Subject: IRAQI CW
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.
DIRECTOR 511343
COUNTRY: IRAQ
SUBJ: 1. IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND DEFENSE CAPABILITIES AND
ORGANIZATION
2. IRAQI CAPABILITY TO CONCEAL ITS NUCLEAR REACTOR
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 ARMY'S STRATEGY FOR THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN THE
IRAN-IRAQ WAR WAS TO DETER AND REVERSE A DECISIVE AND STRONG
GROUND OFFENSIVE BY THE ENEMY.
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.
THE MILITARY ALSO HAD A "SMOKE OFFICE" THAT WAS CHARGED WITH
CONCEALING IRAQ'S NUCLEAR REACTORS IN EVENT OF AIR ATTACK.
TEXT: 1. AS OF 1989, IRAQ'S PRIMARY OFFENSIVE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY WAS LOCATED IN SAMARRA,
IRAQ, OVER 3,000 CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE SAID
TO HAVE BEEN WORKING THERE DURING THE LATE 1980'S.
IRAQI FORCES HAD THE FOLLOWING CHEMICALS IN ITS OFFENSIVE
STOCKS: KHARDAL, CYANIDE, LUISIDE, AND PHOSGENE.
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.
AT LEAST ONE INSTANCE DURING THE PERIOD 1986-1987, AFTER ONE
OF IRANÆS 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.
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. THESE WEAPONS
WERE TRANSPORTED FROM UNKNOWN STOCKPILE DEPOTS BY CHEMICAL
SECURITY TROOPS THAT WORE MILITARY UNIFORMS WITHOUT
MARKINGS. IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN STOCKPILE, 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.
KHURSHAD HAD REPLACED HANI MUHAMMAD SHAYIB, WHO RETIRED FROM
HIS POSITION AS VICE MINISTER IN THE LATE 1980'S. KHURSHAD
WAS ORIGINALLY EDUCATED IN THE U.S. VICE MINISTER KHURSHAD
HAD COMMAND AUTHORITY OVER EACH MILITARY SERVICE'S HEAD OF
CHEMISTRY DEFENSE, AND THE ARMY, AIR FORCE, AND NAVY ALL HAD
CHEMICAL DEFENSE HIERARCHIES. THE ARMY'S MANAGER FOR
CHEMICAL DEFENSE (ASSOCIATED WITH UNIT NUMBER 5122) WAS
BASED IN THE HEAD OFFICE OF CHEMISTRY DEFENSE. IN ADDITION
TO HAVING AUTHORITY OVER EACH MILITARY BRANCH'S MANAGER FOR
CHEMISTRY DEFENSE, THE MAIN OFFICE ALSO MANAGED A CHEMISTRY
DEFENSE WEAPONS LAB AND EACH SERVICE'S CHEMISTRY DEFENSE
INDUSTRY. THE HEAD OFFICE CHEMISTRY LAB CONDUCTED CHEMICAL
DEFENSE EXPERIMENTS DEVOTED TO IMPROVING DEFENSES AGAINST
CHEMICAL ATTACK. IT EMPLOYED OVER 500 PEOPLE AND WAS
LOCATED ABOUT 30 KILOMETERS WEST OF BAGHDAD JUST SOUTH OF
JORDAN ROAD (NFI).
5. IN 1989, EVERY UNIT IN IRAQÆS ARMY HAD SOME CHEMICAL
DEFENSE CAPABILITY.
END OF MESSAGE
END OF MESSAGE
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