Editing Project Coast (section)

==Unusual features==
The South African chemical weapons programme investigated all the standard CBW agents such as irritant [[riot control agent]]s, lethal [[nerve agent]]s and [[anticholinergic]] [[deliriant]]s, which have been researched by virtually all countries that have carried out CBW research. The South African programme differed from the CBW programmes of many countries in its focus on developing nonlethal agents to help suppress internal dissent.<ref name="UNPROJCOAST" />{{rp|77–109}} This led to the investigation of unusual nonlethal agents, including illicit recreational drugs such as [[phencyclidine]], [[MDMA]], [[methaqualone]] and [[cocaine]], as well as medicinal drugs such as [[diazepam]], [[midazolam]], [[ketamine]], [[suxamethonium]] and [[tubocurarine]], as potential incapacitating agents. 

According to the testimony given by [[Wouter Basson]] to the [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-07-09|title=South African Chemical and Biological Warfare Programme|url=http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/archive/cbw/49.html|access-date=2021-07-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709030636/http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/archive/cbw/49.html|archive-date=9 July 2012}}</ref> analogues of the compounds were prepared and studied. Both methaqualone and MDMA (along with the deliriant [[3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate|BZ]]) were manufactured in large quantities and successfully weaponized into a fine dust or aerosol form that could be released over a crowd as a potential riot control agent. It was later discovered that Basson was also selling large quantities of MDMA and methaqualone as tablets on the black market. The amount manufactured was far larger than what was sold, but the court accepted that at least some genuine weaponization and testing of the agents had been done. 

A [[black mamba]] and its extracted venom were also part of the research, as were ''[[E. coli]]'' O157:H7 bacteria genetically modified to express some of the toxins made by ''[[Clostridium perfringens]]'' bacteria.<ref name="UNPROJCOAST" /> A list of purchases at [[Roodeplaat Research Laboratories|RRL]] and other documents include references to such things as the snake, biological agents such as [[anthrax]], [[brucellosis]], [[cholera]] and [[salmonella]] among others, and chemicals including [[aluminium phosphide]], [[thallium acetate]], [[sodium azide]], [[sodium cyanide]], [[mercury oxycyanide]], [[cantharides]], [[colchicine]], powerful [[anticoagulant]]s such as [[brodifacoum]], [[phenylsilatrane]]s, [[strychnine]], [[paraquat]], "[[knockout drops]]", [[digoxin]], [[acetylcholinesterase inhibitor]]s such as [[aldicarb]] and [[paraoxon]] and other poisons. 

Other plans referenced in the UN report included crowd control with [[pheromones]], and discussion of the development of several novel compounds, including a locally produced variant of BZ, novel derivatives of [[CR gas]] including "a compound which had a pyridine moiety in place of one of the benzene rings...[and] caused severe blisters on the skin", a new, more potent analogue of methaqualone and a "dimethylketone-amphetamine" derivative of MDMA.<ref name="UNPROJCOAST" /> Another unusual project attempted to develop a method of sterilising crowds using a known male sterilant, [[pyridine]] {{Citation needed|reason=No record can be found of pyridine even being a sterilizer|date=July 2021}}. That was to be sprayed onto the crowds from a gas cylinder pressurised with nitrogen gas since pyridine is highly flammable. A subsequent industrial accident caused the death of a gas company employee when the experimental contaminated medical oxygen cylinder had been returned to the gas supplier and filled with oxygen that exploded.<ref>Brian Robson, Production Manager Messer Fedgas SA 1999</ref>