[ (b)(2) ] CHEMICAL WARFARE ACTIVITY IN KUWAIT (U)

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[   (b)(2)   ] CHEMICAL WARFARE ACTIVITY IN KUWAIT (U)

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[   (b)(2)   ]

  02  SEPT 1335      [   (b)(6)   ]

SUBJ:  [   (b)(2)   ] CHEMICAL WARFARE ACTIVITY IN KUWAIT (U)

       [   (b)(2)   ]

1.           THE FOLLOWING IRAQI CHEMICAL WARFARE RELATED ACTIVITY 
 HAS BEEN REPORTED IN KUWAIT OR SOUTHERN IRAQ:

    A.              AUG, THE IRAQIS REPORTEDLY MOVED CHEMICAL 
MUNITIONS INTO KUWAIT.  AT THAT TIME, THE MUNITIONS WERE SAID TO 
BE READY FOR USE.  THIS INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED.

    B.            POSSIBLE CW ACTIVITY WAS NOTED   [   (b)(1) sec 
1.3(a)(4)   ] AT THE SUSPECT "S"-SHAPED CW STORAGE BUNKER AT 
TALLIL AIRFIELD AND IS SIMILAR TO THE TYPE OF ACTIVITY NOTED AT 
THIS AIRFIELD DURING THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR PRIOR TO CHEMICAL USE.  
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT IN EARLY AUGUST OF THE 
ACTIVATION OF A CHEMICAL UNIT IN THE BASRAH AREA WHICH IS NEAR 
SHUAYBAH.
       AUGUST 1990, [   (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)   ] ONE, AND POSSIBLY 
TWO, STAKE BED TRUCKS AT ONE OF TWO SUSPECT "S"-SHAPED CW STORAGE 
BUNKERS AT UBAYDAH BIN AL JAHRH AIRFIELD IN IRAQ.  AGAIN, THIS 
TYPE OF ACTIVITY IS SIMILAR TO, BUT NOT ON THE SCALE, SEEN DURING 
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR PRIOR TO MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE 
DURING WHICH CHEMICALS WERE NOT USED.  APPARENTLY THE IRAQIS WERE 
PREPARED
TO USE CHEMICALS DURING THE LATER STAGES OF THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR, IF 
DEEMED NECESSARY, BUT DID NOT ALWAYS SEE THE NEED TO USE THEM.

   C.              AUG, EIGHT LARGE STORAGE TANKS WERE NOTED   [  
 (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)   ] SE KUWAIT.  THE TANKS WERE SIMILAR IN 
SIZE AND CONFIGURATION TO TANKS "THAT HAD BEEN SEEN AT THE SUSPECT 
CHEMICAL FACILITY AT HABBANIYAH I [   (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)   ] 
AUGUST 1990. THE TANKS HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AS POSSIBLE STORAGE 
TANKS FOR DECONTAMINANT SOLUTION.  DECONTAMINANTS WOULD BE NEEDED 
TO CLEAN UP CW AGENT IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS, LEAKY MUNITIONS, AND/OR 
IF THE IRAQIS ANTICIPATED THE NEED FOR DECON FOR DEFENSIVE 
PURPOSES.  THE 130 MM ARTILLERY BATTERY TO WHICH THE STORAGE TANKS 
WERE SENT WAS COVERING PART OF KUWAIT'S BEACH AREA.
   
D.                  [   (b)(1) sec 1.3(a)(4)   ]  A CHEMICAL
DEFENSE COMPANY WAS IDENTIFIED AT 30-44-49N 047-44-24E IN A 
DEPLOYMENT AREA NEAR AL BASRAH.  THE CW DEFENSE UNIT CONSISTED OF 
FOUR DDA-66 AUTOCLAVES, FIVE ARS-12 DECONTAMINATION TRUCKS, ONE 
PROBABLE TMS-65 DECONTAMINATION VEHICLE, AND THREE UNIDENTIFIED 
TRUCKS.  THIS CW DEFENSE UNIT HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE AT LEAST 21
AUGUST 90, AND IS PROBABLY SUBORDINATE TO THE SAME DIVISION AS THE 
MECHANIZED BRIGADE WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS LOCATED IN THE VICINITY 
OF 3O-44-20N 047-46-O8E. THESE DECONTAMINATION VEHICLES ARE 
STANDARD SOVIET EQUIPMENT FOR CW DECON OPERATIONS.  THE PRESENCE 
OF THE TMS-65, IF CONFIRMED, WOULD BE OF PARTICULAR NOTE SINCE THE 
TMS-65 IS USED FOR THE DECONTAMINATION OF LARGE VEHICLES SUCH AS
TANKS.

2.            THE KUWAITI ARMED FORCES DID NOT HAVE ANY OFFENSIVE 
CW CAPABILITY, PRIOR TO THE INVASION, AND CONSEQUENTLY NO 
SPECIALIZED CW STORAGE FACILITIES EXIST IN KUWAIT.  THE KUWAITIS  
UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE REFRIGERATED OR COOLED STORAGE FACILITIES USED 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES THAT COULD BE ADAPTED FOR CW MUNITIONS STORAGE. 
 IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IRAQI CHEMICAL MUNITIONS HAVE A LIMITED 
SHELF
LIFE OF PERHAPS THREE-FIVE WEEKS, DEPENDING ON STORAGE CONDITIONS, 
DUE TO IMPURITIES ACQUIRED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.  AS A 
GENERAL RULE, THE HIGHER THE TEMPERATURE, THE FASTER THE CW AGENTS 
WILL DETERIORATE.  INTERESTINGLY, THERE HAS BEEN ACTIVITY IN LATE 
AUGUST, AT WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE A CW AGENT DESTRUCTION PLANT AT 
THE SAMARRA CHEMICAL WARFARE FACILITY.  THIS MAY INDICATE THAT 
SOME CW AGENT IN BULK OR IN MUNITIONS HAS ALREADY DETERIORATED AND
MUST BE DESTROYED TO MAKE ROOM FOR FRESH AGENT.  IF THIS ACTIVITY 
AT THE DESTRUCTION PLANT CONTINUES, AND AN APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF 
CW AGENT NEEDS REPLACING, WE SHOULD AGAIN SEE ACTIVITY AT THE 
PRODUCTION BUILDING AND BUNKERS WHICH HAVE APPEARED INACTIVE SINCE 
LATE JULY.  BINARY CW MUNITIONS, HOWEVER, WOULD HAVE A VERY LONG 
SHELF LIFE SINCE THE PRECURSOR CHEMICALS (WHICH ARE STABLE) MIX TO 
FORM CW AGENT WHILE IN FLIGHT.

3.  (U)  [   (b)(6)   ]