On the Scene: Chemical Warfare Clues

CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod On A Troubling Find

(CBS)  Never have so many troops moved so far, so fast. But during its historic push, the Third Infantry didn't just drive -- they battled as well; taking on pockets of resistance and capturing hundreds of Iraqi soldiers, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod who traveled with the troops. But along the way, the may have found some startling clues about Saddam's weapons.

Talking about the prisoners, Staff Sgt. Stephenson said, "One of the majors spoke English. He told us their government had been telling them 'even if they gave up we were going to kill them.'"

But as the Iraqis discovered the Americans humane treatment of prisoners, they started sharing information.

"We're learning all kinds of things about this regime, this enemy and this terrain that's all very useful," one G.I. told Axelrod.

U.S. soldiers confiscated the prisoners' weapons and military equipment. The guns were old, but the gas masks weren't.

"It looks like a regular chemical protection mask," said Sgt. Jennifer Raichle. "It was made in 2002. Brand new."

The gas masks were indeed brand new, as were the decontamination kits, and atropeine -- used to treat exposure to nerve agents.

"I would guess they were planning on using chemical warfare. They may or may not use it, but they were ready for it," Raichle said.

But it's not just the captured gas masks raising concerns about the possible use of chemical weapons, reports Axelrod. Another captured Iraqi has told army officers that while conventional weapons are stored there, he has reason to believe chemical weapons are stored there as well.

So the army decided to send in its chemical detection units to the depot.

Specialist Steve Moore sat in one of the "foxes", as they're called, sniffing for chemicals with high-tech sensors from miles away before sending others in for a hands-on search.

"The other team's going to go in and they are going to detect for liquid contamination and if there's any vapor there, that's not detected by this, they will pick it up over there," he said.

But that won't happen until Tuesday, leaving the question hanging, if the army has finally discovered what it came so far to find.