ENVELOPE

CDSN = LGX071   MCN = 91316/10784   TOR = 913161212

PTTSZYUW RUEKJCS5419 3161212-SSSS--RUEALGX.

ZNY SSSSS

HEADER

P 121212Z NOV 91

FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

INFO RUEADWD/OCSA WASHINGTON DC

RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC

RUEACMC/CMC WASHINGTON DC

RUSNNOA/USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE

RUFGAID/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE

RUCUAAA/HQ SAC OFFUTT AFB NE//XP//

RUETIAQ/MPCFTGEORGEGMEADEMD

RHFPAAA/UTAIS RAMSTEIN AB GE//IN-CMO//

RHFUMHE/BRFINK MHE BOERFINK GE

RHEPAAB/TAC IDHS LANGLEY AFB VA//IDHS//

RHCGSRB/COMUSARCENT FT MCPHERSON GA//AFRD-DSO//

RUFTAKA/USAINTELCTRE HEIDELBERG GE

RUFTAKC/UDITDUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE

RUDOGHA/USNMR SHAPE BE//SURVEY//

RHDLCNE/CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N24//

RHCGSRB/CINCFOR FT MCPHERSON GA//FCJ2-IC/FCJ3-OD//

RUCBSAA/USCINCLANT NORFOLK VA//J2//

RUWSMXI/MAC INTEL CEN SCOTT AFB IL//IN//

RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CARA//

RUCQVAB/USCINCSOC INTEL OPS CEN MACDILL AFB FL

RUQYSDG/FOSIF ROTA SP

RUEOFAA/COMJSOC FT BRAGG NC//J2//

RULKQAN/MARCORINTCEN QUANTICO VA

RUSNNOA/USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE

RUFTAKA/CDR USAINTELCTRE HEIDELBERG GE

RUEALGX/SAFE

P 121157Z NOV 91

FM  (b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)

TO RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY

INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC//ACIS/ISMTF// PRIORITY

RUEHDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY

RUFHMB/USMISSION USVIENNA//ACIS/VIENNA// PRIORITY

RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHDC//SITUATION ROOM// PRIORITY

RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY

(b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)







RUHGRPG/COMUSNAVCENT

RUEBFDA/USCENTAF FWD DHAHRAN//IN//

RUEBFDA/4404CW DHAHRAN//IN//

RUHGPSA/CTF ONE FIVE FOUR

RUHGMFG/CTF ONE FIVE SIX

RUHGMFG/CTF ONE FIVE EIGHT

RUWMHJA/NAVSTKWARCEN FALLON NV//N-2//

RUDHAAA/CDRINSCOM FT BELVOIR VA//IAOPS-H-F//

RUCDGDA/DIRMSIC REDSTONE ARS AL//AIAMS-T//

(b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)



SERIAL:  (U)  IIR 6 021 0020 92.



/*********** THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE ************/

BODY

COUNTRY:  (U)  IRAQ (IZ).

SUBJECT:  IIR 6 021 0020 92/UNSCOM 20 (CW6) INSPECTION

RESULTS OF KAMISIYAH AMMUNITION STORAGE FACILITY (U).



WARNING:  (b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)



  THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY

EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. 



DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE





DOI:  (U)  911027.

(b.2.)

SOURCE:  (b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)



SUMMARY:                                  ON 26 AND 27 OCT 91, THE

UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION CHEMICAL WARFARE TEAM

6, UNSCOM 20, INSPECTED CHEMICAL MUNITIONS AT AN

AMMUNITION STORAGE DEPOT NEAR AN NASIRIYAH. A POTENTIAL

NERVE AGENT CASUALTY WAS COMPLETELY PROTECTED BY A

GERMAN-MADE PROTECTIVE SUIT.



TEXT  1.                                 BACKGROUND--BETWEEN 22 OCT

91 AND 1 NOV 91, THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION

(UNSCOM) CHEMICAL WARFARE (CW) INSPECTION TEAM 6, UNSCOM

20, CONDUCTED DETAILED INSPECTIONS OF DECLARED CW STORAGE

SITES THROUGHOUT IRAQ.  ON 27 OCT 91, THE TEAM COUNTED

AND CATALOGUED CHEMICAL MUNITIONS STORED AT AN AMMUNITION

STORAGE FACILITY NEAR AN NASIRIYAH.  IN ADDITION, THE

TEAM INSPECTED TWO OTHER SITES CONTAINING 155MM ARTILLERY

ROUNDS AND SALVAGED 122MM ROCKETS.

2.                                  AMMUNITION DEPOT--THIS DEPOT

//GEOCOORD:3074N04429E//, IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 25

KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF AN NASIRIYAH.  THIS FACILITY IS

OF EQUAL SIZE TO THE AN NASIRIYAH DEPOT SOUTHWEST

//GEOCOORD:3057N04306E//.  THE DEPOT CONSISTS OF A

MIXTURE OF BUILDINGS OF VARIOUS CONSTRUCTIONS, AND

NUMEROUS TANKS, CONTENTS UNKNOWN, ALL SURROUNDED BY

EARTHEN BERMS.  THESE TANKS COULD BE WATER SUPPLIES.

3.                                            155MM ARTILLERY SHELLS--155MM

ARTILLERY SHELLS WERE LOCATED IN AN UNFENCED OPEN AREA

APPROXIMATELY FIVE KILOMETERS EAST OF THE DEPOT AT

//GEOCOORD:3043N04625E//.  THE SHELLS WERE PAINTED GREY

WITH THE WORD GAZ, WRITTEN IN ARABIC SCRIPT, FOLLOWED BY

THE LETTER "H", WRITTEN IN ROMAN SCRIPT.  THE LOT NUMBER

WAS WRITTEN UNDERNEATH THIS.  THE SHELLS HAD

LIFTING/HANLING RINGS ON TOP.  SOME OF THE RINGS HAD

WASHERS, WHILE OTHERS DID NOT.  THE ONLY MUSTARD DETECTED

WAS FROM ONE ROUND WHERE THE LIFTING RING HAD LOOSENED.

THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY EXPLOSIVES, BURSTER CHARGES,

OR FUSES.  THE SHELLS WERE NOT NEATLY STACKED.  ALTHOUGH

THE SHELLS HAD BEEN ON PALLETS, SOMEONE APPARENTLY HAD

PUSHED THEM OVER.  WHEN THE TEAM ARRIVED, THE SHELLS WERE

COVERED WITH CANVAS.  THE IRAQIS REMOVED THE CANVAS SO

THE TEAM COULD COUNT THE SHELLS.  ALTHOUGH THE IRAQIS

DECLARED 6,240 SHELLS, THE TEAM COUNTED A TOTAL OF 6,323.

OTHER THAN THE LEAKING SHELL, ALL THE SHELLS APPEARED TO

BE IN GOOD CONDITION, AND WILL BE MOVED TO THE "UTHANNA

STATE ESTABLISHMENT //GEOCOORD:334956N0434813E// FOR

DESTRUCTION.

4.                                 122MM ROCKETS--THE IRAQIS

DECLARED 2,160 ROCKETS, WHICH ARE STORED IN TWO SEPARATE

LOCATIONS.  DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AT THE TWO

SITES, THE TEAM WAS ABLE TO ONLY COUNT 297 ROCKETS.

A.                                 OPEN PIT--ON 26 OCT 91, THE TEAM

INSPECTED A PIT NEXT TO THE CANAL WHERE THE IRAQIS HAD

DUMPED THE SALVAGED 122MM BINARY SARIN ROCKETS, WHICH

WERE FILLED WITH A MIXTURE OF GB AND GF.  THESE ROCKETS

WERE APPARENTLY SALVAGED FROM WHAT THE IRAQIS REFERRED TO

AS WAREHOUSE '73' AT THE DEPOT.  THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION

FOR THIS PIT IS //GEOCOORD:304480N0462580E//.  INSIDE THE

PIT, MEASURING 300 METERS BY 150 METERS, THE ROCKETS WERE

HEAPED INTO FOUR PILES, THREE LARGE PILES AND ONE SMALL

 PILE, ALONG WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED WOODEN CRATES.  IT

APPEARED TO THE TEAM THAT THE WOODEN BOXES HAD BEEN PILED

UP WITH EXPLOSIVES UNDERNEATH AND BLOWN TO PIECES.  THERE

WERE VARIOUS OTHER REMAINS OF CONVENTIONAL ROCKETS, ALONG

WITH OTHER "ILITARY-TYPE LITTER IN THE PIT. 

(b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)





B.                                  122MM ROCKET SAMPLING--ON 27 OCT

91, THE TEAM TOOK SAMPLES FROM THE 122MM ROCKETS.  THE

SAMPLING WAS PRECEDED BY AN EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE

DESTRUCTION (EOD) TECHNICIAN DRILLING A HOLE IN THE

ROCKET.  AS THE TECHNICIAN PREPARED, A DECONTAMINATION

LINE WAS ESTABLISHED WITH DOCTORS STANDING BY.  PRIOR TO

DRILLING THE HOLE, EOD PERSONNEL DONNED FULLY-IMPERMEABLE

CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE SUITS WITH OXYGEN BOTTLES.  THE EOD

TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTED TO DRILL INTO THE ROCKET, BUT WAS

UNSUCCESSFUL AT THIS SPOT.  HE CHOSE A SECOND SPOT, AND

BEGAN TO DRILL AGAIN.  ALTHOUGH THE DRILLING WAS VERY

DIFFICULT, THE DRILL SUDDENLY ENTERED THE ROCKET AND WAS

IMMEDIATELY FORCED BACK OUT.  A FOUR-"ETER STREAM OF

SARIN, UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE, SPRAYED FROM THE

ROCKET, AND HIT THE EOD TECHNICIAN UNDER THE JAW WITH

CONSIDERABLE FORCE.  APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE

ROCKET'S CONTENTS ESCAPED.  THE TECHNICIAN IM"EDIATELY

UNDERWENT FULL DECONTA"INATION PROCEDURES.  THIS PROCESS

WAS CONDUCTED TWICE BEFORE THE TECHNICIAN WAS CO"PLETELY

DECONTA"INATED BECAUSE THE SARIN WAS IN ALL THE FOLDS OF

THE GARMENT AROUND THE NECK AND AR"S.  IN ADDITION, THE

CHEMICAL AGENT "IXTURE CONTAINED GF, WHICH IS "ORE

DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THAN GB.  THE INDIVIDUAL SPENT

APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES IN THE SUIT AND SUFFERED NO

EFFECTS FROM THE ORDEAL.  THERE WAS PLENTY OF WATER ON

THE SITE FOR THE DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE AND TO KEEP

THE INDIVIDUAL COOL DURING THE PROCESS.  FOLLOWING THIS

INCIDENT, THE REQUIRED SAMPLES OF THE AGENT WERE TAKEN.

BASED ON THIS INCIDENT, THE TEAM BELIEVED THE IRAQIS

COULD NOT HAVE SAFELY OPENED THE ROCKETS.  THE CONTENTS

OF THE ROCKETS MUST BE UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE.

AFTER THE SARIN EJECTED FROM THE ROCKET, THE PLASTIC

CONTAINER INSIDE RECOVERED ELASTICALLY AND ACTUALLY MOVED

ABOUT FOUR MILLIMETERS, OBSCURING THE HOLE.  THERE WAS NO

OBVIOUS EXTERNAL SIGN OF THE PRESSURE.  THERE WAS NO

       OBVIOUS DISTORTION OR BULGING OF THE ROCKET CASING, AND

NO APPARENT LEAKAGE.  THE IRAQIS WERE GENUINELY CONCERNED

AND VERY SURPRISED BY THE INCIDENT.  IN THE TEAM'S

ESTIMATION, THE IRAQIS DO NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO

SAFELY DRAIN THE ROCKETS, AND UNDER THE SAME

CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE SUFFERED A SEVERE CASUALTY,

PROBABLY A FATALITY.

C.                                      BUNKER 73--ON 27 OCT 91, THE

TEAM INSPECTED BUNKER 73, AS IT IS KNOWN BY THE IRAQIS,

WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT THREE KILOMETERS FROM THE

HEADQUARTERS BUILDING OF THE AMMUNITION DEPOT, AND WAS

COMPLETELY DESTROYED.  ALL THAT REMAINED WAS A PILE OF

EARTH WITH A FEW STANCHIONS STICKING UP, AND SOME TWISTED

REINFORCING STEEL WITH CHUNKS OF CONCRETE ATTACHED.  THIS

BUNKER WAS JUST A STANDARD AMMUNITION STORAGE BUNKER,

SURFACE CONSTRUCTION, WITH EARTHEN BLAST PROTECTION ON

THE SIDES.  THIS BUNKER APPEARED TO BE STANDARD WHEN

COMPARED TO OTHER BUNKERS IN THE AREA.  IT APPEARED TO

HAVE NO SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR VENTILATION AND WAS

CHEAPLY CONSTRUCTED.  122MM ROCKETS, WITH THEIR CANISTERS

SPLIT OPEN, WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE BUNKER AREA.

HOWEVER, NO CONTAMINATION WAS DETECTED.  ALTHOUGH THE

IRAQIS HAVE "OVED A LARGE "AJORITY OF "UNITIONS TO THE

PIT, THERE ARE STILL ROCKETS, EITHER WITH SPLIT CASINGS

OR OTHER DAMAGE, SCATTERED AROUND THE AREA.  NONE OF THE

122M" MUNITIONS OBSERVED COULD BE CONSIDERED SERVICEABLE.

THE IRAQIS WERE TOLD NOT TO "OVE THE "UNITIONS.  THE

IRAQIS CLAIMED THE BUILDINGS AND "UNITIONS WERE DESTROYED

BY OCCUPYING COALITION FORCES.  IN THE TEA"'S ESTIMATION,

THE DESTRUCTION OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF LOCALLY-PLACED

EXPLOSIVES AS OPPOSED TO BOMBING.



COMMENTS:  (U) NONE.

//IPSP:  (U)  (b.2.)

//COMSOBJ:  (U)  (b.2.)

ADMIN PROJ:  (U)  (b.2.)

INSTR:   (b.1. sec. 1.5.c.)

PREP:  (U) (b.2.).

ENCLS:  (U)  NONE.

ACQ:  (U) (b.2.)

DISSE":  (U)  FIELD:  NONE.

(b.2.)

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