IRAQ-KUWAIT SIT RPT

File: cia_64951_64951_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: IRAQ-KUWAIT SIT RPT

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







IRAQ-KUWAIT: SITUATION REPORT         MARCH 1991,







ENCOURAGED BY THE US. MEANWHILE, PRESS REPORTS INDICATE AL BASRAH IS

IN A STATE OF ANARCHY; CROWDS REPORTEDLY CHEERED AND SHOUTED ANTI-

SADDAM SLOGANS WHEN A TANK FIRED SHELLS THROUGH A PORTRAIT OF SADDAM,

WHICH DREW NO REACTION FROM OTHER TANKS AND SOLDIERS IN THE AREA.









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, ACCORDING TO US EMBASSY REPORTING AND A SANDIA

NATIONAL LABORATORY STUDY 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.

THE SANDIA STUDY, 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. IN FACT, SANDIA

PREDICTS THAT DAYLIGHT ILLUMINATION WILL BE EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT ONE-

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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