cia_70596_70596_01.txt
Subject: IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND DEFENSE CAPABILITIES
Not Finally Evaluated Intelligence
TO FACILITATE ELECTRONIC ACCESS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN
REFORMATTED TO ELIMINATE INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN
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MORI ID 70596:70596
SECTION 1 OF 2
CITE CIA 369862
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
COUNTRY: IRAQ
SUBJ: 1. IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND DEFENSE CAPABILITIES
AND ORGANIZATION
SUMMARY- As OF 1989, IRAQ'S PRIMARY OFFENSIVE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS MANUFACTURING CENTER WAS LOCATED IN SAMARRA
CHEMICALS AVAILABLE FOR WEAPONS INCLUDE KHARDAL, CYANIDE,
LUISIDE, AND PHOSGENE. IRAQI FORCES HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO
DEPLOY THESE WEAPONS FROM MISSILES AIRCRAFT, AND ARTILLERY.
THE AUTHORITY TO PRODUCE AND DEPLOY CHEMICAL WEAPONS HAS
SHIFTED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 1984 AND AS OF 1989 WAS BELIEVED
TO BE HELD BY SADDAM HUSAYN'S SON-IN-LAW AND MINISTER OF
INDUSTRY AND MILITARY INDUSTRIES, HUSAYN KAMIL AL-MAJID.
THE ARMY'S STRATEGY FOR THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN THE
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR WAS TO DETER AND REVERSE A DECISIVE AND
STRONG GROUND OFFENSIVE BY THE ENEMY. IRAQ'S HEAD OFFICE OF
CHEMISTRY DEFENSE WAS LOCATED NEAR MINISTRY OF
DEFENSE(MOD)HEADQUARTERS IN BAGHDAD AND WAS HEADED BY VICE
MINISTER OF CHEMICAL DEFENSE, KANAN KRURSHAD WHO MANAGED
EACH MILITARY SERVICE'S CHEMICAL DEFENSE HIERARCHY. ALL OF
IRAQ-S ARMY HAD SOME CHEMICAL DEFENSE CAPABILITY, INCLUDING
SOVIET GAS MASKS, PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT USED TO
DETECT. ANALYZE. AND MEASURE THE SEVERITY OF CHEMICAL
ATTACKS.
TEXT: 1. AS OF 1989, IRAQ'S PRIMARY OFFENSIVE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY WAS LOCATED IN SAMARRA,
IRAQ. CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN
WORKING THERE DURING THE LATE 1980'S. PROJECT NUMBER "922"
(NFI) WAS ALSO KNOWN TO BE SOMEHOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS ACTIVITY AT SAMARRA. ACCORDING TO IRAQI
FORCES HAD THE FOLLOWING CHEMICALS IN ITS OFFENSIVE STOCKS:
KHARDAL, CYANIDE LUISIDE, AND PHOSGENE.
COMMENT: LUISIDE IS POSSIBLY IDENTICAL TO THE BLISTER AGENT
LEWISITE) THE IRAQI MILITARY HAD THE CAPABILITY TO DEPLOY
THESE CHEMICALS THROUGH SEVERAL DELIVERY SYSTEMS: VIA
MISSILES, AIRCRAFT BOMBS, AND ARMY 155 MILLIMETER (MM) AND
175 MM SHELLS.
2. BEFORE 1984 THE HEAD MANAGER OF CHEMICAL DEFENSE, HANI
MUHAMMAD ((SHAYIB)), HAD AUTHORITY OVER THE PRODUCTION OF
IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS. IN 1984 PRODUCTION AND DEPLOYMENT
AUTHORITY WAS SHIFTED TO THE MOD AND IN 1985 IT WAS SHIFTED
AGAIN TO THE OFFICE OF IRAQI PRESIDENT ((SADDAM) HUSAYN.
SOMETIME BETWEEN 1985 AND 1989, PRODUCTION AUTHORITY WAS
SHIFTED TO MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND MILITARY INDUSTRIES
HUSAYN KAMIL AL.((MAJID))- IN AT LEAST ONE INSTANCE DURING
THE PERIOD 1986-1987, AFTER ONE OF IRAN'S MAJOR OFFENSIVES
IN
THE SHATT AL-ARAB- THE DECISION TO USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS WAS
MADE AT THE BATTLEFIELD COMMAND LEVEL THE ARMY'S GENERAL
STRATEGY FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE IN THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR WAS
TO DETER AND REVERSE A DECISIVE AND STRONG GROUND OFFENSIVE
BY THE ENEMY.
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