IRAQ SITUATION REPORT

File: cia_64953_64951_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: IRAQ SITUATION REPORT

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.







MAR 91







SUBJECT:  SPOT COMMENTARY:  IRAQ-KUWAIT:  SITUATION REPORT







MAJOR THREAT FROM KUWAITI OIL FIRES

THE SMOKE AND TOXIC POLLUTANTS PRODUCED BY MORE THAN 500 OIL

WELL FIRES IN KUWAIT ARE A MAJOR THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN

HEALTH IN THE REGION,          RECENT REPORT

COMPLETED IN JANUARY. THESE FIRES ARE

EMITTING THE EQUIVALENT OF ROUGHLY 10 PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S TOTAL

NORMAL WEEKLY EMISSIONS OF SMOKE AND SOLID POLLUTANTS AND HAVE

BLACKENED THE SKIES OVER KUWAIT, IRAQ, IRAN, AND SAUDI ARABIA.







WHICH ASSUMED FAVORABLE WEATHER AND 500 TO 900

OIL WELL FIRES, CONCLUDED THAT POLLUTION FROM THESE FIRES WOULD POSE

A THREAT TO THE ELDERLY, INFANTS, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR

OR PULMONARY IMPAIRMENTS. THE FIRES ALSO WILL PRODUCE REDUCED

VISIBILITY MORE THAN 100 KILOMETERS DOWNWIND.

PREDICTS THAT DAYLIGHT ILLUMINATION WILL BE EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT ONL-

THOUSANDTH OF NORMAL ON A MOONLIT NIGHT, FIVE TO 30 KILOMETERS

DOWNWIND. WHILE THE STUDY JUDGES THAT THERE IS ALMOST NO CHANCE OF

MAJOR GLOBAL CLIMATIC CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THESE FIRES, MOST OF THE

PHENOMENA PREDICTED IN A NUCLEAR WINTER SCENARIO WILL OCCUR ON A

REGIONAL BASIS.







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