Iraqi Chemical Warfare (CW) Facilities and Storage Areas
Filename:0900pgv.90
[ (b)(2) ]
PASS TO THE ITF OPS OFFICER
19 DEC 1640 SENT BY: [ (b)(6) ]
SUBJECT: Iraqi Chemical Warfare (CW) Facilities and Storage Areas
1. PURPOSE: To provide JS with background information on
Iraq's Chemical Warfare Storage Facilities.
2. POINTS OF MAJOR INTEREST:
a. Summary: Samarra is the only CW agent
production facility in Iraq. There are nine CW agent production
buildings/bunkers at the Samarra facility. Collectively, they have
the capability to produce mustard (a blister agent), and the nerve
agents tabun, sarin, and GF. The only CW agent filing facility,
with three filling lines, is located at Samarra. Habbaniyah
produces precursor chemicals. Salman Pak is the center for
chemical and biological warfare research. Facilities for storage
of chemical agents and weapons are located throughout Iraq. There
are 22 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) bunkers at ammo storage facilities and airfields.
Samarra has eight cruciform bunkers. In addition, 17 probable
refrigerated special storage bunkers have been identified.
b. Longevity of storage. The shelf-life of Iraqi
unitary chemical fills is about 4-6 weeks. There has been no
evidence of a major production run at the Samarra chemical
production facility since before late September-early October. Any
unitary chemical fill from that production run should have
deteriorated to the point of having limited military use. Binary
chemical fills have a much longer shelf-life, and Iraq has a
development program for binary chemical fills. However, it is
assessed that Iraq has only a limited binary chemical capability.
c. Types of Storage facilities: There are 23
"S-shaped" bunkers (22 operational, 1 abandoned) located at 13
sites throughout Iraq which have been associated with chemical
weapons storage. These bunkers have been characterized as
earth-mounded reinforced concrete (EMRC) drive-through bunkers.
The bunkers have two offset entrances giving them an "S"-shaped
configuration.
In addition to the "S"-shaped bunkers, there are eight
cruciform bunkers at the Samarra Chemical Weapons Production and
Storage Facility. These bunkers are earth covered with reinforced
concrete construction. Security barriers are maintained at the
front entrance which is double-doored. During the construction
of the bunkers, a gridwork of underground piping was emplaced. The
purpose of this gridwork is unknown.
There are 17 bunkers with probable refrigeration equipment
located at nine sites throughout Iraq. Since two of these bunkers
were initially identified at the Salman Pak BW Production
Facility, they have been associated with the possible storage of
biological agents and/or weapons. The refrigeration would make
them ideal for the storage of biological weapons and would be
useful-in
extending the shelf-life of Iraq's unstable unitary chemical
agents. The bunkers could also be used to store electronic
equipment, fuel-air explosives, and/or smart weapons.
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
No unusual activity has been noted at these refrigerated bunkers
in recent months.
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
d. Integration of SCUD Missiles with Chemical
Warheads: Iraqi SCUD-type unitary CW warheads have an increased
probability of leakage due to the poor agent quality. As a result
they will probably have special storage areas for the chemical
warheads. These storage areas, as with conventional warheads,
should be
located very near the missile technical area where the missiles
are fueled, mated with the warhead, and loaded on TELs or other
transportation. The fueling of the SCUD-type missile requires the
use of an environmental suit when loading the oxidizer. We feel a
similar requirement would exist for the mating of the CW warhead
to the missile airframe, but may include all support troops in the
local vicinity. Other SCUD-type handling procedures probably will
not be altered.
Iraq's operational binary CW warheads would not have agent
leakage problems. Binary warheads would not need the special
handling for mating or storage required for a unitary warhead. A
binary warhead with a rupturable membrane and a mixing mechanism
would not even require any special warhead preparation.
Sophisticated binary warheads are virtually indistinguishable from
their conventional counterparts.
3. EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS: In general, chemical production
and storage related activity has been at a very low level since
mid-October. There has been no confirmed movement of chemical
ammunition or fills. Prior to Iraqi forces use of chemical
weapons, DIA would expect to see increased activity at the Samarra
CW Production Facility. In addition, CW materiel may be
transferred to or from the storage facilities.
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
COORDINATION: None.
[ (b)(6) ]
3 ENCLOSURES:
List of Iraq's CW Storage Facilities, 4 pages
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
Chemical Warfare Storage Locations: The following is a
list of chemical related bunkers with recently observed chemical
related activity. Chemical related activity at airfields is also
included.
a. Mosul Airfield
(361822N/043085E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Chemical Warfare
"S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
b. Qayyarah West Ammo DPO
(355140N/0430630E)
[ (b)(2) ] 4 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunkers
c. Qayyarah West Airfield
(354611N/0430718E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
(abandoned)
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
d. Kirkuk Ammo DPO W
(353230N/0435800E)
[ (b)(2) ] 3 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunkers
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
e. Kirkuk Airfield
(352810N/0442108E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
f. Samarra CW Rsch, Prod & Stor
(335020N/0435030E)
[ (b)(2) ] 8 cruciform bunkers
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
g. H-3 Airfield
(325551N/0394449E)
[ (b)(2) ] 5 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunkers
h. Qubayasah Stor & Ammo DPO
(331500N/0424100E)
[ (b)(2) ] No [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunkers
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
i. Al Taqaddum Airfield
(331958N/0433604E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare ("S"-shaped)
Storage Bunker
j. Baghdad Ammo DPO Taji
(333223N/0441638E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
k. Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airfield
(322915N/0454544E)
[ (b)(2) ] 2 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunkers
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
l. An Nasiriyah Ammo Stor Fac SW
(305750N/0461030E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
m. Tallil Airfield
(305606N/0460527E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)
] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
n. Ash Shuaybah Ammo Stor DPO NE
(302840N/0473830E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped) Storage Bunker
o. Ar Rumaylah RG Ammo Storage Fac 1
(302931N/0472903E)
[ (b)(2) ] Rectangular shaped storage
facilities with increased
security and
decontamination
sites ("V"-shaped
trenches)
[ (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4) ]
p. K-2 Airfield
(345455N/0432341E)
[ (b)(2) ] 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Chemical Warfare
("S"-shaped Storage Bunker.
The following is a list of probable refrigerated
bunkers. These bunkers may be related to the storage of biological
or chemical agents.
a. Ad Diwaniyah Ammo Stor Fac SW
(315740N/0445340E) 3 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunkers
b. An Nasiriyah Ammo Stor Fac SW
(305750N/0461030E) 4 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunkers
c. Ash Shuaybah Ammo Stor Depot NE
(302840N/0473830E) 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunker
d. Falluja Ammo Depot South
(331245N/0434125E) 2 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunkers
e. Karbala Depot and Ammo Stor Fac
(322300N/0433000E) 2 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunkers
f. Kirkuk Ammo Depot West
(353230N/0435800E) 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunker
g. Salman Pak CBW Rsch Prod & Stor Fac
(330415N/0443530E) 2 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunkers
h. Tirkit Ammo Depot
(344243N/0433858E) 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunker
i. Qabatiyah Ammo Stor Fac
(335237N/0423924E) 1 [ (b)(1) sec
1.3(a)(4) ] Storage Bunker
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
