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    supposedly empty chemical warhead canisters for rockets was hit in the face
    with a burst of sarin when they were crushed with a bull dozer blade. The
    medic who was on scene later told us he ran ten feet and dropped "like a
    rock". He was administered atropine on the scene and transported to a medical
    facility. After about two days he appeared to be doing well.

    6 Sep 91: 	0630 hotel departure.
   		0645 airport arrival and abbreviated customs until 0700.
  		0800 departure for Kuwait airport to pick up cargo.
    		0910 arrive Kuwait
    		1000 depart for Iraq
    		1330 arrival at Habbinayah Air Base, Iraq. One hour time change.
    Habbinayah is about 90 minutes west of Baghdad and is being used as the
    airport in Baghdad has not yet been repaired. The damage here is obvious. It
    is a large base. Every visible hardened aircraft shelter has a penetration
    hole in the roof and visible damage from detonation including scorching on
    outer face of shelter. We are expressly forbidden to take photographs and are
    ushered in for the customs checks. All greeting were very friendly. We were
    met by member of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and military personnel. The two
    Colonels would accompany us on all our trips. Traveling across the
    installation to depart for Baghdad, we noticed heavy concentrations of SA-2,
    SA-4, SA-6 batteries and anti-aircraft batteries and control centers. All
    maintenance hangars are destroyed. One trench along the air field has actual
    and decoy MiG 23, 25, and 29 aircraft bulldozed into them. They don't appear
    to be much good for cannibalizing. The drive into Baghdad traversed through
    desert, farm land, and cities. The area around Baghdad is actually quite great
    as it is bordered by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Market places and store
    windows appeared full of vegetables, fruits, and foodstuffs. No other battle
    damage was visible between Habbinayah and the outskirts of Baghdad. Several
    airfields and other military installations were visible at a distance and
    anti-aircraft guns were literally everywhere we looked. After entering
    Baghdad, city life seemed somewhat normal. The streets are crowded with
    vehicles, mostly Volkswagon Posats used as taxis. As reparations to families
    when a soldier died during the war with Iran, the government gave the family
    one of the VW. Most families were unable to afford them and sold them as
    taxis. The families of NCOs and officers who died received Buicks or
    Oldsmobiles.
    
    	Using the term "surgical strike'' for what was done in Baghdad is very
    appropriate. Areas were not devastated at all. You might travel down a city
    block and see one building destroyed, and almost without exception, there was
    little if any damage to adjacent buildings. Some buildings were obviously no
    government, but that the breaks! Larger facilities and government building
    concentrations were more obviously damaged. These buildings were always
    located in the midst of apartments, stores and commercial area. That no
    greater damage and loss of life occurred cannot be appreciated until it is
    seen. The Iragis were sensitive to photos being taken of damaged areas, but
    managed a few, although some were taken through bus windows and sometimes at
    high speeds.
    
    1500: arrived at Palestine Hotel, formerly the Meridiane. Located on the
    Tigris river, across the street from the Sheraton and also located across the
    street from a very large portrait of 'himself " . We had learned by this time
    that to travel more than two city blocks without seeing a large portrait of
    Saddam Hussein was just not possible. Hotel accommodations were very good,
    
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