Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search

File: 970107_sep96_decls37_0002.txt
Page: 0002
Total Pages: 3

Subject: BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CAPABILITIES                                 

Unit: ARCENT      

Parent Organization: CENTCOM     

Box  ID: BX000530

Folder Title: BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CAPABILITIES                                                                 

Document Number:          2

Folder Seq  #:         24




                                                                   UNCLASSIFIED



                        as a resulfof control programs. Intestinal schisw@&o@               crInfec@usDiseases-Tuberculo@ (en-
                        miasis foci occurin the central (Hail, Riyadh), north-      dcmic, although the annual incidence, 100 cases in
                        ern (Al JawQ, nor-th-Aestem (Tabuk, Medina), and            1988, has been declining,;Lnd the prevalence is esfi-
                        @dwestem (Makkah, AJ Bahah) provinces, and the              mated to be only 0.1 to 0.2 percent); trachoma
                        highlands of the southwestern provinces (Asir,              (common, and the most frequent cause of blindness,
                        Najran). Urinary schislosotniasis foci occur in the         although the incidence has been declining as a result
                        lowlands of the southwestern (Jizan) and @dwest-            of control mea@ures); Convener] endemic syphilis
                        era q&kkah) provinces. In Iraq, urinary schisloso-          (common in rural areas in Saudi Arabia, especially
                        @asis occurs throughout the Tigris and Euphrates            among nomadic l@smen, where the prevalence is
                        River basin, especially in the central regions. Al-         as high as 20 percent); soil transmitted belminthic
                        though still prevalent (prevalence is estimated at 5        infections (roundwor7ns and whipwonns are pi-es-
                        percentin focal arms), the annual reported incidence        ent, but the incidence is less than 5 @nt; hook-
                        is decreasing as a result of control programs.              worms are uncommon)-
                        Ecology- Bul@ truncaw is the primary in(erme-
                        dista host for Schisiosoma haemmobium (urinary              IRAQI BIOLOGICAL WARFARF (BW) CAPABIU'NES
e primary intertne-     (Ulrmo,14
                        di2te host forschistosoma mmisoizi (intestinal fon-n).                   AFMC analysis assess that Iraq has a
                        Other Diseases Endemic in the Indigenous                    mature offensive biological warfare (BW) program.
                        Population (U)                                              BacillusanLhracis (anthrax) an         )inum toxin are
                                                                                    assessed to be weaponized. In addition,              rio
                        (U) Zoonotic diseases - Brucellosis (caused by B.           chokrae (cholera), Sfaphylococcus enieroioxln B
                        melitensis; en7oodc in livestock, especially goats          (SEB), and the clostridium per@ngens bacteria orits
                        and sheep, and a common cause of fever in humans            toxin may be in advanced stages of development or
                        in both rural and urban areas, usually as a result of       available forweaponization. Because of the absence
                        consumption of raw dairy products); r-abies (enzo-          of specific information, we cannot accurately predict
                        odc in foxes in Iraq and Saudi Arabia; Bahrain and          when BW would be used. We believe biological
                        Kuwait are rabies free); echinococcosis (common,            weapons can be effectively deployed for tactical
                        especially in southern Iraq, where it is a frequent         battlefield use as well as strategical use.
                        cause of surgery; the tapeworm is carried by an                               5 U.S.@. 552 (b)(1)
                        estimated 15 percent of stray dogs, @IxLldily in                         -ne B@CaTch, development and
                        agricultural areas); anthrax (occurs very sporadi-          production faci@at Saiman Pak (33-04-30N 44-
cally in rural at= during summer months; related            @5-OIE                      isbc)ieved lobe themajor
                        to exposure to livestock, usually sheep); Q fever           production and storage facility for BW in Iraq. The
                        (r2relyreporliJ in humans, butcnzootic in livestock;        Jraqi.army facility at Taji (33-31-40N 44-16-20E), a
                        human scrology in rural are-as indicates exposure);         facility at Abu Ghurayb (33-21-@'4 44-25-XXE),
                        glanders (sporadic cases have been reported in              and the Iraqi Atomic Energy Com@ssion facility
                        horses, with occasional human exposure, despite an          near Baghdad at Tuwaitha also are suspected of
                        effort to eradicate the disease); sylvatic plague (last     biological and toxin agents. Agent testing has been
                        reported near the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border in              reported at a facility located in marshes southeast or
                        1969, but Presently is not thought lo be endemic; in        An Nasiriyab (31-02-41N 46-16-21E).
                        Iraq, the highlands near the border with Syria histor-
                        ically have been an en7oo@c focus).                                      A variety of mechanisms are available
                                                                                    to Iraq for dissemination of biological and toxin
                        (U) Sexually Triznsmitted Diseases -nrough the              agents: vehicle transportable aerosol generators,
                        end of 1989, few cases of AJDS or HIV infections            submuni@ons, cluster bombs, spray tan)s for high
                        have been ofriciall reported; additional cases are          performance aircraft, artillery sbells, and various
                                           y
      missiles-
                        MV infection is performed.
                                                                                 (Ul            Iraq will likely deploy biological weap-
                                                                                    ons in the aerosol form at night or in the early

                                                                                 9


                                                                          UNCLASSIFIED

Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search


Document 3 f:/Week-48/BX000530/BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CAPABILITIES/biological warfare capabilities:0103970806305
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-48
Box ID = BX000530
Unit = ARCENT
Parent Organization = CENTCOM
Folder Title = BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CAPABILITIES
Folder Seq # = 24
Subject = BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CAPABILITIES
Document Seq # = 2
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 03-JAN-1997