The Islamic State may have used mustard gas in mortar attacks. Preliminary tests on mortar shells fired against the Kurdish Peshmerga on August 11 found traces of sulfur mustard. The chief of staff for military operations in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, said the preliminary tests were not conclusive and that samples had been sent for final testing. An official who had seen the medical reports said the victims had symptoms matching other mustard gas attacks. U.S. officials have speculated that ISIS obtained the chemical weapons from Assad's stockpiles in Syria, or from Saddam Hussein's old arsenals in Iraq. "We continue to monitor these reports closely," said spokesman for the White House National Security Council Alistair Baskey. He added the White House "would further stress that any use of chemicals or biological material as a weapon is completely inconsistent with international standards and norms regarding such capabilities" Meanwhile, Palmyra's Temple of Baal Shamin (Lord of the Heavens in Aramaic) was destroyed by the Islamic State. Palmyra is an ancient city with architectural heritage dating back 4,000 years and was once a key trade city in the historic Levant. The Temple of Baal was built in 17 AD. The deity was a rain and storm god worshipped under various names including Baal and Hadad in ancient Mesopotamia and the Levant. He is the same god mentioned in the bible and his temples were ultimately destroyed and the cult driven out of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Another variant of the god, Baal Zebub (Lord of the Flies) became a name for the devil in the Christian tradition. ISIS will be very aware of the scripture and history of the deity Baal. The organization is iconoclastic, believing in the necessity to destroy all non-Islamic religious sites.
