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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


August 1999

  • UN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE IRAQI OFFER OF OIL AID TO TURKEY USIA 31 August 1999 -- The United States is working with the United Nations' Sanctions Committee to examine Iraq's offer of oil assistance to Turkey, which was recently devastated by a powerful earthquake, Foley said. The goal is to insure that diversion of oil from Iraq to Turkey does not violate U.S. sanctions on Iraq, he said.
  • U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing 31 August 1999 -- IRAQ Visit by Delegation of Congressional Aides / Meeting With Tariq Aziz / Exploitation / Oil Donation to Turkey
  • IRAQ / U-S CONGRESS Voice of America 30 August 1999 -- Five U-S congressional staff members have begun a visit to Iraq, the first such visit since the Gulf War.
  • Despite State Dept. Refusal to Validate Passports, Delegation of Congressional Aides Departs for Iraq EDUCATION for PEACE in IRAQ CENTER (EPIC) 29 August 1999 -- In the wake of recent concern in Congress over the lack of direction in the Administration's Iraq policy, five congressional aides from the House of Representatives left for Iraq today to independently investigate the consequences of economic sanctions.
  • Iraqis continue to fire at ONW aircraft UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (28 Aug 99) -- Coalition aircraft dropped precision-guided-munitions on a military radar site south of the city of Mosul, located in the northern no-fly zone. A High-Speed-Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) was fired in response to the SAM guidance signal.
  • RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 2, Number 32 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 27 August 1999 -- ANNAN CALLS ON IRAQ TO DO MORE TO COMBAT CHILD MORTALITY / IRAQ OIL BEHIND OPEC OUTPUT INCREASE / AL-ZUBAYDI ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ALLEGED / IRAQI-SYRIAN NORMALIZATION HITS ROUGH SPOTS / IRAQ TO CHAIR ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS' CONFERENCE / LEADERSHIP CONFLICT RESURFACES IN IRAQI KURDISTAN / BARZANI DISCUSSES KURDISH-ARAB RELATIONS / OCALAN'S RUSSIAN STAY HIGHLIGHTED / ASSYRIAN POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS DISCUSS IRAQI OPPOSITION
  • Iraq News 27 August 1999 -- "What the administration wants above all is to keep Saddam weak and off balance,' says Patrick Clawson, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 'A U.N. resolution now could easily backfire and strengthen Saddam's position in many ways.' . . . 'Our worst nightmare is an inspection regime that allows Iraq to interfere and delay, just as it has done for years, but that also loosens the sanctions and rewards Saddam for his trickery,' says one senior administration official.
  • Shelton amazed at Saddam's actions Combined Task Force/Operation Northern Watch Public Affairs Aug. 27, 1999 -- Flying more than 5,000 combat sorties since Desert Fox in December 1998, ONW coalition aircraft have dropped more than 800 bombs against more than 240 targets.
  • TEXT OF LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT August 25, 1999 -- I hereby transmit a report concerning Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs.
  • FRENCH PROPOSALS FOR IRAQ (25 August 1999) The civilian sanctions would be suspended for an initial period of 100 days, on receipt of a report from the Secretary-General indicating that the reinforced system of ongoing monitoring is operational and effective, after a safeguard period during which Iraq would cooperate with the Control Commission.
  • REPORT ON IRAQI DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 25 August 1999 -- Saddam Hussein has shown no hesitation in developing WMD in the past, and it is only prudent to assume that he is still intent on such development. We are concerned by activity at Iraqi sites known to be capable of producing WMD and long-range ballistic missiles, as well as by Iraq's long-established practice of covert procurement activity that could include dual-use items with WMD applications. Iraq retains the industrial capability and knowledge base to develop BW agents quickly.
  • Iraqis fire at ONW aircraft UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (25 Aug 99) -- Operation Northern Watch (ONW) aircraft dropped precision-guided-munitions on a military ammunition and fuels depot where air defense munitions and fuel supplies are stored. The depot is at an isolated desert location, ten nautical miles southwest of the city of Mosul.
  • IRAQ: UN SANCTIONS, U.S.-BRITISH AIR STRIKES DRAW FIRE FROM ARAB, GLOBAL MEDIA USIA Foreign Media Reaction Daily Digest 24 August 1999 -- An August 12 UNICEF report documenting the increased mortality rate for Iraqi children in government-controlled areas over the last decade, a new flurry of U.S.-British air strikes against Iraqi targets since late July, as well as recent activity in the UNSC aimed at resolving the "deadlocked" Iraq crisis sparked a wave of editorial comment in the foreign press over the last few weeks. No longer eclipsed by the Kosovo crisis, the "forgotten" "U.S.-British war of attrition against Iraq" has re-emerged as a hotbutton issue.
  • U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing 24 August 1999 -- In terms of our enforcement of the no-fly zone, we believe that our enforcement is something that flows out of Security Council resolutions from the time of the Gulf War and that the actual use of force that has occurred with some regularity since December in enforcing the no-fly zone is wholly the responsibility of Saddam Hussein, who is clearly attempting to shoot down an allied aircraft and, therefore, is challenging the aircraft, endangering pilots, illuminating aircraft, and our pilots are responding in self-defense.
  • IRAQI HEALTH CRISIS Voice of America 23 August 1999 -- Kuwaiti Coast Guard intercepted a merchant ship which had just departed the Iraqi port of Basra bound for the United Arab Emirates. The illegal exports were destined for sale on the international black market, with the proceeds going to the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (23 Aug 99) -- Operation Northern Watch (ONW) aircraft dropped precision-guided-munitions on a military radar site south of Saddam Dam, 35 miles west of Ba'ashiqah town.
  • RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 2, Number 31 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 20 August 1999 -- IRAQI, IRANIAN TROOPS ON THE MOVE / SADDAM BLAMED FOR HIGH CHILD MORTALITY / 'SILENT WAR' CONTINUES WITH NO END IN SIGHT / SADDAM HUSSEYN TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT? / YEMEN, SUDAN ASK FOR 'EMERGENCY ARAB SUMMIT.' / A CAUSE OF GULF WAR ILLNESSES IDENTIFIED? / IRAQ TURKMEN DEMAND AUTONOMY / KDP, PUK SPOKEMEN ON PKK CEASEFIRE / PUK UNDER PROPAGANDA ATTACKS
  • DoD News Briefing August 19, 1999 -- What is the significance of hitting outside of the no-fly zones? Is this a change of policy? No, it's not a change of policy at all. What happened here was allied planes were illuminated by radar. The radar was in the vicinity of a place called Quyyarah West, just south of the 36th Parallel, that is south of the northern no-fly zone.
  • RICHARD BUTLER TALK Iraq News17 August 1999 -- A year ago, Saddam put an end to all attempts to get rid of his weapons of mass destruction. Soon afterward, he went a step further, shutting down the monitoring inspections intended to deter him from building more of those weapons. It's impossible to know exactly what Saddam has been up to since then. If Saddam gets away with facing down the UN, he could destroy the world community's ability to deal with rogue states-and its capacity to stop the production of these deadly armaments.
    In 1991, as coalition troops massed on the borders of Kuwait in the run-up to the Gulf War, Iraq sent chemical weapons encased in artillery shells and missile warheads to the front lines. James Baker, then secretary of state, took Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz aside in Geneva and warned him that if the Iraqis used chemical weapons on the coalition troops, there would be a resounding silence in the desert. Aziz understood this to mean that the US would retaliate with nuclear weapons. Chemical weapons were not used during the Gulf war.
  • Iraq News 17 August 1999 -- The Clinton administration's game plan in this conflict is a mystery. We are fighting a tit-for-tat war in the skies over Iraq that leaves the initiative with Hussein.
  • Important Editorials on Iraq American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee 17 August 1999 -- Since December, the American-led effort has rained down 1,100 missiles on Iraq, with pilots flying "two-thirds as many missions as NATO pilots flew over Yugoslavia in 78 days of around-the-clock war there."
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire and targeting radar UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (17 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force aircraft dropped precision guided munitions. A surface-to-air missile support site west of Mosul and the SAM site, targeting ONW aircraft, south of Mosul were struck.
  • DoD News Briefing August 17, 1999 -- In terms of Iraq's general air defense system, there's an ebb and flow to movements of its air defense system, but on average, we believe that the air defense system is probably 40 to 50 percent weaker today than it was prior to Desert Fox in December.
  • COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE TARGETS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND August 17, 1999 -- U.S. Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon," U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" and F-14 "Tomcat" and British GR-1 "Tornado" aircraft used precision guided munitions to strike four Iraqi military radar sites and a surface-to-air missile site in southern Iraq.
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (16 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16C Fighting Falcons dropped guided munitions. A radar site south of Saddam Dam was struck. Equipment at the radar facility is used to gather information and in-turn target coalition aircraft.
  • COALITION AIRCRAFT RESPOND TO IRAQI ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 16 August 1999 - U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" and F-14 "Tomcat" aircraft enforcing the no-fly zone used precision guided munitions to strike an Iraqi surface-to-air missile and radar site near Al Kut, approximately 100 miles southeast of Baghdad.
  • COALITION AIRCRAFT RESPOND TO IRAQI PROVOCATIONS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 15 August 1999 - U.S. Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon," U.S. Navy F-14 "Tomcat" and British GR-1 "Tornado" aircraft enforcing the Southern No-Fly Zone used precision guided munitions to strike four Iraqi military targets in three locations in southern Iraq.
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (15 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles dropped guided munitions. A radar site south of Saddam Dam was struck. Equipment at the radar facility is used to gather information and in-turn target coalition aircraft.
  • Voices In the Wilderness 14 August 1999 -- Civilian suffering described in the report has been, I feel, sadly obscured by some articles that focus very intently on assigning blame for the tragedy that afflicts Iraqi people.
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi SAM launch UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (13 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force F-16CJ fired a high-speed-anti-radar-missile (HARM) and F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16C Fighting Falcons dropped guided munitions. An AAA site south of Mosul and a communications site north of Mosul were struck.
  • U.S. - IRAQ POLICY (S-ONLY) Voice of America 13 August 1999 -- The Clinton administration is reported to be considering stepping up its air campaign over Iraq as a way to strengthen efforts to contain the threat posed by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to his neighbors. The move comes amid growing Congressional criticism of the low-scale bombing operation the United States has conducted over the past eight months.
  • North vs. South: Professor Garfield's comments on the UNICEF survey and the State Department 13 August 1999 -- The State Department claims that lower child mortality in Iraqi Kurdistan is proof that problems are caused by Saddam Hussein, not sanctions. But the embargo in the North is not the "same embargo" as they claim. The North enjoys porous borders with Turkey, Syria, and Iran, and thus is effectively less embargoed than the rest of the country.
  • Iraq Blamed For Not Providing Nutritional Care For Its Children USIA 13 August 1999 -- The government of Iraq's failure to distribute and order nutritional supplements for the mothers and children of Iraq was cited by a U.S. government official as the reason Iraqi children are dying at twice the rate they did before Baghdad's 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the imposition of economic sanctions by the United Nations after the Gulf War.
  • UNICEF Report on Sanctions on Iraq Elizabeth Jones, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State Foreign Press Center Briefing Transcript Friday, August 13, 1999 -- The results demonstrate that there is a very serious problem with child mortality in Iraq. The problem is focused in the center and south of Iraq. Very fortunately, the situation for child mortality in the north is not only considerably better, but it's much improved since before the war.
  • RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 2, Number 30 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 13 August 1999 -- SADDAM MARKS 'GREAT VICTORY DAY.' / IRAQI OFFICIAL ON QUSAYY'S RISE TO POWER / KTV HIGHLIGHTS SADDAM'S ARABIZATION POLICY / SCIRI LEADER IN SAUDI ARABIA / PKK FORCES TO WITHDRAW FROM TURKEY / HALABJA POST-GRADUATE MEDICAL INSTITUTE ESTABLISHED
  • U-S / IRAQI CHILDREN Voice of America 12 August 1999 -- U-S officials say they are concerned about a U-N report that indicates Iraqi children are dying at twice the rate they did before 1990. But State Department officials say the Iraqi government is to blame for the increase, and not economic sanctions against the Iraqi government.
  • U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1999 -- US continues to hold Saddam Hussein responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people. Oil-for-food program works in areas where Saddam Hussein isn't manipulating the medicines and supplies.
  • Iraq surveys show 'humanitarian emergency' UNICEF News Release 12 August 1999 -- The first surveys since 1991 of child and maternal mortality in Iraq reveal that in the heavily-populated southern and central parts of the country, children under five are dying at more than twice the rate they were ten years ago.
  • Results of the 1999 Iraq Child and Maternal Mortality Surveys UNICEF 12 August 1999 -- These mortality results show a more than two-fold increase over a ten year time span.
  • Bipartisan Congressional Leadership writes Clinton on Iraq Iraq News 11 August 1999 -- Since the beginning of this year, however, we have noted signs of a reduced priority in U.S. policy toward Iraq. The last six months have been notable more for what has not happened rather than for what has been achieved. Now, rather than emphasize the danger that Iraq's WMD programs may be reconstituted, Administration officials apparently claim that they have "no evidence" that Saddam is reconstituting his capabilities. In fact, there is considerable evidence that Iraq continues to seek to develop and acquire weapons of mass destruction.
  • SADDAM'S WEAPONS Iraq News10 August 1999 -- According to CSIS' Tony Cordesman, "photographs by US spy satellites show that Iraq has rebuilt its al-Kindi facility for conducting research on ballistic missiles. . . . Iraq also is expanding its missile production facility at Ibn al-Haytham, which has two new buildings large enough to manufacture longer-range missiles than the Scuds Iraq fired in the Gulf war."
  • SADDAM SPEECH, IRAQ TVIraq News 10 August 1999 -- Great people: We realize that we have burdened you with the style of this address. Based on what you have listened to or read on such occasions, you realize that we endeavor, as best as we can, to make ourspeeches in a simple style, be it for the young, middle-aged, or elderly. Yet the simplified style, dear people, is not always capable of expressing the meaning of what we want to state when discussingintellectual matters.
  • SADDAM SPEECH, IRAQ TV Iraq News10 August 1999 -- The Moghuls and the Tatars burned the books of science and knowledge and murdered the scientists in Baghdad. They also denied the nation its due opportunities for a very long time. Similarly, some backward people, driven by their destructive power and their evil intentions, thought they could murder the scientists and the men of literacy, wisdom, valor, and patriotism in Baghdad, which was rising to a loftier and better place. They were disappointed. Damned be their deeds.
  • DoD News Briefing August 10, 1999 -- The attacks are degrading his air defense system slowly and systematically. But they are not by leaps and bounds but by small steps having an impact on his ability to, one, to attack our planes, but also to maintain a strong air defense system. In order to avoid strikes against his missile installations and radar installations, the Iraqi forces are moving their radars and missile installations quite frequently.
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (10 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16C Fighting Falcons dropped guided munitions on two separate communications facilities to the north and northeast of the city of Mosul.
  • COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IN RESPONSE TO IRAQI THREAT UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 10 August 1999 - U.S. Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon" and A-10 "Thunderbolt," U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" and F-14 "Tomcat" aircraft enforcing the Southern No-Fly Zone used precision guided munitions to strike three Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery sites and two Iraqi military radar sites.
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (9 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16C Fighting Falcons dropped guided bombs on command and control sites north of Mosul.
  • RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 2, Number 29 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 6 August 1999 -- 'POPULAR SUMMIT' ENDS IN BAGHDAD / QUSAYY TO BE SADDAM'S DEPUTY IN 'EMERGENCIES.' / IRAQ MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF KUWAIT INVASION / INDIA, IRAQ INCREASE COOPERATION / IRAQ TO INCREASE OIL PRODUCTION / CONTROVERSY OVER ILISU DAM GOES ON / MILITARY DISSENT SURFACES AGAIN IN IRAQ / ASSYRIAN GUERRILLAS ATTACK KDP UNITS / IRAQI KURDISTAN CONFRONTS WATER PROBLEMS / KURDISH SATELLITE TV BACK ON AIR / NORWAY DISCUSSES RETURNING KURDS TO IRAQ
  • Coalition aircraft respond to Iraqi ground fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (4 Aug 99) -- U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16C Fighting Falcons dropped GBU-10, GBU-12 and GBU-15 guided bombs on four different AAA emplacements and their support elements. These AAA sites were to the north, northwest, south, and southeast of the city of Mosul.
  • COALITION AIRCRAFT RESPOND TO SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE FIRE UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 04 August 1999 - U.S. Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon," and, U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" and F-14 "Tomcat" aircraft enforcing the Southern No-Fly Zone struck two Iraqi military radar sites in Southern Iraq using precision guided munitions.
  • DoD News Briefing, August 3, 1999 -- The Iraqis move forces back and forth on sort of an unpredictable basis from time to time, and they do appear to be moving some missiles and other forces into the Southern No-Fly Zone.
  • IRAQ NEWS , MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1999 -- The Iraqi Six is a clear-cut case of CIA internal warfare. In this case it's an extension of the INC vs. INA situation. Steve Richter at DO/NE is rabidly anti-INC and the files that remain classified are INA HUMINT reporting on the Iraqi Six, and others, which portray them as infiltrated by the Mukhabarat. Unfortunately, the INA reports were written by Mukhabarat agents who infiltrated the INA for just that purpose, to fill the CIA's heads with dreams of a quick coup and to discredit the INC.
  • TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT August 2, 1999 -- We are convinced that as long as Saddam Hussein remains in power, he will continue to threaten the well-being of his people, the peace of the region, and vital U.S. interests. We will continue to contain these threats, but over the long term, the best way to address them is by encouraging the establishment of a new government in Baghdad.




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