Would metal spiders walk on sand? It is possible that Iraqis suffered chemical warfare, possibly psychoactive or hallucinogenic. Creepy crawlies are a popular hallucination, as is the fear of everything trying to kill you. Remember the videos of legions of soldiers mass-surrendering? Popular conspiracy theories involve radiation weapons but there’s always room for a three day lsd trip in there too.

I think that an explosive drone type device that has grasping legs could be possible, however their appearance could also be enhanced with chemicals by witnesses. I’m sure there are used video cassettes sitting in some bazaar just waiting to tell that story.