cia_65050_65050_01.txt

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Subject: IRAQI NUCLEAR
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.
MAR 91          DIRECTOR 581412
NOTWITHSTANDING BAGHDAD'S NPT COMMITMENT, WE STILL BELIEVE THE
CURRENT LEADERSHIP JUDGES A NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY TO BE
ESSENTIAL TO MEET IRAQ'S SECURITY NEEDS AND TO FURTHER REGIONAL
AMBITIONS. FURTHERMORE, BASED ON BAGHDAD'S ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE
HOWEVER, COALISION AIR STRIKE DAMAGE TO THE TUWAITHA NUCLEAR RESEARCH
CENTER, SUSPECT NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AND IRAQ'S INFRASTRUCTURE HAVE
PROBABLY DELAYED BAGHDAD'S EFFORTS BY SEVERAL YEARS.
WE BELIEVE THE TUWAITHA NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER
PROBABLY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN
BAGHDAD'S EFFORTS TO DEVELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON, BEYOND THE CIVILIAN
NUCLEAR RESEARCH THAT WAS ONGOING AT TUWAITHA, WE BELIEVE THE SITE
HOUSED IRAQ'S CLANDESTINE WORK ON URANIUM ENRICHMENT AS WELL AS A
SMALL FUEL REPROCESSING CAPABILITY.
ALSO CONCLUDED IRAQ HAD SEVERAL FACILITIES AT TUWAITHA THAT COULD
HAVE BEEN USED TO RECOVER HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM FROM THE
SAFEGUARDED FUELS. THESE FACILITIES--WHICH WOULD NOT REQUIRE
SAFEGUARDS UNTIL RELEVANT NUCLEAR MATERIALS WERE PRESENT--INCLUDED
LABORATORIES SUPPLIED BY
WE BELIEVE IRAQÿWAS FOCUSING ON PRODUCING ABOUT 100-125 KG OF
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM PER YEAR WITH MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE URENCO
G-1 OR G-2 CENTRIFUGEs.
SINCE 1984, THE IRAQIS BUILT THREE NEW LABORATORIES AT TUWAITHA-
-WHICH WERE DESTROYED IN COALITION AIR RAIDS.
- ONE SUSPECT NUCLEAR SITE THAT HAS RECEIVED CLOSE ATTENTION IS
THE METAL FABRICATION PLANT AT AT TAJI. WE BELIEVE TAJI IS
ONE POSSIBLE SITE THAT THE IRAQIS COULD HAVE USED TO PRODUCE
GAS CENTRIFUGE COMPONENTS FOR THEIR CLANDESTINE URANIUM
ENRICHMENT PROGRAM.
END OF MESSAGE
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