IRAQI BIOLOGICAL WARFARE [BW) DEVELOPMENTS

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SUBJ:    IRAQI  BIOLOGICAL WARFARE [BW) DEVELOPMENTS

1.  [      (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)    ] IRAQ  ACQUIRED

FORTY HIGH  PERFORMANCE AEROSOL GENERATORS IN  THE  SPRING  OF'  

1990 OSTENSIBLY  FOR  SPRAYING  CROPS WITH PESTICIDES.    THE  

GENERATORS  WERE  CUSTOM  BUILT  TO  DELIVER  EITHER  LIQUID OR 

DRY MATERIAL  EITHER  SIGNLY  OR  SIMULTANEOUSLY.   THE GENERATORS 

CAN DISTRIBUTE FIFTY  LITERS  PER MINUTE  [3-,0O0  LITERS  PER  

HOUR OR APPROXIMATELY 800 GALLONS  PER  HOUR) THROUGH A  CUSTOM  

DESIGNED NOZZLE[S] WHICH PERMITS  THE AEROSOL TO  BE

ADJUSTED  TO  TEN DIFFERENT PARTICLE SIZES.    THE  DISSEMINATION 

OUTLET CAN  BE  ROTATED  ONE  HUNDRED  AND EIGHTY DEGREES  THEREBY 

ENABLING DISSEMINATION  HORIZONTAL  TO GROUND OR WATER SURFACES, 
OR 
UPWARDS  AT AN ANGLE PERMITTING PREVAILING WINDS TO CARRY THE  

AEROSOL.  THE IRAQI  ENTITY WHICH ACQUIRED THE AEROSOL GENERATORS 

IS  NOT  KNOWN  AT THIS  TIME  BUT  COULD  VERY WELL BE CONNECTED 
 
TO  THE  IRAQI BIOLOGICAL


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WARFARE BW PROGRAM.

2.      THE AEROSOL  GENERATORS ARE OF SUCH--SIZE TO FIT ON THE

BACK  OF A  PICKUP  TRUCK  OR  A SMALL ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE, A 
SMALL 
BOAT, OR SMALL   AIRCRAFT.   THESE UNITS WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR THE 

DISPERSAL  OF BW AGENTS IN EITHER LIQUID  OR  DRY  FORM.  THE 

ABILITY  TO  DISPENSE SIMULTANEOUSLY TWO BW AGENTS AT THE SAME 

TIME.  SUCH UNITS, HOWEVER, WOULD THEMSELVES BECOME HEAVILY 
CONTAMINATED DURING USE AND WOULD REQUIRE DECONTAMINATION TO 
RENDER THEM SAFE.  PERSONNEL OPERATING SUCH UNITS WOULD AT A 
MINIMUM NEED TO WEAR A PROTECTIVE OVERGARMENT A CHEMICAL AND 
BIOLOGICAL WARFARE MASK, AND UNDERGO THOROUGH DECONTAMINATION 
AFTER DISPENSING THE AGENT(S) . DECONTAMINATION OF THE AEROSOL 
GENERATORS AND TRANSPORT VEHICLES WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO ACCUR NEAR 
THE AREA OF OPERATION AT REMOTE LOCATIONS SO AS TO MININIZE 
INCIDENTAL CONTAMINATION OF IRAQI FORCES.
3.  THE IRAQIS HAVE TWO CONFIRMED BW AGENTS--ANTHRAX AND BOTULINUM 
TOXIN.  ANTHRAX CAN BE4 DISSEMINATED BY AEROSOL GENRATORS EITHER 
AS A FREEZE-DRIED POWDER OR AS A LIQUID SUSPENSION.  THEORETICALLY 
BOTULINIUM TOXIN CAN BE DISPENSED AS EITHER A FREZE-DRIED POWDER, 
PROBABLY IN COMBINATION WITH A FILLER, OR AS A LIQUID.  THE MORE 
LIKELY OF THE TWO CHOICES FOR BOTULINUM TOXIN IS DISSEMINATION AS 
A POWDER.  POWDERS ARE EASILY MIXED WITH FILLERS, POSE A 
CONSIDERABLY GREATER THREAT THROUGH INHALATION, AND ARE BETTER 
ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE SHEAR FORCES EXPERIENCED WHEN DISSEMINATED 
THROUGH NOZZLES WITH A RELATIVELY SMALL ORIFICE.