HORNET VENOM DERIVATIVE BIOLOGICAL TOXIN

File: cia_70497_70496_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: HORNET VENOM DERIVATIVE BIOLOGICAL TOXIN  
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. 
  
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY  
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NOT FULLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE  
  
MARCH 1987  
COUNTRY:  IRAQ  
  
SUBJ: REPORTED IRAQI USE OF HORNET VENOM DERIVATIVE  
                    BIOLOGICAL TOXIN  
  
TEXT: 1  
  
                                                           
BELIEVES THAT IRAQ HAS UTILIZED A NEW BIOLOGICAL WEAPON (BW)  
DERIVED FROM HORNET VENOM POLYPEPTIDES. THE GOVERNMENT  OF  
IRAQ  HAD REPORTEDLY CAUSED THE DEATH            
PAGE 3 RUEAIIA 3039  
OF THOUSANDS OF IRANIAN SOLDIERS WITH THIS WEAPON.  THE  
IRANIAN SOLDIERS WERE APPARENTLY KILLED BY ASPHYXIATION  
CAUSED BY BRONCHIAL CONSTRICTION.  THE NEW POLYPEPTIDE TOXIN  
WOULD NOT LEAVE ANY TRACES IN THE VICTIM'S BLOODSTREAM WHICH  
COULD BE DISCERNED  FROM ORDINARY POTMEPTIDES PRESENT IN THE  
HUMAN BODY  
  
  
  
  
2. ACCORDING TO                       THE TOXIN WOULD NEED  
          TO HAVE BEEN DELIVERED AN A GAS AND ENCAPSULATED  
IN BOMB FORM.  AT IMPACT, THE BOMB WOULD EXPLODE AND SPREAD  
AS A LOW CLOUD, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE AVERAGE MALE, AND WOULD  
HAVE REMAINED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES IN THIS GASEOUS FORM  
BEFORE DISSIPATING WITHOUT RESIDUAL TRACES FURTHERMORE,  
DEATH BY ASPHYXIATION WOULD RESULT IN A MAXIMUM OF FOUR  
MINUTES AFTER EXPOSURE TO THE TOXIN. NOTED THAT  
THE TOXIN IS BELIEVED TO BE DERIVED FROM THE KININ OR  
POLYPEPTIDE PORTION OF THE VENOM MOLECULAR STRUCTURE.  THESE  
KININS COULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED AND MADE MORE VOLATILE SO  
THAT THEY WOULD CONTRACT THE SMALL MUSCLES OF THE LARYNX AND  
LUNGS.