File: 970409_cia_95968_95968_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1

Subject: SUBJ: WORKING PAPER MENTIONING POSSIBLE CW EXPOSURE, 1992
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.



1. REQUEST DETAILS PERTAINING TO COALITION GROUND FORCE ACTIVTIES
AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:

AN NASIRIYAH DEPOT SOUTHWEST (3057N04611E)
TALL AL LAHM STORAGE AREA (3047N04627E) (AKA KHAMISIYAH
STORAGE AREA)
KHAMISIYAH CW STORAGE SITE (3044N04625E)

PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION ON WHO WAS THERE (WHAT UNIT(S); WHEN
WERE THEY THERE; HOW LONG DID THEY STAY; WHAT ACTIONS WERE TAKEN
(I.E., DID THEY COLLECT AND EXPLOSIVELY DESTROY ANY MUNITIONS? IF
SO, WHERE, WHEN, DETAILS? DID THEY PLACE CHARGES IN/AROUND STORAGE
BUNKERS AND DETONATE THEM?); ETC

2. JUSTIFICATION. THE IRAQIS TOLD UNSC0M 29, AS THEY HAD TOLD
UNSCOM 20, THAT THE DESTRUCTION AT KHAMISIYAH STORAGE AREA AND AT
THE KHAMISIYAH CW STORAGE SITE HAD BEEN CAUSED BY COALITION FORCES
WHO HAD OCCUPIED THE AREA          UNSCOM 20          
CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS PROBABLE THAT THE IRAQIS HAD GATHERED
THE ROCKETS HERE AND ATTEMPTED TO DESTROY THEM THEMSELVES          
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO CONFIRM OR REFUTE THE 
IRAQI CLAIM WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ASSIST THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY'S
EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY IRAQ'S CW STORES.

3. BACKGROUND:

A. IN ITS DECLARATION TO THE U.N. ON CHEMICAL WEAPONS HOLDINGS,
IRAQ DECLARED THAT CHEMICAL MUNITIONS WERE STORED AT KHAMISIYAH,
NEAR AN-NASIRIYAH. THE SPECIFIC LOCATION WAS NOT GIVEN. THE U.S.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED AN-NASIRIYAH DEPOT SOUTHWEST AS
THE PROBABLE FACILITY TO WHICH IRAQ REFERRED.

B. UNSC0M 17 VISITED KHAMISIYAH ON 24 OCT 91 AT THE REQUEST OF
UNSCOM NEW YORK TO CHECK ON REPORTED MOVEMENT OF MUNITIONS THAT
WERE TAKING PLACE. UNSCOM 17 REPORTED THAT THE IRAQIS ADMITTED
MOVING UP TO 20 TRUCKS PER DAY OF RECOVERABLE CONVENTIONAL
MUNITIONS FROM THE DAMAGED STORAGE BUNKERS AT KHAMISIYAH.
ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE UNSCOM 17 PERSONNEL WHO VISITED KHAMISIYAH,
THE REPORT DID NOT STATE, HOWEVER, THAT THE SENIOR IRAQI MINISTRY
OF DEFENSE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD UNSCOM 17 THAT CW MUNITIONS WERE
STORED OUTSIDE THE KHAMISIYAH STORAGE AREA PROPER. UNSCOM 17 DID
NOT INSPECT THE AREA BUT DID REPORT THAT LEAKING CHEMICAL AGENT WAS
NOTICEABLE.

C. UNSCOM 20 VISITED THE KHAMISIYAH STORAGE SITE ON 26 AND 27 OCT
91. THEY STATED THAT BINARY SARIN-FILLED 122MM ROCKETS ALONG WITH
THEIR ASSOCIATED WOODEN CRATES, APPARENTLY SALVAGED FROM WHAT THE
IRAQIS REFERRED TO AS WAREHOUSE 73 AT THE KHAMISIYAH STORAGE AREA,
HAD BEEN PLACED IN FOUR PILES IN A LARGE PIT OUTSIDE THE KHAMISIYAH
STORAGE AREA PROPER; I.E., AT KHAMISIYAH CW STORAGE SITE.
(WAREHOUSE, OR BUNKER, 73 IS LOCATED ABOUT 3 KM FROM THE
HEADQUARTERS BUILDING AT KHAMISIYAH STORAGE AREA. IT IS A STANDARD
AMMUNITION BUNKER OF SURFACE CONSTRUCTION WITH EARTHEN BLAST
PROTECTION ON THE SIDES. IT IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.) NO MARKINGS
TO IDENTIFY THE ROCKETS AS CHEMICAL MUNITIONS WERE NOTED. THE
WOODEN BOXES APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN PILED UP WITH EXPLOSIVES
UNDERNEATH AND BLOWN TO PIECES. THERE WERE REMAINS OF VARIOUS
OTHER CONVENTIONAL ROCKETS AND OTHER MILITARY-TYPE LITTER IN THE
PIT          EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH U.S.
MILITARTY DEMOLITIONS WAS DISCOVERED.

D. UNSCOM 29 SPENT THE PERIOD 23 FEB - 22 MAR 92 AT KHAMISIYAH CW
STORAGE SITE, DESTROYING THE 122MM BINARY SARIN-FILLED ROCKETS.
THEY FOUND ADDITIONAL ROCKETS STREWN AROUND THE SITE AND BURIED IN
THE SAND BANKS BETWEEN THE SITE AND THE CANAL TO ITS SOUTH.

4. COMMENTS. THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT COALITION.
(U.S.) GROUND FORCES DESTROYED BUNKERS OR PILES OF MUNITIONS
CONTAINING BINARY SARIN-FILLED ROCKETS, WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THE
CHEMICAL ROUNDS WERE PRESENT. RESEARCH TO RESPOND TO UNSCOM'S
QUERY SHOULD ALSO REVEAL IF ANY SUCH EXPOSURE ACTUALLY OCCURRED.
(s)


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