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File: 120596_aaday_03.txtFurther, the constant movement of the cannoneers means that avenues of penetration for the gasses are progressively opened up; seams are a natural avenue as they are the point of greatest movement and frequently the point where sweat accumulates to further degrade the protective qualities of the overgarment. The passage of voice commands is rendered difficult, in what is already a practically impossible situation. And there are always some soldiers who have a form of claustrophobia and can tolerate being masked only so long. (U) In summary, chemical agents are effective in degrading command and control, fire support and lines of communications. One of the most dramatic examples of this was during Operation Khaybar I in February l984. In this operation, the Iranians attacked through the Hawizah marshes, attempting to cut the Basrah-Baghad road. In a notable example of battlefield interdiction, the Iraqis isolated the forward elements of the attacking force with Mustard, cutting it off almost entirely from resupply by land. When the Iraqis counterattacked, they encountered Iranians who had no ammunition and who had not eaten for several days. (U) An additional Iraqi tactic was to target Iranian infantry in its assembly areas, as well as supply points. These attacks caused the less-well-protected rear echelon soldiers and volunteers to flee. There are also reports of chemical weapons use against command and control centers, the most dramatic--yet most questionable--one being the 1988 attack on the headquarters of the Iranian force defending A1 Faw. The installation fell to ground assault within 38 minutes of H-hour. It is unlikely, under these circumstances, that gas was used. A more interesting possibility-not considered until later--is fuel-air explosives. Properly delivered, this weapon--not a chemical weapon per se--could have killed or seriously incapacitated all personnel in the headquarters at a single blow. (U) Chemical weapons require quite particular weather and geographic conditions for optimum effectiveness. Given the relative nonpersistence of all agents employed during this war, including Mustard, there was only a brief window of employment opportunity daily and seasonally when the agents could be used. Even though the Iraqis employed Mustard agent in the rainy season and also in the marshes, its relative effectiveness was significantly reduced under those conditions. As the Iraqis learned to their chagrin, Mustard is not a good agent to employ in the mountains, unless you own the high ground and your enemy is in the valleys. (U) We are uncertain as to the relative effectiveness of nerve agents since those which were employed are by nature much
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