Bush having signaled his intention to *whack* folks a year ago in his stupid "axis of evil" speech, if I were Iraq, I would do everything I could to defend myself. Just as the US has done with smallpox and anthrax vaccines.

To do less would have been irresponsible on Saddam's part."

Exactly the point I was making Bobert - Neither the US or NATO have any NBC weapons - The US and UK believes very strongly that Saddam has. That explains the US moves wrt anthrax and smallpox. On the other hand, Saddam needs the Atropin to protect himself and his Ba'athist buddies from the stuff they know they have. As you yourself said simple and rational enough?

You then say:

"As to your other assertion that the inspector's are not in Iraq to try to find hidden weopons, I'd just ask what the heck are they there for?"

What I said was not purely my assertion. Here's what I got from the net regarding UNMOVIC

"UNMOVIC - United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission:

Some basic facts

The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) was created through the adoption of Security Council resolution 1284 of 17 December 1999. UNMOVIC was to replace the former UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) and continue with the latter's mandate to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological weapons and missiles with a range of more than 150 km), and to operate a system of ongoing monitoring and verification to check Iraq's compliance with its obligations not to reacquire the same weapons prohibited to it by the Security Council.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed Dr. Hans Blix of Sweden to be the Commission's Executive Chairman. In addition, the Secretary-General appointed 16 individuals to serve on the College of Commissioners of UNMOVIC which provides advice and guidance to the Chairman in the execution of his duties. In conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, the Commission's staff are selected on the basis of securing the highest standard of efficiency, competence and integrity, taking into consideration the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The Commission's staff include weapons specialists, analysts, scientists, engineers and operational planners."

Note Bobert they are there to monitor and verify that Iraqi disarmament complies with conditions laid down by the UNSC, and to mount an inspection programme that verifies that those programmes once shut down are not reactivated.

UNMOVIC's staffing does not appear to include any "hide-and-seek" specialists.