[Drakonix]

All cyanide salts share a common property: They are dangerously toxic.

Any of the cyanide salts liberate hydrogen cyanide gas when exposed to a strong acid. This is the mechanism behind gas chamber executions.

Since a concentration of 300 parts per million of hydrogen cyanide in air is fatal to humans within a few minutes, 7 pounds of a cyanide salt could be used to create a very dangerous cyanide gas weapon. A concentration of 56,000 parts per million or more of hydrogen cyanide in air is explosive. Chemical weapons using cyanide are considered to be WMD, whether or not we have an agreement between us of this status.

Besides entering the body by inhalation or ingestion, cyanides can also be absorbed through the skin.

In the U.S., Department of Transportation regulations require reporting a quantity of any of the cyanides over 10 pounds. This is mainly for hazardous materials spill response issues. It should be obvious that a 10 pound container of a cyanide salt will NOT be 30% "safer" if three pounds (30%) of material were removed from the container (leaving 7 pounds remaining in the container).

Arsenic, not cyanide is the material of choice in industrial strength rodentcides. A few gas generating products using cyanide have been manufactured for use against burrowing rodents, like gophers. Compounds that are toxic to rodents and less toxic to other creatures are now widely used in place of arsenic in rodentcides.

Cyanides have a number of legitimate uses, particularly in electroplating and metallurgy. However, if 7 pounds of a cyanide salt was found in the possession of a known terrorist - it's probably reasonable to presume it's intended use was not for a rodentcide or any other legitimate industrial purpose.

I suppose that ricin they found in the Senate isn't a WMD either, since only a small quantity was found. Ricin is a lot more toxic than cyanide. Less than one tenth of one milligram can cause death. One molecule of ricin can destroy a human body cell.

Ricin would be easy and inexpensive to make. Given its potency and low cost, ricin would be very attractive for terrorist activities.

Ricin is derived from the beans of the castor plant. A person with undergraduate chemistry knowledge could extract and concentrate the ricin from the plant.

Please note that none of the facts presented above change with respect to which political party the U.S. President happens to belong to.