Subject: MIDDLE EAST BRIEF 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. PAGE 001 TOT: AUG 90 CIA BODY SUBJECT: MIDDLE EAST AREA BRIEF FOR AUGUST 1990. CONTENTS 1. IRAQ-KUWAIT: SITUATION REPORT 1. IRAQ-KUWAIT: SITUATION REPORT THE HARSH RHETORIC OF SADDAM HUSAYN MARKS AN EFFORT TO BROADEN ARAB POPULAR SUPPORT FOR HIS POSITIONS; THE IRAQIS MAY HAVE DEPLOYED SCUD MISSILES WITH CHEMICAL WARHEADS. SADDAM'S SPEECH SADDAM'S RHETORIC YESTERDAY WAS HIS MOST INFLAMMATORY SINCE THE INVASION OF KUWAIT. HE ADVOCATED A MUSLIM HOLY WAR AGAINST US FORCES IN SAUDI ARABIA AND WESTERN INTERESTS EVERYWHERE. SADDAM CALLED FOR ALL ARABS TO REVOLT AGAINST THE US PRESENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA AND "SAVE MECCA FROM OCCUPATION"--HIS FIRST DIRECT THREAT AGAINST RIYADH. COMMENT: SADDAM IS APPEALING TO PAN-ARAB SENTIMENTS AGAINST FOREIGN INTERVENTION IN A BID TO BROADEN ARAB SUPPORT AT THE MASS LEVEL AND TO DEFLECT CRITICISM OF THE INVASION. HIS SPEECH, WHICH ECHOES THE ANTI-KUWAITI PROPAGANDA BEFORE THE INVASION, MAY SIGNAL THE BEGINNING OF BAGHDAD'S EFFORTS TO CREATE A PRETEXT FOR INVADING SAUDI ARABIA. THREATS BY IRAQI SUPPORTERS AGAINST US AND OTHER WESTERN INTERESTS ALMOST CERTAINLY WILL RISE IN THE WAKE OF SADDAM'S SPEECH. MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS REPUBLICAN GUARD TROOPS HAD BEEN TRAINING FOR THE INVASION OF KUWAIT FOR TWO MONTHS. THE IRAQI TROOPS WERE TOLD THEIR TRAINING WAS TO PREPARE FOR COUNTERING A POSSIBLE ISRAELI ATTACK. COMMENT: IT IS LIKELY THAT IRAO'S BALLISTIC MISSILES HAVE CHEMICAL WARHEADS AVAILABLE AND THAT AT LEAST A FEW OF THOSE WEAPONS ARE NOW DEPLOYED. BAGHDAD WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THE MISSILES INTO SOUTHEASTERN IRAQ OR KUWAIT TO ATTACK TARGETS IN SAUDI ARABIA. THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF THE EXTENT OF IRAQI PRE-INVASION PREPARATIONS. IRAQI MILITARY PLANNERS ATTRIBUTE MUCH OF THEIR SUCCESS IN THE LATE STAGES OF THE IRAQ-IRAN WAR TO THOROUGH PLANNING. DECONTAMINATION EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCUD IS NOT UNUSUAL, AS IT IS USED IN THE EVENT OF A SPILL DURING THE LOADING OF THE VOLATILE PROPELLANT. WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE THE ACTIVITY OBSERVED IS RELATED TO THE HANDLING OF CHEMICAL WARHEADS, IT IS JUST AS LIKELY AN INDICATOR OF PROPELLANT HANDLING. 68737-68737 1.5 ( c)First Page |Prev Page |Next Page |Src Image
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