Biological Warfare (BY) Association of Abu Ghurayb~

Filename:066bk.91d
  6 Feb 91

                                POSITION PAPER

Subject: Biological Warfare (BY) Association of Abu Ghurayb~
             "Infant Formula  Plant

l.        Purpose.    To provide the DIA position on the functio'n 
of the Abu Ghurayb 1Infant Formula1 Plant.

2.   Discussion.

     a.            This plant has been carried as a suspect 
facility.  It is not a confirmed BW plant.   DIA does, however, 
have evidence  of its BW connections.   [      (b)(1) sec 
1.3(a)(4)    ] completed in 1982.   It has never been used to 
produce infant formula, but has been maintained in mint condition.

     b.            The plant has several features that do not 
belong in a baby formula production plant.   Security is very  
tight  ---  the facility is surrounded by barbed wire and guard 
towers.   In December 1990,   when war looked imminent,  the 
Iraqis began to camouflage the plant.   If it was merely a baby 
formula plant,  they could have made it obviously civilian, and 
DIA's judgment about the facility might have been different.

     c.              The equipment in the plant reportedly 
included
fifteen fermentors and high efficiency particulate filters.
Fermentors are for growing microorganisms and not producing infant
formula.   High efficiency particulate filters are associated with
the containment of highly infectious microorganisms.   The 
recently
destroyed high containment BW facility at Salman Pak, for example,
also had these types of filters installed.

3.            The overall assessment on this plant is that it was
correctly identified as a suspect BW facility.   Iraq may have
intended it to be a backup plant for their agent production
program.   To that end,  they took good care of it, but apparently
never used it as an infant formula plant.   [      (b)(1) sec 
1.3(a)(4)    ]

4.   (U)       [b.2]

Prepared by:  [b.6]