IRAQ'S BIOLOGICAL WARFARE PROGRA

File: cia_65209_65209_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: IRAQ'S BIOLOGICAL WARFARE PROGRA

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.







OCT 90   DIRECTOR 303685







IRAQ'S ADVANCED AND AGGRESSIVE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE (BW) PROGRAM

IS THE MOST EXTENSIVE IN THE ARAB WORLD. THE BW PROGRAM IS AN

INTEGRAL PART OF IRAQ'S HIGH-PRIORITY DRIVE TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT

IN THE PRODUCTION OF UNCONVENTIONAL WEAPONS AND BALLISTIC MISSILES.

WE BELIEVE THAT IRAQ HAS BEEN PRODUCING LARGE QUANTITIES OF THE

AGENTS ANTHRAX AND BOTULINUM TOXIN SINCE 1989. BY THE END OF 1990,

THE IRAQIS PROBABLY WILL HAVE DEPLOYED SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF

BIOLOGICALLY FILLED AERIAL BOMBS AND ARTILLERY ROCKETS. IRAQ WILL

EVENTUALLY USE BW AGENTS TO FILL WARHEADS FOR ITS INDIGENOUSLY

PRODUCED SCUDS. THE IRAQIS VERY LIKELY ARE DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL BW

AGENTS--PROBABLY VIRUSES AND ADDITIONAL TOXINS







IRAQI OFFICIALS HAVE STATED THAT THE USE OF ANY WEAPON IS

JUSTIFIED IN DEFENDING THEIR TERRITORY. IRAQ, THE FIRST NATION TO

USE NERVE AGENTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD, PROBABLY WOULD NOT HESITATE TO

USE BW AGENTS IN EXTREME SITUATIONS. GIVEN THE POTENTIALLY GREATER

THAN THOUSANDFOLD INCREASE IN LETHAL AREA CONTAMINATION FOR CERTAIN

BW AGENTS AS COMPARED WITH CW AGENTS, IRAQ PRESUMABLY WOULD USE BW

AGENTS IN EXTREME SITUATIONS, SUCH AS STRATEGIC RETALIATION FOR

UCLEAR OR CHEMICAL ATTACKS AGAINST IRAQI POPULATION CENTERS.

WESTERN COMPANIES HAVE SUPPLIED THE MAJORITY OF DUAL-USE

EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING. HOWEVER, THE IRAQI PROGRAM IS NOW SO FAR

ADVANCED THAT LITTLE CAN BE DONE TO IMPEDE IT. MUCH OF THE EQUIPMENT

NVOLVED IS DUAL-USE BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT.

AT LEAST FOUR FACILITIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE IRAQI BW

PROGRAM. ONE FACILITY, LOCATED AT SALMAN PAR, PROBABLY CONTAINS A

SPECIALIZED RESEARCH BUILDING FOR WORK ON EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

ORGANISMS. WE BELIEVE THAT R&D, PILOT-SCALE PRODUCTION, AND STORAGE

OF BW AGENTS TAKE PLACE AT THIS SITE.







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