CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE DURING OPERATION DESERT STORM

File: cia_70572_70572_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE DURING OPERATION DESERT STORM 
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. 
 
CITE CIA 161550 
 
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 
--------------------------- 
 
NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. 
 
 
JUNE 1993 
 
COUNTRY:   IRAQ 
 
SUBJ: CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE DURING OPERATION DESERT STORM 
 
 
TEXT 1.  
 
2.    BEFORE THE ONSET OF OPERATION DESERT STORM, 
IRAQI PRESIDENT ((SADDAM)) HUSAYN PERSONALLY DECIDED TO USE 
CHEMICAL 
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WEAPONS IF U.N. COALITION FORCES ATTACKED AND IF CERTAIN 
CRITERIA WERE MET.  FIRST, THE ALLIES WOULD HAVE TO BE 
WINNING THE GROUND WAR. SECOND, IF A LINE DUE WEST FROM THE 
CITY OF AL-AMARAH IN THE MAYSAN PROVINCE WERE CROSSED, 
CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE TO BE USED. ADDITIONALLY, IRANIAN 
FORCES CROSSING THE IRAQ/IRAN BORDER INTO MAYSAN PROVINCE 
WOULD HAVE TRIGGERED THE USE OF IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS. 
(COMMENT- THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE NOT USED BECAUSE THE         
ALLIES STOPPED WELL SOUTH OF AL-AMARAH.) THE RATIONALE 
BEHIND THE PROPOSED USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS WAS THREEFOLD.  
FIRST, THE MAYSAN PROVINCE IS PREDOMINATELY SHI'IA AND IS 
THEREFORE REGARDED BY SADDAM AS A SMALL LOSS.  SECOND; THE 
FEAR OF AN IRANIAN INVASION ADDED TO THE THREAT POSED BY 
COALITION FORCES JUSTIFIED DESPERATE THINKING. THIRD, SADDAM 
ADOPTED A "WHO CARES" ATTITUDE, REASONING THAT IF AL-AKARAH 
HAD BEEN REACHED ALL OF SOUTHERN IRAQ WAS LOST ANYWAY, AND 
HE HAD NOTHING TO LOSE. 
 
3. THE AGENT SARIN WAS INITIALLY DEPLOYED INTO KUWAIT WITH. 
THE IRAQI INVASION, BUT WAS REMOVED BEFORE THE  ONSET OF THE 
GROUND PHASE OF OPERATION DESERT STORM. 
 
THE SARIN WAS  MOVED TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION IN THE DESERT 
FOR STORAGE FOLLOWING OPERATION DESERT STORM, AND WAS BURIED 
IN THE DESERT.