MUSTARD GAS USED BY IRAQ

File: cia_70600_70600_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: MUSTARD GAS USED BY IRAQ  
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. 
 
90 
 
90 
 
AUG 90 
 
CITE CIA 223708 
 
 
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 
 
COUNTRY: IRAQ/IRAN 
 
SUBJ: I - PROPERTIES OF MUSTARD GAS USED BY IRAQ IN WAR WITH 
IRAN 
 
2. ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS OF IRAQI MUSTARD GAS  
THE IRAQI ARMY USED AN UNIDENTIFIED SILICA COMPOUND 
IMPREGNATED WITH MUSTARD GAS ON IRANIAN TROOPS.  THE IRAQI 
ARMY DELIVERED THE MUSTARD GAS IN WHITE PHOSPHOROUS SHELLS.                     
WHILE THE USE OF SILICA REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF MUSTARD GAS 
THAT COULD BE LOADED INTO THE WARHEAD, IT ACTUALLY DECREASED 
THE EFFECTIVE DOSE RATE THEREBY INCREASING BY FIVE TIMES THE 
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MUSTARD GAS DELIVERED  
ALSO NOTICED THAT IRANIAN SOLDIERS EXPOSED TO MUSTARD GAS 
SUFFERED UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNTS AND NUMBERS OF RESPIRATORY 
PROBLEMS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE WHILE DISPLAYING LESS THAN 
EXPECTED AMOUNTS OF BLISTERED SKIN DAMAGE. 
GENERALLY VICTIMS OF MUSTARD GAS HAVE SEVERE BLISTERING ON 
THEIR EXTERIOR SKIN WITH LITTLE BLISTERING IN THE LUNGS.  
HOWEVER, WITH THE IRANIANS, RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS WERE MORE 
NOTICEABLE THAN SKIN PROBLEMS.  WHICH INDICATES STRONGLY 
THAT THE SILICA SERVES AS A CARRIER TO FACILITATE THE 
INHALING OF THE MUSTARD GAS.  TESTS INDICATE THAT SILICA 
IMPREGNATED WITH MUSTARD GAS AT THE CRITICAL OF THREE-TO-
FIVE MICRONS PRODUCES SEVERE BLISTERING TO THE ENTIRE 
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. TESTS ALSO INDICATE THAT PARTICLES 
WITH DIAMETERS LARGER THAN FIVE MICRONS WOULD BECOME CLOGGED 
IN THE NOSE AND THROAT AND PARTICLES WITH DIAMETERS SMALLER 
THAN THREE MICRONS WOULD BE INHALED AND EXHALED WITHOUT 
ATTACHING THEMSELVES To THE WALLS OF THE LUNGS.)