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
TO GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES OR THAT IS CLASSIFIED. A COPY OF
THIS REDACTED DOCUMENT, IN ORIGINAL FORMAT, IS AVAILABLE ON
REQUEST.
3. DURING THE PERIOD UP TO 1989. LARGE CIVILIAN TYPE
TRUCKS, WITH PLASTIC COVERS, WERE USED TO TRANSPORT CHEMICAL
WEAPONS SHELLS AND BOMBS TO THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE REAR
ECHELONS IN CASE THEY WERE NEEDED IN BATTLE
THE AIR FORCE ALSO HAD AT LEAST ONE SMALL STOCKPILE OF ITS
OWN (NOT MORE THAN 20-30 CHEMICAL BOMBS). THE SECURITY
TROOPS REFERRED TO THESE WEAPONS ONLY AS 'SPECIAL BOMBS.-
THE HANDLING OF THESE WEAPONS WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT
SINCE MANY OF THEM LEAKED. THESE LEAKS WERE THE CAUSE OF A
NUMBER OF DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS WHICH EXPOSED THE TROOPS
TO THE CHEMICALS. EXPOSURES RESULTED IN BURNS, BLISTERS AND
OOZING SORES. CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNITS WERE REQUIRED TO
CLEANSE AND TREAT THE BURNED SOLDIERS.
4. AS OF LATE 1989 IRAQ'S HEAD OFFICE OF CHEMISTRY DEFENSE
WHICH IS SUBORDINATE TO THE MOD WAS LOCATED IN A SEPARATE
BUILDING 'BEHIND' MOD HEADQUARTERS IN BAGHDAD. THE IRAQI
VICE MINISTER OF CHEMICAL DEFENSE WAS KANAN ((KHURSHAD)
KHURSHAD HAD, REPLACED HANI MUHAMMAD SHAYIB WHO RETIRED FROM
HIS POSITION AS VICE MINISTER IN THE LATE 1980S. KHURSHAD
WAS ORIGINALLY EDUCATED IN THE U.S. VICE MINISTER KRURSHAD
HAD COMMAND AUTHORITY OVER EACH MILITARY SERVICE-S HEAD OF
CHEMISTRY DEFENSE, AND THE ARMY AIR FORCE, AND NAVY ALL HAD
CHEMICAL DEFENSE HIERARCHIES.
5. IN 1989 EVERY UNIT IN IRAQ'S ARMY HAD SOME CHEMICAL
DEFENSE CAPABILITY ALMOST ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT USED WAS
SOVIET MANUFACTURED AND SUPPLIED. THIS INCLUDED THE
FOLLOWING SOVIET EQUIPMENT WHICH WAS MOUNTED ON A BATTLE
FIELD MOBILE SOVIET VEHICLE:
A 'BBAR' CHEMICAL ATTACK DETECTOR, A "RCH 469" - CHEMICAL
ATTACK DETECTOR. A'GSP12' CHEMICAL CONCENTRATION MEASURING
DEVICE. A SMALL CHEMICAL LABORATORY, NIGHT FLARES TO SIGNAL
CHEMICAL ATTACKS TO BATTLEFIELD COMMANDERS AND 12 FLAGS USED
TO POINT TO THE DIRECTION OF AN ATTACK.
6. AN AVERAGE IRAQI ARMY UNIT OF ABOUT 3.000 MEN WAS
TYPICALLY ASSIGNED A 20-PERSON CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNIT
EQUIPPED WITH TWO SOVIET -R469- CHEMICAL ATTACK DETECTOR
MACHINES: ONE SOVIET RS 19.- -RS 12.- OR -ARS 14- CHEMICAL
DEFENSE VEHICLE FOR WASHING WEAPONS, BUILDINGS, AND ROADS
AFTER ATTACK AND TWO SOVIET 'DDA' VEHICLES FOR CLEANSING
SOLDIERS AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE. SMALLER, ONE-PERSON
CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNITS WERE DEPLOYED WITH SMALLER IRAQI
ARMY UNITS. THESE ONE-MAN UNITS WERE EQUIPPED WITH A SOVIET
CHEMICAL ATTACK DETECTION MACHINE AND A GERMAN 'KARSHER'
PUMPING MACHINE FOR CLEANSING SOLDIERS. THE IRAQI MILITARY
WAS EQUIPPED WITH GAS MASKS AND THE FOLLOWING THREE TYPES OF
SOVIET-SUPPLIED CHEMICAL DEFENSE SUITS: 'NUMBER ONE' SUITS
PROVIDED THE MOST PROTECTION AND WERE ONLY USED BY THE
CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNITS: 'NUMBER TWO' SUITS COVERING TORSO.
HANDS, AND LEGS WHICH WERE WORN BY PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN
CLEANSING AND 'NUMBER THREE' SUITS (ONLY LONG GLOVES AND
FIRST AID PACKETS) WHICH WERE ISSUED TO THE TROOPS.
YUGOSLAV FIRST AID KITS INCLUDED ANTI-CHEMICAL WEAPONS
SHOTS, TWO ATROPINE NEEDLES. TABLETS FOR NUCLEAR RADIATION.
AND TWO BOTTLES FOR SPOT CLEANING AFTER EXPOSURE TO ANY
UNKNOWN CHEMICALS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
7. THE FOLLOWING ARE UNIT LOCATIONS OF SOME
IRAQI CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNITS DEPLOYED AFTER 1983. MAINLY
DURING THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR: ARMY CHEMICAL UNIT EAST OF MISSAN
EMMARA, NEAR THE IRAQ-IRAN BORDER: ARMY CHEMISTRY UNIT,
IN THE KATTAEN AREA. EAST OF THE SHATT AL-ARAB; SMALL ARMY
CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNIT EAST OF BASRA: THE AIR
FORCE CHEMICAL DEFENSE GROUP
THE IRAN-IRAQ BORDER AND SOUTHWEST TOWARDS KUWAIT AND A
CHEMICAL DEFENSE UNIT AT THE AIR FORCE BASE AT AL WAHDIA AL
SHAIBA.
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