IRAQI BW CAPABILITIES
Filename:090750au.90
FROM: DIRAFMIC FTDETRICKRD
TO: CG THIRD FSSG
SUBJ: IRAQI BW CAPABILITIES
1. AFMIC ANALYSTS ASSESS THAT IRAQ HAS A MATURE
OFFENSIVE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE (SO) PROGRAM. SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF
BOTULINUM TOXIN HAVE LIKELY BEEN PRODUCED AND ARE PROSASLY
WEAPONIZED. IN ADDITIONS BACILLUS ANTHRACIS (ANTHRAX)i VIBRIO
CHOLERAE (CHOLERA) STAPHYLOCOCCUS ENTEROTOXIN B (SEB) AND THE
CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS BACTERIA OR ITS TOXIN MAY BE IN ADVANCED
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OR AVAILABLE FOR WEAPONIZATION
2. UNCONFIRMED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS CLASHED THAT IRAQ
USED BIOLOGICAL WARFARE (BW) ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING THE
IRAN/IRAQ WAR. WE HAVE ASSESSED THAT IRAQ WILL USE BW
AS A LAST RESORT.
3. THE BW RESEARCH- DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION FACILITY
AT SALMAN PAK [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ] IS BELIEVED TO BE THE MAJOR
PRODUCTION AND STORAGE FACILITY FOR BW IN IRAQ. AT LEAST ONE
BUILDING AT THE SITE HAS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF BIOHAZARD CONTAINMENT
FOR WORKING THE MOST DANGEROUS OF INFECTIOUS AGENTS. THE
IRAQI ARMY FACILITY AT TAJI AND GHURAYS AND THE IRAQI ATOMIC
ENERGY COMMISSION FACILITY NEAR BAGHDAD AT TUWAITHA ALSO ARE
SUSPECTED OF ENGAGING IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND POSSIBLY
PRODUCTION OF BIOLOGICAL AND TOXIN AGENTS. AGENT TESTING HAS BEEN
REPORTED AT A FACILITY LOCATED IN MARSHES SOUTHEAST OF AN
NASIRIYAH
4. A VARIETY OF MECHANISMS ARE AVAILABLE TO IRAQ FOR
DISSEMINATION OF BIOLOGICAL AND TOXIN AGENTS: AEROSOL
GENERATORS WHICH CAN BE TRANSPORTED BY TRUCK, BOAT, HELICOPTER AND
OTHER CONVEYANCES, CLUSTER BOMBS, SPRAY TANKS FOR HIGH PERrORMANCE
AIRCRAFT, ARTILLERY SHELLS- AND VARIOUS MISSILES. THE USE OF
SUBMUNITIONS FOR INCREASED AREA COVERAGE IS LIKELY.
5. IRAQ IS NOT EXPECTED TO USE BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS IN
AREAS OF CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEIR OWN TROOPS. THESE WEAPONS
WILL LIKELY BE DEPLOYED AT NIGHT OR IN THE EARLY MORNING TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF FAVORABLE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
6. BIOLOGICAL AND TOXIN AGENTS WILL PROBABLY BE
DELIVERED IN AEROSOL FORM. MASKS ALONE WILL PROBABLY OFFER
SUFFICIENT PROOTECTION AGAINST KNOWN AEROSOLIZED WET OR DRY BW
AGENTS; HOWEVER THE POSSIBILITY FOR RE-AEROSOLIZATION OF THE
AGENT EXISTS AND COMPLETE DECONTAMINATION BEFORE MASK REMOVAL IS
CRITICAL. DELIVERY OF BIOLOGICAL TOXINS OR INFECTIOUS AGENTS
BOUND TO A SILICA MATRIX CAPABLE OF PENETRATING PERMEABLE
PROTECTIVE SUITS MAY BE WITHIN IRAQI CAPABILITY. IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT SUCH AN AGENT COULD WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE-FABRIC
OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND BECOME IMBEDDED IN THE SKIN.
7. [ b.2. ] and [ (b)(6) ]
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