ROCKETS WITH POSSIBLE CHEMICAL WEAPONS APPLICATIONS

File: cia_64910_64910_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: ROCKETS WITH POSSIBLE CHEMICAL WEAPONS APPLICATIONS  
Not Finally Evaluated Intelligence 
 
TO FACILITATE ELECTRONIC ACCESS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN 
REFORMATTED TO ELIMINATE INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN 
TO GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES OR THAT IS CLASSIFIED. A COPY OF 
THIS REDACTED DOCUMENT, IN ORIGINAL FORMAT, IS AVAILABLE ON 
REQUEST. 
 
 
 
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 
 
DIST: 1990 
COUNTRY: IRAQ 
 
SUBJ: MANUFACTURED ROCKETS WITH POSSIBLE CHEMICAL 
WEAPONS APPLICATIONS IN THE IRAQI  INVENTORY 
 
DOI:  JANUARY 1985 1990 
 
TEXT: 1. 
                              ASPECTS OF THE IRAQI WEAPONS 
INVENTORY, IRAQ HAS SEVERAL THOUSAND-MANUFACTURED SAKR 20 
AND SAKR 30 SURFACE-TO-SURFACE ROCKETS IN ITS INVENTORY THAT 
CAN BE FILLED WITH AND USED TO DELIVER CHEMICAL WARFARE (CW) 
AGENTS.  ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL, HOWEVER, THE IRAQI 
TROOPS DO NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY OR TRAINING TO SEAL THE 
SAKR 20 AND SAKR 30 MISSILE TUBES SECURELY AFTER FILLING 
THEM WITH A CHEMICAL AGENT.  SHOULD IRAQI TROOPS IN THE 
FIELD ATTEMPT SUCH A PROCEDURE, THE CHEMICAL AGENT WOULD BE 
UNSTABLE AND HAZARDOUS TO THESE TROOPS.  FOR EITHER ROCKET 
TO BE EFFECTIVE WITH A CHEMICAL WARHEAD, THE IRAQI FACTORY 
TECHNICIANS WHO PERFORM THE SENSITIVE FILLING PROCEDURES 
WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMPANY THE TROOPS TO THE FORWARD AREA. 
 
2. SINCE 1984, THE IRAQIS HAVE PURCHASED APPROXIMATELY 
100,000 SAKR 20 AND SAKR 30 ROCKETS AND SEVERAL HUNDRED SAKR 
20 AND SAKR 30 ROCKET LAUNCHERS                    A HIGH 
PERCENTAGE OF THESE ROCKETS WERE PURCHASED WITH EMPTY 
WARHEADS WHICH COULD LATER BE FILLED WITH A CHEMICAL AGENT. 
ABOUT 1987              OFFERED 
       TO FILL THESE WARHEADS WITH BOMBLETS BUT THE IRAQIS 
TURNED DOWN THE OFFER. 
       ACQ:                 1990). 
       END OF MESSAGE 
 
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