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File: 120596_aadas_01.txtDTG: 091910ZAUG90 SUBJECT: IRAQI CHEMICAL CAPABILITIES DESCRIPTION: REPORTS IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS CAPABILITIES, HISTORICAL USE, DOCTRINES FOR EMPLOYMENT. NOTE: 2 PAGES RELEASED. O TO SDBOO // SDCOO /REROUTE OF RUCUAAA8240 2211851 0 091828Z AUG 90// FM RUCSMSC AA PROCOPY MSN 0040 DTG AUG 091910Z N SUBJECT: (U) CHEMICAL CAPABILITIES IRAQ: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CAPABILITIES: INTELLIGENCE ASSESSES THAT IRAQ CAN AND WILL LAUNCH CHEMICAL MUNITIONS WHENEVER THEY FIND IT TACTICALLY ADUANTAGEOUS. HOWEUER, IRAQI CHEMICAL STRIKES AGAINST SURFACE VESSELS HAUE NOT BEEN OBSERVED, AND THE IRAQI AIR FORCE'S ABlLITY TO TARGET USN COMBATANTS UNDERWAY IN THE SOUTHERN PERSIAN GULF IS LIMITED. IRAQ MAINTAINS THE MOST EXTENSIVE OFFENSIVE CHEMICAL WARFARE CAPABILITY IN THE THIRD WORLD. THEY POSSESS A WIDE-VARIETY OF CHEMICHL WARFARE AGENTS INCLUDING MUSTARD, DUSTY MUSTARD, TABUN, SARIN, AND NERVE AGENTS AND HAVE ADDITIONAL AGENTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT. IRAQ HAS DEMONSTRATED THE ABILITY TO USE CHFMICAL AGENTS EFFECTIVELY WITH A UARIETY OF DELIVERY SYSTEMS INCLUDING AERlAL BOMBS, CLUSTER BOMBS, AIR-TO-SURFACE ROCKETS. AIR-DROPPED CANISTERS, AND SPRAY SYSTEMS, AMONG OTHERS. ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS EXCEPT CLUSTER BOMBS WERE USED IN THE WAR AGAINST IRAN. IRAQ HAS PROBABLY DEVELOPED CHEMICAL WARHEADS FOR USE WITH ITS SSMS AND HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MANUFACTURE CHEMICAL WARHEADS FOR THF SS-N-2B MISSILES ONBOARD THEIR OSA PTGS. BAGDAD IS BELIEVED TO VIEW CHEMICAL WEAPONS AS PART OF CONVENTIONAL WARFARE, WITH RESTRAINT HINGING ON PRIMARILY TACTICAL FACTORS. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS COMES FROM SADDAM HUSSAYN; HOWEVER , THE REQUEST AND APPROVAL PROCESS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN AS LITTILE AS 24-48 HOURS. DURING THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR, RELEASE AUTHORITY FOR CHEMICAL AND MORTAR SHELLS WAS GRANTED TO SOME CORPS COMMANDERS. FOR SECURITY REASONS, ALL CHEMICAL ORDERS WERE PASSED VERBALLY OR VIA COURIER AND NOTHING CONCERNING CHEMICAL USE WAS CONMITED TO PAPER. IN GENERAL, IF IRAQI FORCES NEEDED TO OCCUPY AN AREA QUICKLY, A NON- OR SEMI-PERSISTENT CHEMICAL AGENT SUCH AS SARIN WOULD BE USED. FOR AREA DENIAL, A PERSISTANT AGENT SUCH AS MUSTARB WOULD BE USED. IRAQI CHEMICAL CAPABILITIES ARE WELL-INTEGRATED THROUGHOUT THEIR FORCES AND OPPOSITION TO AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT WOULD PROBABLY INCLUDE CHEMICAL MUNITIONS.
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