Subject: BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS 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. WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. DIST: SEPTEMBER 1991 COUNTRY: IRAQ SUBJ: BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS ASSESSMENT ACCORDING TO THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION, THE IRAQI BIOLOGICAL PROJECT WAS INITIATED IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES AND WAS CONDUCTED BY SEVERAL INSTALLATIONS, INCLUDING THE AL-HAZZAN INSTITUTE IN SALMAN PAK. APART FROM THIS FACILITY, THE PROJECT INVOLVED A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL INSTALLATIONS, NONE OF WHICH WERE MENTIONED BY THE IRAQIS IN THIS CONNECTION. THE INSTALLATIONS ARE: A. THE BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER IN TUWAITHA; B. THE SINGLE-CELL (SCP) PROTEIN PRODUCTION FACILITY IN TAJI; C. THE CLOSTRIDIUM VACCINE PRODUCTION FACILITY IN ABU- GHRAIB; D. AND THE LARGE INSTALLATION RECENTLY BUILT IN LATIFIYA. THE INSTALLATIONS IN TAJI AND ABU GHRAIB WERE MENTIONED IN THE DECLARATION OF 18 JULY IN A CIVILIAN CONNECTION, AND IT IS KNOWN THAT THE FERMENTATION EQUIPMENT WHICH WAS INSTALLED IN THEM WAS ALSO REMOVED TO THE AL-HUKM SITE. IN THE COURSE OF THE FIRST YEARS OF THE PROJECT, THE IRAQIS WERE PROBABLY ENGAGED IN PRELIMINARY RESEARCH AND IN THE COURSE OF TIME THEY FORMULATED A LIST OF PRIORITY BIOLOGICAL AGENTS FOR PRODUCTION AS BW. FOR THIS PURPOSE, BACTERIA STRAINS WERE PURCHASED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF BAGHDAD AND RSMID (WHO OPERATED JOINTLY AS PROCUREMENT AGENTS FOR THE PROJECT) THE LIST INCLUDED THE FOLLOWINg STRAINS: A. BACILLUS ANTHRACIS B. CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM (TYPES A, E, F) C. FRANCISELLA TULARENSIS D. BRUCELLA ABORTUS E. BRUCELLA MELITENSIS F. CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED INFORMATION AND THE ANALYSIS OF THE BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT, THE CULTURE BEDS AND THEIR COMPONENTS CARRIED OUT IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE MILITARY PROJECT, IRAQ HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE SERIAL PRODUCTION AND ACCUMULATION OF OPERATIONAL ORBAT OF AT LEAST TWO LETHAL BIOLOGICAL AGENTS: THE ANTHRAX BACTERIA AND THE BOTULINUM TOXIN IRAQI SPECIFIC INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PERFRINGENS BACTERIA, WHICH IS KNOWN TO CAUSE INTESTINAL POISONING THROUGH THE CREATION OF TOXINS. THE BACTERIA IS NOT KNOWN AS A COMPONENT OF A CLASSICAL BW ARSENAL, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE TOXINS IT PRODUCES SHOULD BE REGARDED AS EFFECTIVE BW BEYOND THE DECLARED IRAQI PREOCCUPATION WITH ANTHRAX AND BOTULINUM, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE IRAQI EFFORT INCLUDED ADDITIONAL AGENTS, PROBABLY INTENDING TO ACCUMULATE OTHER BW AGENTS -- BRUCELLA AND/OR TULAREMIA.) IRAQ IS DOING ITS BEST TO PRESENT THE MILITARY BIOLOGICAL PROJECT, EXPOSED FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS A DEFENSIVE PROJECT WITH NO OFFENSIVE PRETENSIONS SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE CRISIS -- IN THE COURSE OF THE FIGHTING AND AFTERWARDS -- THE IRAQIS DID THEIR BEST TO EVACUATE THE BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH/PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT FROM THE SPECIAL INSTALLATIONS, AS WELL AS THE FINISHED PRODUCT (BW AGENTS) FROM THE STORAGE SITES. SINCE THE CEASE-FIRE THE PRESENCE OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT, AND POSSIBLY ALSO OF MATERIALS IN VARIOUS CAMOUFLAGED AND HIDDEN INSTALLATIONS, SOME OF THEM UNDERGROUND AND SOME CONCEALED INSIDE CIVILIAN INSTALLATION.) END OF MESSAGE 1.5 (c) 65657:65641First Page |Prev Page |Next Page |Src Image
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