Malaysia says VX nerve agent was used in Kim Jong-nam assassination

a reply to: pteridine

Probability is that was a binary weapon is most likely

Binary VX is referred to as VX2] and is created by mixing O-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) O′-ethyl methylphosphonite (Agent QL) with elemental sulfur (Agent NE) as is done in the Bigeye aerial chemical bomb. It may also be produced by mixing with sulfur compounds, as with the liquid dimethyl polysulfide mixture (Agent NM) in the canceled XM736 8-inch projectile program.

QL itself is relatively non-toxic chemical. However, when reacted with sulfur, the corresponding sulphide of QL isomerizes into the highly toxic VX molecule.

NK would have had to smuggle in live agent

Would have had to apply live agent to the assassins hands immediately before, risking that person handling the agent
and two assassins being exposed Also risk contaminating other people in area and airport

Fact were two assassins indicate binary agent, otherwise would have only needed one assassin

a reply to: Martin75

The best they can likely do is work out if its the Russian or US method of manufacture. VX is not a complex chemical, and as such hard to "fingerprint". Now if they had more than a swab off of a dead guys face .....

a reply to: Noinden

Thanks Noinden!

a reply to: Martin75

Yeah rad a bit more, this is from swabs from the face and eyes. It is unlikely to be enough to use Hight resolution Mass Spec to fingerprint based on impurities. I may be wrong, I stopped doing that 15 years ago.

They found 'foreign' chemicals in one of the hotel rooms.

I'm betting they've got a lot more than just a swab, at least of 'some' of the chemicals. Equally, I'm betting the US has gotten all in Malaysia's business about this, trying to figure out where it came from. Even though we don't have an Embassy there, the US will meddle in anything like this. Plus, there's "spooks" crawling all over that part of the world. You can bet your socks this is a major international incident...behind the scenes!!