| US Marines have discovered 278 artillery shells carrying a substance that tested positive as a blistering agent, senior officers have said. Major Stephen Armes, of the Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, said the shells were found in trailers parked in a schoolyard. Three were mounted on launchers, he said. But the battalion commander said more tests were required before any conclusions could be drawn. Coalition forces have yet to find any evidence of chemical weapons since launching the war in Iraq on March 20. All the alleged finds have so far turned out to be false upon further analysis. |