[b.2]









[b.2]







SECTION 1 OF 2 

 

/*********** THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE ************/ 



SUBJECT: INTELLIGENCE INFOMATION REPORT POSSIBLE BIOLOGICAL

WARFARE CAPABILITY



     

1.  (U)  COUNTRY:  IRAQ 

2.  (U)  DOI:  241030C MAR 91 THROUGH 081700C APR 91 

[b.2]

4.  (U)  DOA:  18 APR 91 

5.       



     [b.1.  sec 1.5. (c)]

 

6.       SUMMARY:  IRAQ IS BELIEVED TO HAVE STOCKPILED EXTENSIVE 

QUANTITIES OF "CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM" AND "BACILLUS ANTHRACIS" 

VACCINES INDICATING A PREPAREDNESS TO PROTECT ITS MILITARY FROM 

THE EFFECTS OF THESE DISEASES SHOULD THE COUNTRY ENGAGE IN 

BIOLOGICAL WARFARE.  [b.1.  sec. 1.5.(c)]



  ALSO, SOME PROBABLE IRAQI SECRET SERVICE 

OR SECRET POLICE AGENTS ARE BELIEVED TO BE OPERATING IN THE TOWN 

OF AS SALMAN, SOME PROBABLY POSING AS DOCTORS AND PHARMACY 

ASSISTANTS. 

7.  (U)  TEXT: 

A.  [b.1.  sec 1.5. (c)]                



 SOURCE TRAVELLED INTO THE 

TOWN OF AS SALMAN, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 18 MILES DUE SOUTH OF THE 

AIRBASE.  THE FRENCH MILITARY WERE STILL OCCUPYING THE TOWN AND 

WERE THE PRIMARY OCCUPATION FORCE AT THE TIME BUT WERE PREPARING

TO



DEPART AND TURN OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWN TO THE US THE 

NEXT DAY.  DURING THIS TRIP TO THE TOWN, SOURCE, [b.1. sec 1.5.(c)]

MADE IT A POINT TO VISIT THE TOWN'S MEDICAL CLINIC TO ASSESS

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS.  THE CLINIC HAD BEEN USED PREVIOUSLY (I.E.)

PRIOR TO THE OCCUPATION BY COALITION FORCES) BY THE IRAQUIS TO

TREAT THEIR TOWNSPEOPLE ANDIRAQI MILITARY OPERATING IN THE AREA OF

AS SALMAN, INCLUDING THOSE STATIONED AT THE AIRBASE.  AFTER THE

OCCUPATION, COALITION FORCES (THE FRENCH) CONTINUED TO USE THE

FACILITY AS A CLINIC IN WHICH TO TREAT THE LOCAL IRAQI CIVILIANS

(NOT ITS OWN MILITARY).  DURING THIS VISIT SOURCE BRIEFLY WALKED

THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE CLINIC AND SAW MEDICAL MATERIALS,

BANDAGES,

NEEDLES, MEDICATION, ETC. BUT OF MOST INTEREST WERE LARGE NUMBERS 

OF IRAQI GAS MASKS, DECONTAMINATION KITS (CONTAINING AMPULES, 

NEEDLES, GAUZE, ETC.), AND MOST DISTRESSING WAS THE PRESENCE OF 

LARGE QUANTITIES--SEVERAL HUNDREDS, PERHAPS EVEN IN THE THOUSANDS, 

OF (UNREFRIGERATED) VIALS OF VACCINE LABELLED "CLOSTRIDIUM 

BOTULINUM" AND BACCILLUS ANTHRACIS."  THE LABELS WERE IN ENGLISH 

AND ARABIC.  THE VIALS, EACH OF WHICH IT WAS ESTIMATED CONTAINED 

2 TO 5 MILLILETERS OF VACCINE, WERE STORED IN BOXES, THE INSIDES 

OF WHICH WERE SET UP LIKE EGG CARTONS, TO PROTECT THE VIALS FROM 

BREAKING.  THE MEDICATIONS IN THE PHARMACY WERE OF VARIOUS KINDS 

AND CAME FROM SUCH COUNTRIES AS BULGARIA, SOVIET UNION, UNITED 

KINGDOM, ROMANIA, JORDAN NETHERLANDS, AND BELGIUM.  IN A SEPARATE 

ROOM WAS A REFRIGERATOR THAT CONTAINED A SMALL SUPPLY OF 

"CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI" VACCINE.  IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT DURING 

THE TIME OF THE VISIT THE COALITION AND IRAQI FORCES WERE ENGAGED 

IN CEASE FIRE AND INSIDE THE TOWN WERE MILITARY FORCES FROM AT 

LEAST FRANCE AND THE UNTIED STATES AS WELL AS CIVILIAN 

TOWNSPEOPLE AND BEDOUINS.  THE FRENCH KEPT A TIGHT REIN ON THE 

TOWN AND ALLOWED INTO THE TOWN ONLY THOSE WHO ACTUALLY LIVED 

THERE.  THERE WAS NO CURFEW IN EFFECT.  WHEN THE FRENCH LEFT (THE 

NEXT DAY) THE SITUATION CHANGED AND THE TOWN BECAME FAR MORE

OPEN. 

B.   [b.1.  sec 1.5.(c)]      SOURCE STAYED AT THE AIRFIELD, 

GETTING SETTLED INTO HIS ASSIGNMENT AND HIS QUARTERS.  THE ONLY 

THING OF NOTE WAS THAT  [b.1. sec 1.5.(c)]          , TWO WOUNDED

IRAQI SOLDIERS IN UNIFORM PRESENTED THEMSELVES FOR TREATMENT

INDICATING THAT THERE WERE STILL IRAQI MILITARY IN THE AREA OF AL

SALMAN.  HE DID NOT REPORT WHAT HE HAD SEEN AT THE CLINIC AT THIS

TIME BECAUSE HE WAS NOT SURE OF WHAT HE HAD SEEN AND WANTED TO

CONFIRM WITH OTHER DOCTORS. 

C.  (C) [b.1.  sec 1.5.(c)]    SOURCE RETURNED TO TOWN OF AS SALMAN

ALONG WITH SEVERAL DOCTORS OF 11TH COMBAT AVIATION BDE (CAB) AND

THE 730TH MEDICAL CLEARING COMPANY.  THEY CAME ON A HUMANITARIAN 

ASSISTANCE VISIT BRINGING FOOD, WATER, MEDICINE AND MEDICAL 

MATERIALS TO HELP AT THE CLINIC.  SOURCE IN ADVANCE WARNED THE 

OTHER DOCTORS TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE CASES OF BIOLOGICAL 

AGENT VIALS WHICH AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL, ALL HAD A CHANCE TO SEE. 

AT THE CLINC THEY MET WITH THREE "DOCTORS":  [b.1.  sec 1.5. (c)]

                                            AND NO NAME WAS 

OBTAINED FOR THE THIRD DOCTOR.  THE FIRST DOCTOR SAID HE WAS THE 

ONLY ONE WHO SPOKE REASONABLE ENGLISH AND HE DID ALL THE TALKING. 



[b.1. sec 1.5.(c); b.6.]



A PRIMARY REASON FOR THIS VISIT WAS FOR SOURCE TO POINT OUT THE 

HUGH SUPPLY OF VACCINES TO THE OTHER US DOCTORS AND ALLOW THEM

AN 

OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A JUDGMENT ABOUT THEM.  ALL SAW THE VIALS 

AND LATER CONCLUDED THAT THE ONLY POSSIBLE REASON FOR SUCH A HUGE



SUPPLY OF SUCH VACCINES WAS FOR BIOLOGICAL WARFARE PURPOSES. 

D.       THE NEXT TIME SOURCE VISITED THE CLINIC [b.1. sec.

1.5.(c)]

AGAIN ON A HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE MISSION.  DURING THE INTERIM 

PERIOD HOWEVER, BEGINNING AFTER 25 MARCH (WITH THE DEPARTURE OF 

THE FRENCH) THE TOWN HAD BEEN OPENED UP TO REFUGEES, AND BEDOUINS 

FROM OUTSIDE THE TOWN, AS WELL AS SOME IRAQI MILITARY (AND 

PROBABLY SOME OF HUSSAYN'S SECRET POICE).  DURING SOURCE'S VISIT 

TO THE CLINIC    [b.1. sec 1.5.(c)]    IT WAS NOTED THAT ALL THE 

PHARMACEUTICALS THAT HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE, INCLUDING ALL THE 

 

/****** BEGINNING OF SECTION 002 ******/ 

VIALS OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE VACCINES, THE DECONTAMINATION KITS AND



THE PROTECTIVE MASKS, HAD BEEN REMOVED.  ALSO GONE WERE DOCTORS

#1 

AND #3.  DOCTOR #2 WAS STILL THERE ALONG WITH AN OLDER GENTLEMAN 

WHO WAS IDENTIFIED AS A PHARMACY ASSISTANT (OR PARAPHARMACIST). 

DOCTOR #2, WHOM SOURCE HAD BEEN TOLD BY DOCTOR #1 SPOKE VERY 

LITTLE ENGLISH, GREETED SOURCE AND THE OTHERS WITH HIM, SPEAKING 

EXCELLENT ENGLISH AND, AS WAS CONFIRMED BY SOURCE'S INTERPRETER, 

DOCTOR #2 COULD TRANSLATE EXPERTLY BETWEEN ENGLISH AND ARABIC. 

WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE MISSING 

PHARMACEUTICALS, HE SAID SIMPLY, "THEY HAD ALL BEEN USED".  WHEN 

ASKED ABOUT DOCTORS #1 AND #3, HE SAID "BOTH DECIDED TO MOVE TO 

THE NORTH WHERE THEY COULD MAKE A BETER LIVING."  WHEN QUESTIONED 

ABOUT SIMPLE MEDICAL INFORMATION, HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT RESPOND 

AT ALL INTELLIGENTLY (HE DID NOT EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT 

TETRACYCLINE OR OTHER COMMON DRUGS).  THIS LED SOURCE TO BELIEVE 

THAT DOCTOR #1 PROBABLY WAS A REAL DOCTOR, (BECAUSE DURING THEIR 

EARLIER CONVERSATION HE DID SPEAK VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ON MEDICAL 

ISSUES), BUT ALSO THAT DOCTOR #2 WAS PROBABLY NOT A DOCTOR AT ALL, 

BUT RATHER AN AGENT OF THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, POSSIBLY AN AGENT OF 

THE IRAQI SECRET POLICE.     [b.1. sec 1.5.(c)]   SOURCE RETURNED

TO TOWN WITH 

MORE FOOD, WATER AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES FOR THE CLINIC BUT 

DISCOVERED THAT THE CLINIC WAS TOTALLY CLOSED.  HE LEFT THE 

SUPPLIES WITH THE TOWN'S MAYOR. 

E.     [b.1.  sec 1.5. (c)] SOURCE RETURNED TO THE CLINIC, AGAIN

BRINGING 

MORE SUPPLIES.  THIS TIME NO DOCTORS WERE THERE AND NEITHER WAS THE



MORE ELDERLY PARAPHARMACIST, ONLY SOMEONE ELSE, A YOUNGER

PERSON, 

WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF ALSO AS A PARAPHARMACIST (I.E. HE WAS 

DIFFERENT FROM THE PARAPHARMACIST WHO HAD BEEN THERE              

[b.1. sec 1.5. (c)] 

ASKED WHERE ALL THE DOCTORS WERE, SOURCE WAS TOLD - ALL HAD GONE 

NORTH TO WHERE BUSINESS IS BETTER.  WHEN SOURCE ATTEMPTED TO VIEW 

THE PHARMACY AREAS AND THE ROOM WHERE THE VIALS OF BW VACCINE

HAD 

BEEN STORED, THE PARAPHARMACIST PHYSICALLY ATTEMPTED TO PREVENT 

SOURCE FROM LOOKING AND TOLD SOURCE THAT THERE IS NOTHING OF 

IMPORTANCE TO BE LOOKING FOR IN THE ROOM. 

F.     [b.1. sec 1.5. (c)]  SOURCE AGAIN WENT TO TOWN AND VISITED

CLINIC. 

NO DOCTORS WERE THERE, BUT BOTH PARAPHARMACISTS WERE.  SOURCE 

ASKED QUESTIONS OF THE OLDER PHARMACIST AND ABOUT WHERE HE HAD 

BEEN - DID HE GO TO BAGHDAD?  THE PARAPHARMACIST ANSWERED YES -- 

"TO VISIT FAMILY."  HE ADMITTED HE WENT THERE OFTEN.  THE 

CONJECTURE WAS THAT THIS PERSON RETURNED TO BAGHDAD TO MEET WITH 

HIS SUPERIORS IN THE GOVERNMENT.  IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT ALL THE 

VACCINES AND MEDICINES AS WELL AS PROTECTIVE MASKS AND 

DECONTAMINATION KITS, WERE REMOVED AND SENT NORTH TO BAGHDAD. 

G.      IN A RELATED MATTER, [b.1. sec 1.5.(c)]   VARIOUS 

DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLINIC WERE NOTED BY SOURCE INSIDE 

THE CLINIC AND IN AND AROUND A BURN BARREL OUTSIDE THE CLINIC. 

SOME WERE BURNED, SOME ONLY PARTIALLY BURNED.  SOME HAD TO DO

WITH 

IMMUNIZATIONS AND MANY APPEARED TO BE INDIVIDUAL AND UNIT

RECORDS, 

INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS OF PERSONNEL IN MILITARY UNIFORMS, ASSIGNED 

TO IRAQI UNITS STATIONED IN THE AS SALMAN AREA.  THE EXISTENCE 

OF THE RECORDS WERE REPORTED TO TASK FORCE FALCON (ALSO OPERATING 

IN AS SALMAN) AND SOURCE BELIEVES THEY WERE COLLECTED FOR FURTHER 

ANALYSIS, PROCESSING AND EXPLOITATION. 

H.     IN ANOTHER RELATED MATTER, [b.1.  sec. 1.5. (c)]   (SOURCE 

WAS UNSURE OF WHICH IS THE CORRECT DATE), DURING ONE OF SOURCE'S 

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE VISITS TO THE TOWN, ONE INDIVIDUAL 

APPROACHED SOURCE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE WHO COULD GRANT

HIM 

POLITICAL ASYLUM.  



     [b.6.]



                                  ALSO THAT SAME DAY ANOTHER IRAQI 

NATIONAL APPROACHED SOURCE, SAYING   [b.6.]            AND THAT HE 

KNEW ABOUT A CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL WARFARE PLANT IN WHICH HE HAD 

WORKED.  HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW THE PRECISE LOCATION, HOWEVER, 

BECAUSE HE WAS BLINDFOLDED WHEN HE WAS TAKEN TO WORK AND WHEN

HE 

RETURNED.  HE KNEW, HOWEVER, HOW THE WEAPONS WERE MANUFACTURED, 

ESPECIALLY THE BLENDING/MIXING OF SPECIFIC CHEMICAL AGENTS.  BOTH 

THESE APPROACHES WERE REPORTED TO THE S2, 11 COMBAT AVIATION BDE 

WITH THE HOPE THESE TWO PEOPLE WOULD TURN THEMSELVES IN TO 

APPROPRIATE INTELLIGENCE AUTHORITIES FOR FURTHER EXPLOITATION. 

SOURCE HAS NFI ON THE STATUS OF EITHER OF THESE TWO POSSIBLE

SOURCES. 

8.     COMMENTS:  SOURCE CAN PROVIDE GENERAL DESCRIPTIVE 

INFORMATION ON THE DOCTORS AND PARAPHARMACISTS WORKING AT THE

AS 

SALMAN CLINIC, IF ASKED TO DO SO.  HE THINKS THAT ONE OF THE 

DOCTORS    [b. 1.  sec 1.5. (c)  ]

WHO VISITED THE CLINIC WITH SOURCE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MAY HAVE 

TAKEN SOME PHOTOGRAPHS THAT COULD INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE 

IRAQIS IN QUESTION.  ALSO, THE 207TH MI BRIGADE, 511TH MI 

BATTALION WAS OPERATING IN THE AREA AND MAY BE REPORTING 

SUPPLEMENTARY OR COMPLIMENTARY INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECTS OF 

POSSIBLE PREPARATION FOR CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AND SECRET 

POLICE.  RECIPIENTS OF THIS REPORT SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR 

SUCH RELATED REPORTS.  

          [b.1.  sec 1.5. (c)]



  WE THINK IRAQIS WERE MAKING 

PREPARATIONS TO ENGAGE IN BIOLOGICAL WARFARE USING 

BOTULINUM AND/OR ANTHRAX. 

9. (U) PREPARED BY:    [b.6.]



10. (U) REVIEWED BY:   [b. 6.]