Pentagon Can’t Confirm Chemical Weapons Report

The Pentagon says it cannot confirm if any U.S. soldiers exposed to chemical weapons during the invasion of Iraq were told to keep quiet.

The "New York Times" reports between 2004 and 2011, U.S. troops found about five-thousand chemical warheads, shells or bombs in Iraq and the Pentagon kept the discovery secret from the public and Congress. The report also says military personnel were wounded by the weapons at least six times.

When asked today if troops were denied treatment or told not to talk about the exposure, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said he couldn't answer the question as decisions were made at a local level. However, Kirby also said quote "if errors were made, they'll be rectified."

Kirby said about 20 service members were exposed to material from chemical munitions. (Metro Networks Inc.)