cia_65079_65079_01.txt

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Subject: IRAQI FACILITIES
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.
CIA 597139
SUBJECT: THE STATUS OF IRAQ'S FACILITIES TO PRODUCE WEAPONS  OF  MASS
DESTRUCTION: A PRELIMINARY POSTWAR ASSESSMENT
IRAQI FACILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND WITH BALLISTIC MISSILES HAVE SUFFERED EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE. IN MOST CASES, THE RESTORATION OF THESE FACILITIES WOULD
TAKE AT LEAST SEVERAL YEARS AND REQUIRE EXTENSIVE ASSISTANCE OF
FOREIGN SUPPLIERS. OUR OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THESE RESPECTIVE AREAS
 IS AS FOLLOWS:
X--IRAQ'S ABILITY TO RESEARCH, DEVELOP, AND PRODUCE CW AGENTS
HAS BEEN SEVERELY REDUCED, BUT IT ALMOST CERTAINLY MAINTAINS A
VIABLE CHEMICAL WEAPONS STOCKPILE.
X--ALL FIVE FACILITIES SUSPECTED OF ASSOCIATION WITH IRAQ'S BW
PRODUCTION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. IRAQ PROBABLY STILL WOULD BE
ABLE TO PRODUCE MILITARILY SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF THESE AGENTS,
HOWEVER, BECAUSE PRODUCTION  OF  BW  AGENTS  COULD  BE  CONCEALED  AT
PHARMACEUTICAL PLANTS AND SMALL LABORATORIES THAT ARE STILL INTACT.
X--IRAQ'S SHORT-TERM OPTION FOR A NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVE CAPABILITY-
-UNDER A BREAKOUT SCENARIO IN WHICH SAFEGUARDED NUCLEAR MATERIAL IS
DIVERTED FROM IRAQI RESEARCH REACTORS--HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY DAMAGED.
DAMAGE TO IRAQ'S TUWAITHA NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER AND INFRASTRUCTURE
PROBABLY HAS SET BACK IRAQ'S LONG-TERM WEAPONS PROGRAM
X--IRAQ'S PROGRAM TO MODIFY AND REENGINEER SCUD B'S AT AT TAJI
HAS BEEN
SEVERELY IMPAIRED. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO          MAJOR BALLISTIC
MISSILE R&D AND PRODUCTION FACILITIES ALSO HAS VIRTUALLY   DESTROYED
IRAQ'S ABILITY TO INDIGENOUSLY PRODUCE  SURFACE-TO-SURFACE  MISSILES.
IRAQ PROBABLY CANNOT REBUILD AND REEQUIP THESE  FACILITIES  IN  FEWER
THAN FIVE YEARS.
IRAQ'S EFFORTS TO DEVELOP AN INDIGENOUS PRODUCTION BASE FOR
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION CLEARLY HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY SET BACK.
THE IRAQIS WILL NEED SUBSTANTIAL OUTSIDE
ASSISTANCE
END OF MESSAGE
1.5 (c)
65079:65079

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