[b.2]
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SERIAL: (U) IIR 2 212 5064 91.
/*********** THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE ************/
COUNTRY: (U) IRAQ (IZ); FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
(GE).
SUBJECT: IIR 2 212 5064 91/GE MAGAZINE CLAIMS SOME GE
HOSTAGES IN IZ VOLUNTARILY STAYED BEHIND TO AID IZ
INDUSTRY - DESERT SHIELD (U).
WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT
FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
---------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
---------------------------------------------------------
DOI: (U) 901129.
[b.2]
SOURCE: (U) WEEKLY MAGAZINE (SPIEGEL), 26 NOV 90, IN
GERMAN.
SUMMARY: (U) IN SPITE OF THE WELL PUBLICIZED HOSTAGE
SITUATION IN IZ, GE COMPANIES CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS TO
AID IZ IN BUILDING AND RUNNING DEFENSE RELATED ARMAMENT
AND POISON GAS FACILITIES. GE BUSINESSMEN SEEM TO COME
AND GO TO IZ WITH IMPUNITY IN SPITE OF EMBARGOES.
TEXT: (UNCLASS IN ITS ENTIRETY)
THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSLATION OF AN ARTICLE FROM THE 26
NOV 90 (PP 29-31) ISSUE OF THE SPIEGEL MAGAZINE.
1. TITLE - WHIRRING NOISES IN THE AFTERNOON
2. CAPTION - THE BOYCOTT AGAINST SADDAM ISN'T WORKING.
FOREIGN EXPERTS ARE STILL HELPING IRAQ IN ITS PRODUCTION
OF ARMAMENTS.
3. ARTICLE.
THE SMELL ((OF CHEMICALS)) STILL LINGERS IN MANFRED
((RITSCHEL))S NOSE EVEN AFTER HIS HAVING BEEN FREED FROM
BEING A HOSTAGE IN IRAQ. RITSCHEL, A BUSINESSMAN FROM
WATTENSCHEID ((GE)) RECALLS SMELLING A TOXIC ODOR
WHENEVER HE AND HIS FELLOW HOSTAGES WERE LED TO THE FOOD
BARRELS VIA THE OUTSIDE COMPOUND ((WHERE THEY WERE
INTERNED)).
RITSCHEL'S FELLOW HOSTAGE PETER ((BOESHANS)) HAD SIMILAR
EXPERIENCES; ((THEY WERE MAKING SOMETHING; THERE WERE
WORKSHOP NOISES AND THIS STENCH.)) YET ANOTHER HOSTAGE
REMEMBERS HEARING ((LOUD WHISTLING AND WHIRRING
NOISES)), MOSTLY DURING THE AFTERNOON.
THE HOSTAGES COULD ONLY GUESS AT WHAT THEY HAD BEEN
HEARING AND SMELLING. THEIR CELL WAS A WORKSHOP WHICH IS
PART OF THE SAMARRA POISON GAS FACTORY (PROTECTED BY
ANTI AIRCRAFT MISSILES), 120 KM FROM BAGHDAD. AFTER HIS
RETURN HOME, ONE HOSTAGE REPORTED ((NO ONE COULD SEE
WHAT THEY WERE DOING OUTSIDE OUR CELL. THE DOOR OF THE
HALL WHERE THE HOSTAGES WERE KEPT WAS WELDED SHUT.))
THINGS WERE A BIT MORE LOOSE AT THE TADJI DEFENSE
COMPLEX NORTHWEST OF BAGHDAD, WHERE THE ESSEN BASED
FERROSTAAL CONCERN IS THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR AN
ARTILLERY FACTORY DISGUISED AS A GENERAL IRON WORKS.
HOSTAGES TAKEN THERE TO ACT AS HUMAN SHIELDS WERE
ALLOWED TO WATCH WORKERS IN ACTION WHO WERE NO DOUBT
GERMAN SPECIALISTS.
REPORTS BY THE FIRST HOSTAGES TO RETURN HOME FROM IRAQ
HAVE ALARMED BOTH US AND GE INTELLIGENCE SERVICES;
APPARENTLY, PRODUCTION IS RUNNING AT NORMAL LEVELS USING
FOREIGN AID AT PRACTICALLY ALL THE IMPORTANT ARMAMENT
FACTORIES BELONGING TO SADDAM HUSSEIN WHO FACES A
WORLD-WIDE BOYCOTT FOR HIS OCCUPATION OF KUWAIT.
ACCORDING TO INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS, POISON GAS AND
ARTILLERY PIECES TO BE USED AGAINST THE REST OF THE
WORLD WERE BEING PRODUCED IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF
THE HOSTAGE PRISON SITES, SOME WITH HELP FROM GERMANS
WHO WERE NOT IN IRAQ AS HOSTAGES, BUT AS BUSINESS
FRIENDS OF THE DESERT DICTATOR.
INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS HAVE PIECED TOGETHER FACTS FROM
RETURNED HOSTAGE REPORTS AND FROM OTHER SOURCES THAT -
AT LEAST SINCE THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER ((1990)) - ONE
SHIFT PER DAY WORKED FOR APPROX. FIVE DAYS PER WEEK AT
SAMARRA. APPROX. 400 KILOGRAMS OF ((TABUN)) AND ((LOST))
AND POSSIBLY ALSO SARIN ARE PRODUCED THERE DAILY.
WESTERN EXPERTS OPINE THAT THESE POISON GAS FACTORIES
CAN ONLY BE RUN BY HAND PICKED EXPERTS WHICH, AT LEAST
PRIOR TO THE EMBARGO, WERE VERY SCARCE AMONG THE IRAQIS.
THE INTERNATIONAL HOSTAGES HAVE LONG SPOKEN OF GERMAN
EFFICIENCY. AS AN EXAMPLE, AS RITSCHEL ARRIVED AT A
FACILITY OF THE ((IRAQ ATOM, ENERGY COMPANY)) WITH OTHER
HOSTAGES FROM SAMARRA AT THE END OF OCTOBER, AN AMERICAN
SPOKE TO HIM AND SAID ((WE'RE HERE FROM TADJI, YOU COULD
HAVE SPOKEN TO YOUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN THERE AT THE
CONSTRUCTION SITE.))
ANOTHER HOSTAGE'S MEMORIES OF HOME WERE OFTEN AWAKENED
FURTHER NORTH IN MOSUL, WHERE THE BIELEFELD COMPANY,
PROJECTA GMBH, AS THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND 40 OTHER
OTHER GE COMPANIES AS SUBCONTRACTORS, HAVE CONSTRUCTED
THE MOST MODERN MILITARY RESEARCH CENTER IN THE MIDDLE
EAST; ACCORDING TO HIS REPORT WHICH HE GAVE TO GERMAN
SOCIAL PARTY EUROPE REPRESENTATIVE AND TRAVELLER TO
IRAQ, DIETER ((SCHINZEL)), HE SAW A GREAT DEAL OF
EQUIPMENT ((MADE IN GERMANY)) AND ALSO SAW GERMAN
EXPERTS WHO WERE BUSILY WORKING THERE.
THERE IS MUCH EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE SUPPOSITION THAT
WESTERN EXPERTS ARE BEING FORCED TO CONTINUE WORKING IN
IRAQ. BUT, THERE IS ALSO A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION
POINTING TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS THERE
FROM GERMANY AND OTHER NATIONS DUE TO THE LOW EXCHANGE
RATE INTO GOLD.
ACCORDING TO OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE GE FEDERAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (BND), AND TO INFORMATION GAINED
FROM WESTERN EXPERTS AND FROM FORMER HOSTAGES FROM IRAQ,
BUSINESS TRAFFIC BETWEEN BAGHDAD AND EUROPE IS STILL IN
FULL SWING. EVEN WEST GERMAN CONTRACTING FIRMS ARE STILL
AS DISCRETELY AS EVER CLOSING CONTRACTS WITH WAR HUNGRY
HUSSEIN.
ACCORDING TO IRAQ EXPERT SCHINZEL, THE PROFESSIONALS
TRAVEL VIA AMMAN. THE CAPITAL OF JORDAN IS STILL EASY TO
FLY IN TO. IRAQI AIRWAYS HAS DAILY FLIGHTS TO SADDAM
HUSSEIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
THE RITUAL FOLLOWS THE OLD RULES. THOSE IN FAVOR OF
HUSSEIN ARE LED PAST THE PASSPORT CHECKERS WITH NO
INCONVENIENT PASSPORT OR CUSTOMS CONTROLS.
THIS USED TO BE A COURTESY; NOW IT'S CAMOUFLAGE.
ACCORDING TO THE COMMON MARKET REGULATION OF 29 OCTOBER,
VARIOUS SERVICES FOR THE IRAQI ECONOMY - WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF BANK TRANSACTIONS - ARE FORBIDDEN. THE
AMOUNTS FOR TRUCKING IN ILLEGAL SANCTIONS ARE BEING
DISCUSSED IN THE EUROPEAN CAPITALS.
NO MEANS IS TOO GREAT TO BREAK THE EMBARGO.
CONSPICUOUSLY TOO MANY GERMANS TRAVEL TO AMMAN AND DO
NOT RETURN RIGHT AWAY TO THEIR HOMELAND, BUT RETURN VIA
LONDON OR AMSTERDAM FIRST.
WHILE CHECKING PASSPORTS, WEST GERMAN BORDER CONTROL
OFFICERS ROUTINELY NOTE THE TRAVEL ROUTE OF MANY
TRAVELLERS RETURNING FROM THE MIDEAST. USING THIS
METHOD, OFFICIALS WERE ABLE TO NOTE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE,
MANFRED SCHWENDER, FROM IBBENBUEREN IN WESTPHALIA,
RETURNED FROM IRAQ ABOUT A MONTH AGO - NOT ABOARD A
PLANE FULL OF NEWLY FREED HOSTAGES, BUT PRIVATELY.
SCHWENDER AND HIS FATHER, EWALD, ARE NO NEWCOMERS TO
BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH IRAQ. THEY RUN A WHOLESALE
BUSINESS WITH MACHINES AND CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY
((PRIMARY ACTIVITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST)) AND BECAME KNOWN
TO AUTHORITIES A FEW YEARS BACK WHEN THEY BUILT AN
ASSEMBLY LINE WHICH IS NOW USED AT SAMARRA.
APPARENTLY, HARMLESS CONTAINERS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE
ASSEMBLED AT THE FACILITY. IN REALITY, HOWEVER, THEY'RE
MAKING BOMBER AIRCRAFT WHICH SADDAM IS HAVING FILLED
WITH NERVE AGENT WEAPONS.
THE SCHWENDERS WOULD HAVE AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THAT THEY
WERE DUPED AND HAD NO IDEA OF THE PURPOSE FOR THE
ASSEMBLY LINE. BOTH FATHER AND SON WILL FACE A LAWSUIT,
AND INVESTIGATORS WANT TO KNOW WHAT SCHWENDER IS
CURRENTLY DOING IN IRAQ.
APPARENTLY NEITHER AN EMBARGO NOR THE THREAT OF AN
IMPENDING WAR CAN STOP STRONG NERVED GERMAN BUSINESSMEN.
FOR YEARS, GERMAN ARMAMENT INDUSTRIAL AND CHEMISTRY
ENTREPRENEURS HAVE INVESTED IN SADDAM'S PREPARATION FOR
WAR. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS THAT IT
BECAME APPARENT JUST HOW UNSCRUPULOUS THEY WERE.
(SPIEGEL 32/1990) WHEELER DEALERS FROM THE WEST DO NOT
WANT TO SIMPLY WRITE OFF INVESTMENTS MADE IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
IT IS A DIFFICULT TASK FOR INVESTIGATORS TO PROPERLY
ANALYZE EACH MISSION IN IRAQ. DURING THE PAST SEVERAL
WEEKS, SOME BUSINESS HEADS HAVE ATTEMPTED ON THEIR OWN
TO GET EMPLOYEES HELD AS PRISONERS OUT OF IRAQ WHILE
OTHERS APPARENTLY WANTED TO FINISH THEIR CONTRACT SO AS
NOT TO LOSE THEIR DEPOSITED FRONT MONEY TO THE IRAQIS.
SOME ARE AFRAID OF BEING PLACED ON A PERMANENT BLACK
LIST AND TO LOSE POTENTIALLY LUCRATIVE BUSINESS DEALS.
MORE AND MORE TIPS ABOUT COMPANIES BREAKING THE EMBARGO
THROUGH ALL KINDS OF SHIPMENTS ARE RECEIVED AT THE
FEDERAL CRIMINAL AGENCY AND THE GERMAN INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE. THE FORBIDDEN CARGO TRAVELS VIA THE 1450
KILOMETER LONG BORDER TO IRAN OR VIA THE MOUNTAIN BORDER
IN NORTHERN IRAQ TO TURKEY
IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE MYRIAD OF
HIDEOUTS AND HIDDEN PATHS. ONE THING IS FOR SURE;
SUPPLIES ARE COMING IN STEADILY. IT IS NOT UNLIKELY THAT
THE SUPPLY CONTAINED GOODS FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE
CONSIDERED TO BE HOSTAGES.
THE RESULT OF THE REPORTS LEADS THOSE WORKING IN THE
INTELLIGENCE FIELD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE INDEED
NUANCES BETWEEN THE SITUATION OF FOREIGNERS WHO ARE
HOSTAGES, AND FOREIGNERS WHO ARE BUSINESSMEN IN IRAQ.
IT APPEARS THAT PRISONERS FROM KUWAIT ARE WORST OFF.
THEY WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO BE DRAGGED AWAY TO
STRATEGIC LOCATIONS IN LARGE NUMBERS AND, IN SOME CASES,
TO BE MISTREATED.
THOSE HOWEVER, WHO ENTERED THE COUNTRY AFTER THE AUGUST
SECOND INVASION IN KUWAIT NEED NOT BE AFRAID OF BEING
GRABBED BY SADDAM'S BLOODHOUNDS. THOSE FOREIGNERS WHO
WERE IN IRAQ BEFORE 2 AUGUST, WERE USUALLY TREATED A
LITTLE BETTER, ALTHOUGH SADDAM'S DESCRIPTION "GUESTS"
DOES NOT SEEM TO APPLY.
THOSE AIDING IN THE ARMAMENT SECTOR, ARE BEST OFF. THEY
CAN MOVE ABOUT FREELY AND SOME HAVE EXPERIENCED FIRST
CLASS TREATMENT; THE PROJECT LEADER FOR THE MISSILE
PROGRAM, SABA ((MODHER)), ISSUED LARGE NUMBERS OF BLANK
EXIT CERTIFICATES. THE IRAQI INDUSTRIAL MINISTER, FOR
EXAMPLE, CLAIMED A CONTINGENT OF PLACES FOR HIS OWN USE
DURING THE WILLY ((BRANDT)) MISSION .
THE HELPERS WERE ASTONISHED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN
BAGHDAD BEFORE THE GERMAN HOSTAGES WERE TO BE FLOWN HOME
TWO WEEKS AGO; ACCORDING TO ((SCHINZEL)), WHO
ACCOMPANIED ((BRANDT)), SOME OF THE HOSTAGES ABSOLUTELY
DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE, OTHERS HAD BEEN IN POSSESSION OF
EXIT VISAS FOR SOME TIME, AND OTHERS ARRIVED IN LONDON
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER. ONE PERSON NAMED THREE DIFFERENT
COMPANIES AS HIS EMPLOYER, AND NONE WAS RIGHT, ACCORDING
TO ((SCHINZEL)).
SEVERAL THINGS POINT TO PRIVATE AGREEMENTS WITH SADDAM'S
REGIME, TO INCLUDE THE FACT THAT APPROX TWO DOZEN
TRAVELERS SUDDENLY APPEARED ABOARD THE AIRPLANE
CONTAINING KUWAIT HOSTAGES WHO HAD NOT BEEN SIGHTED
DURING THE LONG DAYS OF WAITING AND WHO ARRIVED AT THE
VERY LAST MOMENT. WHEN THE RTL TELEVISION TEAM FILMED
DURING THE FLIGHT BACK, THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE PERSON
WHO WOULD HIDE HIS FACE BEHIND A NEWSPAPER.
AT PRESENT, IT SOMETIMES APPEARS DIFFICULT TO
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN VICTIMS AND PERPETRATORS IN IRAQ.
THE WAY IN WHICH ALLIED TROOPS IN THE GULF FEEL EXPOSED
TO THEIR OWN WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY, IS THE WAY SOME
IMPRISONED MECHANICS HAVE BECOME VICTIMS OF THEIR
COMPANY'S ACTIVITIES.
MANY KNOWN COMPANIES APPEAR IN THE LISTS OF THOSE HAVING
RETURNED HOME, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO STAYED BEHIND; THIS
INCLUDES "HEBERGER BAU" WHICH WAS INVOLVED IN THE
BUSINESS DEAL WITH THE POISON GAS FACILITY AT SAMARRA.
((GILDEMEISTER))'S PEOPLE, THE PLANNER OF THE MOSUL
ARMAMENT CENTER, ARE INCLUDED IN THIS, AS ARE THE TWO
MOSUL INSTRUCTORS HAHN & KOLB AND FORTUNA WERKE IN
STUTTGART. OF COURSE, EMPLOYEES OF ARMAMENT GIANT
MESSERSCHMITT-BOELKOW-BLOHM ARE THERE AS WELL.
SEVERAL OF THE PASSENGERS IN BRANDT'S HOSTAGE JET DID
NOT REQUIRE HUMANITARIAN AID; ONE OF THEM WAS AN
EMPLOYEE OF AL FAO ESTABLISHMENT, A BAGHDAD ARMAMENT
COMPANY INVOLVED IN LARGE SCALE MISSILE PROJECTS.
ANOTHER WORKED FOR THE TECHNICAL CORPS FOR SPECIAL
PROJECTS, A DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE MINISTRY. THEIR
BOSS IS HUSSEIN KARMINAL, SON-IN-LAW OF HOSTAGE TAKER
SADDAM HUSSEIN.
COMMENTS: ARTICLE TAKEN FROM WEEKLY MAGAZINE TO
SHOW DISPARITY BETWEEN STATEMENTS MADE PUBLICLY BY
PRIVATE FIRMS AND WHAT MIGHT BE THE REAL FACTS.
[b.1. sec. 1.5.(c)]
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