Chemical Warfare in Iran/Iraq and Gulf War Special Guest: Lieutenant Colonel Gary Sargent History Overview History of Iran/Iraq and Gulf Wars Rise of Saddam In 1968, Saddam participated in a bloodless coup led by Ahmad Hassan al-bakr that overthrew Abdul Rahman Arif, the former President Al-Bakr was named president and Saddam was named his deputy, and deputy chairman of the Baathist Revolutionary Command Council By 1969 Saddam Hussein clearly had become the moving force behind the Ba ath party Saddam Exercises His Power In the late 1960 s and early 1970 s Saddam raised support for the Ba ath party, and strengthened Iraq s economy through oil In 1976 Saddam rose to the position of general in the Iraqi armed forces On July 16 th, 1979 Saddam forced the ailing al-bakr to resign and formally became the president or Iraq
Iran/Iraq Confrontations Conflicts originated centuries earlier (as far back as 2650 BC) between Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and the rugged highlands to the east (modern Iran) over the sovereignty of Khuzestan In 1969, the deputy prime minister of Iraq openly declared: "Iraq's dispute with Iran is in connection with Arabistan (Khuzestan) which is part of Iraq's soil and was annexed to Iran during foreign rule." Iran and Iraq remained in a constant state of tension until on September 22, 1980, Saddam ordered the invasion of Iran Objectives of the Iraqi Invasion Acquisition of the Arvandrud/Shatt al-arab waterway as part of Iraqi territory (Iraq's only port connection to The Persian Gulf). Acquisition of the three islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, on the unilateral behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Annexing Khuzestan as part of Iraqi territory. Arvandrud/Shatt al-arab Waterway Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs
Khuzestan Saddam s Acquisition of Chemical Weapons Chemical Precursors (largest contributors): Singapore 4,515 tons Netherlands 4,261 tons Egypt 2,400 tons India 2,343 tons Federal Republic of Germany 1,027 tons Production Equipment 340 separate pieces obtained from Germany, France, Spain and Austria Chemical Weapon Munitions (largest contributers): Italy 75,000 munitions Spain 57,500 munitions China 45,000 munitions Egypt 28,500 munitions Saddam s Acquisition of Biological Weapons Saddam was allegedly able to procure 17 separate agents from the United States and France (among others) in the 1980 s The microorganisms exported by the United States were identical to those the UN inspectors found and recovered from the Iraqi biological warfare program United States Support of Iraq During Iran/Iraq War Based off the economic standpoint of insuring the future oil supply of the United States, the government felt it necessary to intervene After the Iranian revolution, animosity between Iran and the U.S. ran high. Stewed by the Iranian Hostage Crisis it was concluded that Saddam was the Lesser of Two Evils
U.S. Exports to Iraq 70 separate shipments of biological agents including anthrax and West Nile Virus Military intelligence, including satellite intelligence for bombing raids Dual use technology equipment able to be used for both civilian and military use, mostly in the form of light trucks and helicopters Economic aid End of Iran/Iraq War Although one of the gravest wars of attrition of the 20 th century, and despite numerous ceasefires, the Iran/Iraq war finally ended on August 20 th, 1988 Outcomes for Iran: 1 million Iranian casualties 350 billion dollar cost Stalled economic development Loss of oil industry and oil exports (Iran has still yet to recover) Outcomes for Iraq: Left in serious debt, including $14 billion to Kuwait War left borders unchanged Oil industry and oil exports damaged Saddam had to recognize Iranian rights over the eastern half of the Shatt al-arab Post Iran/Iraq War Animosities Iraq was left in huge debt to the west and neighboring Arab countries Kuwait had loaned $14 billion to Iraq and would not forgive the debt at Saddam s behest that he fought the war for the Arab people and that everyone should have to contribute for the greater good Iraq believed Kuwait to be slant-drilling into Iraqi oil supplies Invasion of Kuwait Iraq invades Kuwait on August 2 nd, 1990 Saddam believed he was justified based on the illegal slant-drilling that was occuring along the Iraqi-Kuwait border Saddam also saw the opportunity to relieve a $14 billion debt
Coalition Consisted of 34 countries: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Honduras, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States Assembled by the United States in order to follow through with Resolution 678, passed on November 29, 1990 by the UN and the Arab League, giving Iraq a withdrawal deadline of January 15, 1991, and authorizing all necessary means to uphold and implement Resolution 660, a diplomatic formulation authorizing the use of force. On January 12, 1991, the United States Congress authorized the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait End of Gulf War The Gulf War ended on March 1, 1991 with Saddam Hussein still in power Iraqi casualties were estimated to be approximately 100,000 killed and 300,000 wounded Coalition casualties were estimated to be 378 killed, and less than 1000 wounded As of the year 2000, coalition casualties have been re-estimated to be about 183,000 U.S. casualties due to their suffering from an array of serious symptoms whose causes are not fully understood CW Beginnings Saddam s Chemical Weapons Arsenal Mid-1960s: Established Chemical Corps tasked with the nuclear, biological and chemical protection of Iraqi troops and civilians Mid 1970s: Corps develops laboratory-scale facility that later synthesizes chemical warfare agents -- Muthanna State Establishment Main Components of Arsenal: CS, Mustard, Tabun, Sarin, Cyclosarin Logistics of Deployment Special chemical troops Delivery by aerial bombs, artillery clusters
CW Arsenal: CS gas Birthdate:1928 Claim to Fame: Riot-control agent Effects: Irritation of eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Iraqi Research: Began in late 1970s Iraqi Production: Not Available Iraqi Use: At beginning of war with Iranians, when tide turned (1982). CW Arsenal: Mustard (HD) Birthdate:1860, Frederick Guthrie Claim to Fame: First used in WWI Effects: Vesicant (Blister Agent) Iraqi Research: Began in 1970s Iraqi Production: Approx. 2900 tons Iraqi Use: Easier to handle than nerve agents, extensive use throughout Iran-Iraq war. CW Arsenal: Tabun (GA) Birthdate: 1936 by the German Dr. Schrader Claim to Fame: First nerve agent developed Effects: Blocks Acetylcholinesterase Death by Asphyxiation. Iraqi Research: Began in 1984 Iraqi Production: Approx. 210 tons Iraqi Use: Limited due to stability, purity issues CW Arsenal: Sarin (GB) Birth date:1938, Germany Claim to Fame: Evaporates 36xs faster than tabun Effects: Blocks Acetylcholinesterase Death by Asphyxiation. Iraqi Research: 1980s Iraqi Production: About 800 tons Iraqi Use: Extensive, successful use in 88
CW: Cyclosarin (GF) Birth date: WWII by Germans Claim to Fame: Colorless, persistent liquid Effects: Blocks Acetylcholinesterase Death by Asphyxiation. Iraqi Use: Only country to use large amounts ( 86-88) as a mixture with sarin. CW Arsenal: VX Birth date: 1950s, Porton Down, UK Claim to Fame: 10x toxicity of Sarin (Gseries), persistent agent, adsorb thru skin Effects: Blocks Acetylcholinesterase Death by Asphyxiation. Iraqi Research: Late 1987 Late 1988 Iraqi Production: Claim 3.9 tons Iraqi Use: Reportedly never used Uses: Iran-Iraq War Between 1983-1988 Iraq used CW on largest scale since WW1 Three Phases of Use: Phase 1: (Aug, 1983-1986) CW deployed to halt Iranian offensives- first employed mustard gas, then shifted to both mustard and nerve agents. Phase 2: (late 1986-early 1988), preemptive use of CW against staging areas before Iranian offensives and during Iranian offensives. Phase 3: (late 1988) massed nerve gas attacks as part of Iraqi offensives Uses: The Kurds First use in May, 1987, to prevent 20 Kurdish villages from collaborating with Iranians Halabja March,1988: Motive: Prevent Kurds from aiding Iranians during an Iranian offensive. Gas Dropped in 100 L containers relased a visable cloud 5 K dead, 10K injured Combination of Cyanogen Chloride, mustard, and nerve agent International Condemnation
Improving the Arsenal 1984 nerve gas fatalities were 20% 1986 Nerve gas fatalities up to 60% CW use allegedly account for 10% of Iranian casualties (500K-600K total) The Binary Weapon Higher purity and stability for Sarin Wider definition of binary weapon - includes storing alcohol in nerve gas bombs and manually adding and stirring in another precursor Why Did Saddam Employ CW? The Iranian army, though initially illequipped, was larger To demoralize his opponents To terrorize the Kurds from assisting Iran International Backlash 1982-1983: Muted response to Iranian outcry 1984: UN report on CW use Ban of sale of precursor chemicals to Iraq 1985: Australian Group forms to address issue March, 1988: Severe International criticism 1991: Creation of UNSCOM 1997: CWC treaty ratified Disarmament UN Special Commission (UNSCOM)- Insure compliance to Terms set forth in Resolution 687. Hydrolysis Unit and Incinerator built for CW destruction. 91-97 (Under UNSCOM supervision): 38,000 filled and unfilled chemical munitions 690 tons of chemical warfare agents 3,000 tons of precursor chemicals 400 pieces of production equipment
Inspiration for Rogue States N. Korea s response to Gulf war was to increase CW production and capability, with CW becoming a part of its war strategy. Also, Syria reportedly was developing missile warheads for delivering Sarin and VX Biological Weapons - Iraq How Acquired Timeline of events US Assistance Possible Uses? International Responses Iraq s BW Program (1973-~1991) 1974-1979: Al-Hazen: First dedicated BW facility botulinum toxin, anthrax spores, Shigella, and cholera - as well as viruses Program slowed down in 1979 until its resurrection in 1985 Iraq also began research into wheat smut at Al- Salman in 1984 and continued throughout the 1980s Al-Muthanna (1985-1987) General Nizar Attar - Director of Al Muthanna Request BW funding for facility in 83 Plan achieve weaponization within 5 years Dr. Rihab Taha - senior Iraqi biologist Iraq claims research restricted to botulinum toxin and anthrax spores Clostridium perfringens (gas gangrene) found
Al-Salman's Technical Research Center anthrax spores and botulinum toxin, including research into pilot scale production and storage. mycotoxins in 1987/88 and viruses and genetic engineering in 1990 virus studies at Al Salman focused on camelpox, infectious hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and rotavirus. Al Hakam Produced biological agents 19,000 liters of botulinum toxin 8,500 liters of anthrax hundreds of liters of gas gangrene before the first Gulf war Iraq began field testing in late 1987 or early 1988 The End Product: 1989-1991 By, both botulinum toxin and anthrax were being produced on an industrial scale. field testing of aerial bombs, rockets and other munitions, the expansion of research and agent production Weaponized biological agents - 1991 Al Hussein missile warheads, R-400 aerial bombs, aircraft drop tanks, pilotless aircraft, helicopter-borne spraying systems 122 mm rockets, LD-250 aerial bombs, and fragmentation weapons Germ or Virus Aflatoxin Anthrax - inhalation (pulmonary) Anthrax - cutaneous Anthrax - intestinal Botulinum toxin Cholera Clostridium perfringens (gas gangrene) Mycotoxins Effects Liver cancer Gradual onset of flu-like symptoms, followed in 2-3 days by severe respiratory distress; uncontrollable bleeding Lesions, achiness, fever, and nausea Nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea Weakness, dizziness and disinterest, trouble with motor functions affecting vision and swallowing; extremities and respiratory muscles become progressively weaker; abrupt respiratory failure Diarrhea, dehydration Acute lung distress, leaking blood vessels, breakdown of the red blood cells or platelets (which enable the blood to clot), and liver damage Attack the cells of bone marrow, skin, and the G-I tract, block blood clotting Lethality Long-term only Death usually within 24-36 hours; if not treated until symptoms appear, almost always fatal Treatable with antibiotics; only fatal to about 20% of untreated victims 25-60% of those infected will die 80% of victims die within 1-3 days Limited lethality Can be fatal, though early antibiotic treatment is effective if done before toxins accumulate in the body Only about 35 milligrams (aerosol) kills an average man, but considered only moderately lethal Amount produced More than 2,000 liters Iraq declared 8445 liters; inspectors determined that at least three times this much could have been made - - Almost 20,000 liters Up to 5,000 liters possible, though far less declared by Iraq Weaponization efforts Loaded into missile warheads and R-400 bombs Loaded into missile warheads and R-400 bombs; developed drop tanks, and the "Zubaidy Device" for helicopter dissemination - - Loaded into missile warheads and R-400 bombs Iraq declared none was weaponized
One goal was to make an Ricin Shigella Wheat-cover smut Camelpox Enterovirus 70 Infectious hemorrhagic conjuncitivitis Rotavirus Smallpox Flu-like symptoms, then shock and cardiovascular collapse, and finally quick, extreme lung failure Diarrhea; in rare cases a rash, generalized sepsis and death No effect to humans Fever and skin rash in camels Flu, colds, or pneumonia Attacks the eyes, causing a loss of sight and in some cases bleeding Diarrhea, dehydration Flu-like symptoms, then a rash Highly lethal - only about 10 millionths of a gram need to be inhaled Not usually fatal Fatal to the wheat plant Rarely infects humans Not fatal Not fatal Limited lethality Kills about 1/3 of unvaccinated victims, but the vaccine is highly effective 10 liters declared by Iraq Iraq declared amounts made were "Not quantifiable" None - all used in field trials, according to Iraq Anthrax U.S. Assistance The American Type Culture Collection, a biological samples repository in Manassas, Va., sent two shipments of anthrax to Iraq in the 1980s. Three anthrax strains were in a May 1986 shipment sent to the University of Baghdad, which U.N. inspectors later linked to Iraq's biological weapons program. A 1988 shipment from ATCC to Iraq also included four anthrax strains. Botulinum ATCC sent six strains of Clostridium botulinum to the University of Baghdad in the May 1986 shipment. The September 1988 ATCC shipment to Iraq also contained one strain of Clostridium botulinum. In March 1986, the CDC sent samples of botulinum toxin and botulinum toxiod (used to make a vaccine against botulinum poisoning) directly to Iraq's al-muthanna complex, a center for Iraq's chemical weapons program and the site where Iraq restarted its dormant biological weapons program in 1985. Gas Gangrene ATCC sent three strains of Clostridium perfringens to the University of Baghdad in the May 1986 shipment and another three strains in the 1988 shipment. Genetic Engineering Can create strains that are more stable during dissemination and less susceptible to standard treatments NA NA antibiotic-resistant strain of anthrax Mobile BW Facilities 2002 - Intelligence Community stated: "Baghdad has transportable facilities for producing bacterial and toxin BW agents and may have other mobile units for researching and filling agent into munitions or containers, according to multiple sources. Iraq has pursued mobile BW production options, largely to protect its BW capability from detection, according to a credible source." Other reports have suggested that the suspected trailers were used for weather balloons Iraqi Survey Group, in its final report, reported that though it could not disprove the existence of Iraqi transportable fermentation systems that could have been used for BW, but it had not uncovered any evidence to suggest that there such systems did exist. the two mobile trailers that recovered near Irbil and Mosul in 2003 were examined by the ISG team and determined to be unlikely for BW ISG judged that the facilities were instead intended for use as hydrogen generators for Republican Guard artillery units for use with radio-sonde balloons
Possible Uses Iraq also admitted that it deployed germ weapons between January and July 1991. Numbers and Locations unknown s include the whereabouts of enough unaccounted for growth media to produce three to four times the amount of anthrax Iraq admitted having made, the whereabouts of the warheads Iraq admitted to having filled with anthrax, and the whereabouts of much of the equipment Iraq used to make germ weapons. some observers concluded that Iraq's biological weapon capability still existed and was an active threat prior to the second Gulf War. meetings reported (and disputed) between al Qaeda and Iraqi agents US Anthrax attacks were of a different strain and no connection between the two groups with regards to the US has been proven. International Response U.N. Security Council Resolution 687 declares that Iraq shall accept unconditionally, under international supervision, the "destruction, removal or rendering harmless" of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles with a range over 150 kilometers. Requires Iraq to make a declaration, within 15 days, of the location, amounts, and types of all such items. Iraq is not entirely cooperative: Fire warning shots at UNSCOM inspectors, Iraqi officials confiscate documents seized by inspectors, and they stop other teams from inspections, create no fly zones. Also release 5 different reports regarding their BW capabilities UNSCOM supervises the destruction of Al-Hakam Biological Weapons Conclusions: UN inspectors were certain that Iraq did not account for all the biological agents that it made before the first Gulf War Gulf War Syndrome
Background GFS or GFI is a broad category of ailments 30% of the 700,000 service men and women have registered in the Gulf War Illness database The exact causes are unknown Depleted Uranium Anthrax Vaccines Infectious Diseases from Parasites Chemical Weapons- Nerve and Mustard Possible Causes Symptoms Symptom U.S. Statistics UK Australia Denmark Chronic Fatigue Loss of Muscle Control Migraines Fatigue Headache Memory Problems 23% 17% 32% 23% 18% 28% 10% 7% 12% 16% 13% 23% Memory Problems Joint/Muscle Pain Skin disorders Indigestion Muscle Joint Pain Diarrhea Indigestion Skin Ailments 18% 16% 12% 16% 17% NA NA NA 5% 9% 5% 8% NA 13% 9% 12%
Anthrax Vaccine 41% of U.S. combat soldiers and 57-75% of UK soldiers were vaccinate against anthrax Very painful injection, symptoms for next two weeks very similar to Gulf War Syndrome Contaminated vaccines contain high levels of Squalene antibodies. Pyriostigmine Bromide Used to treat exposure to Soman Given to 250,000 of the 700,000 troops Of the $133 million used to research Gulf War Syndrome, $20 million was given to specifically study the drug This drug and Botulinum-Toxoid were not approved by the FDA, and given to soldiers without consent. Chemical Weapons Coalition bombing of chemical facilities caused widespread low-dose exposure to troops Exposure also came from Iraqi attacks via missiles, rockets and artillery Low level exposure can include: watery eyes, runny nose, tightness of chest, muscle twitching, sweating, and headache Khamisiyah Pit Sarin and Cyclosarin plant that was first demolished because of close proximity to coalition troops Approximately 79,000 total coalition troops were exposed to low doses of sarin and cyclosarin Model of missile demolition set up at Edgewood Arsenal
Lieutenant Colonel Gary Sargent
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