• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Iraq Environment

SADDAM'S SCHEME TO DRAIN THE MARSHES

In 1992 SCIRI obtained a copy of Saddam's plan to drain the marshlands of southern Iraq when its fighters coptured an engineer working on the site which is reproduced here.  Official-documents, in addition to special-maps, give a detailed account of operations on the ground, as well as the plan to drain the marshlands and its consequences in various areas. The documents reveal-that the plan has five stages.

Stage one: River Engineering Works.

Site of the operation: Amara province.

Objective: To establish earth dykes  6 - 18 km in length on the banks of the main rivers which supply the marshlands. 

The seven rivers affected by the operation are: al-Wadiah, al-Adil, al-Kifa, Ash-Shermekhiah, Mesbah, Haddam and Um Jidi. 

Progress of the operation: this stage was completed in July 1992.

Consequences: diverting the waters of tributaries which supply the marshlands.  The land on both sides of the river banks south of Amarah has been deprived of water.  This situation has been aggravated by the introduction of water level controllers on the Tigris which severely limit the flow of water.  'Re regulators were first used on the al-Majr al-Kabir and al-Bitaria rivers, resulting in the cutting off of water to al-Maimouna, As-Salam, al-Adil and al-Majr al-Kabir towns.

Stage two: Engineering the River Banks

Objective: to establish two banks at the ends of all the rivers and their tributaries to limit the flow and outflow of water to the main river. 

Site of the operation: Amarah province.

1. This project begins south of al-Jandallah village (al-Salam town) and spans the length of Abu Ashrah village (al-Adil town) and continues towards Abu Ajil village to join the two banks which were established during the Iraq-Iran war between Abu Ajil and Beni Mansour where it finally meets the Euphrates six kilometers west of al-Qurneh town.

Description of the two banks (from the West to the East)

• Width of the southern bank: 35m at the bottom, 8m at the top.
• Width of the upper bank: 25m at the bottom, 8m at the top.
• Height of the two banks: 6m.
• Distance between the two banks: 1200m at al-Jendallah village (al-Salam town), 1,400m at Abu al-Jawatil (al-Adil town), 1,600m at Abu Ajil town and 2,000m (from Abu Ajil to Beni Mansour).
• Length of the two banks: 90 kms
• -Completion date: July 1992

Results of the operation: cutting off more than 40 rivers and tributaries and diverting them towards the east.  This led to:

1- Depletion of drinking water and water essential-for agricultural- activities.

2. Lowering the water level in Amarah marsh. 

Organisation supervising the project: Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialisation, Ministry of Housing and Construction, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.

Stage three: Diversion of the Euphrates to al-Masab al-Aam.

Site of the operation: Nasiriyah province.  Objective: Diversion of the Euphrates waters from AL-Fdhailiah (five kms east of Nasiriyah to al-Masab al-Aam).  The tributaries of Masab al-Aam will be linked.  It is well known that these waters end at the Gulf at Khor Abdullah.  This operation was completed early in July, 1992.

Result of the operation: Diversion of the Euphrates waters from its source starting from Nasiriyah town towards al-Masab al- Aam to drain al-Hamar marsh.  The diversion of the natural-and historical-course of the Euphrates starting from Nasiriyah-al-Qurnah to a lower-level canal-to drain Amarah marshland.

Stage four: Shouldering the Euphrates River

Site of the operation: Nasiriyah province and Basrah province.

The dam in this case is located between Medainah (at lines 715 east and 342 to the north) and Nasiriyah, passing through AL-Chibaish, which is located at lines 692 east to 342 north.  Purpose of this stage: prevention of the flow of water from Euphrates to Hamar marsh, through the setting up of an earth dam parallel to the river Euphrates.

Specification of the dam: width from below is 25m and at top 6m, height 5.7m, length 145m.

Consequences of this stage: cutting off the flow of water from several-rivers, which feed to Hamar marsh.  These rivers include Saleh, Antar, Khaerah, Khargeah, in addition to certain tributaries and other smaller streams, while the population of these areas are deprived from the water that they require for both irrigation and domestic use.

Progress of work: the regime has benefited from falling water levels in Hamar marsh, as a direct result of the third stage.  Also, the two banks of the water flow became apparent, something which made it possible to set up an earthy barrier over these two banks. The regime has utilised the dam between AL-Qurneh and Medainah (20kms) which was implemented during the Iran-Iraq war.  This is called the "Hemaiah Dam".  Also, another 20 kilometers has been performed between Medainah and a point some 5 kilometers to AL-Chibaish, and what remains is the distance between this point and AL-Nasiriyah, i.e. some 100 kilometers, which is now under construction.

Stage five: Division of the Marshes

Site of the operation: Amarah province and Basrah province.

Objective of operation: division of the marshes through several-barriers and as a prelude to drying them up.  The important steps in this regard are:

1- Establishment of an earthy dam starting from Abu-Saboor village at lines 711 east and 347 north.

This dam will extend to the west till AL-Saboor  village at lines 696 east and 347 north.  It  also extends to the south west till a point falling at line 693 east and 346 north.  It  also continues to the south for some 40 kilometers, so as to meet the Euphrates at lines 696 east and 342 north, then to the south for some 18kms, and then to the south east and east to finish at lines 718 east and 340 north.

2-The regime has benefited from a number of dams which were set up during the war with Iran.  Among these is the water barrier starting from a point at lines 718 east and 340 north, and continuing for 11 kilometers to the north, i.e. Lip to " al-Ibrah" village, then it bends towards the cast north and west to form a semi-circle. Consequences: Some 1500 square kilometers has been dried up through this stage alone.

Conclusion

The various stages spelt out above have one single objective.  This is to destroy the environment of the marshes and break the resistance of their people.  These stages are aimed at drying up the marshes, and have been accompanied by a great deal of violence on the part of the authorities, where brutal-force is utilised extensively to ensure the implementation of these stages, where the whole plan is shrouded utmost secrecy.

The people of the marshes have suffered greatly as a result, and are still suffering.  Water has become very scarce in certain areas, while in others it has become virtually unobtainable.  All this is causing dire consequences for agriculture, animal-rearing and human consumption.  In addition, hundreds of thousands of inhabitants have fled their areas, so as to escape this new situation that has devastated their environment.