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FACT SHEET
Iraq's Program of Mass Destruction Threatening The security of the international Community
United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 demands that Iraq provide "full, final and complete declarations on all aspects of its program to develop weapons of mass destruction. Yet, only when confronted with steadfast UN resolve has Iraq complied.
I. Chemical Weapons:
What is the Threat:
Iraq had a variety of chemical warfare agents available before the Gulf War, including mustard gas, tabun and sarin nerve agents.
Iraq also admitted flight-testing long-range SCUD missiles with warheads designed for chemicals, including a flight test with a live chemical warhead with a range of 600-650 KM.
In addition, Saddam Hussein used Mustard gas against Iranian forces on five separate occasions and a nerve agent twice as well as using chemical agents against his own Kurdish citizens. Saddam actually weaponized chemical weapons and deployed it to field commanders for use during the Gulf War.
What Has Been Accomplished
-- suffered considerable damage from coalition bombing.
-- supervised the destruction of more than 53,000 total chemical
weapons in the last six years. Including:
(a) Destroying 38,531 filled and unfilled chemical munitions.
(b) Destroying 6990 tons of chemical weapons agent.
(c) Destroying 3000 tons of 45 different precursor chemicals.
-- UNSCOM recently discovered that Iraq had enough chemical stockpiles to produce 10 tons of storable VX persistent nerve agent.
-- In period from August to October 1997 alone, UNSCOM supervised the destruction of 325 pieces of newly identified production equipment, 125 pieces of analytical instruments and 275 tons of precursor chemicals.
Why continued Monitoring Is In The National Interest.
-- Iraq continues to conceal a small stockpile of chemical weapons
including agents, munitions and production equipment and has not
supplied adequate evidence to support its claims of previous
compliance, including;
(a) Unaccounted VX nerve agent program sufficient to produce 20 to 160
tons of deadly toxins.
(b) Has not signed the chemical Weapons convention.
(c) Claims unilateral destruction of 130 tons of chemical weapon
agents. Undocumented and unverified.
(d) Claims unilateral destruction of 15, 620 munitions. Undocumented
and unverified.
(e) Failed to account for the large pro-war stocks of mustard gas and
Sarin nerve agent artillery shells.
(f) Retains technical expertise to restart chemical weapons
production.
II. Biological Weapons
What is the Threat:
Prior to Operation Desert Storm, Iraq had the largest and most
advanced biological program in Middle East but did not admit to the
production of biological weapons until Husayn Kamel's defection in
1995. This despite ratifying the Biological and Toxin Weapons
convention.
The international community has since learned that Saddam Hussein
possessed lethal agents including Anthrax where less than one
millionth of a gram is fatal within five to seven days 100% of the
time and Botulinum which can kill within 36 hours by paralyzing
respiratory muscles.
The threat of Saddam's capabilities has been demonstrated by his live firings of 122mm rockets with deadly agents and his testing of bio-agents on animal livestock.
What Has Been Accomplished
-- Coalition air strikes destroyed or damaged biological warfare
facilities including those at Al Kindi and Salman Pak.
-- UNSCOM discovered documents that showed Iraq has produced and
weaponized 20,000 liters of botulinum toxin, 8,500 liters of anthrax,
2,200 liters of aflatoxin, and the biological agent Ricin.
-- UNSCOM found that Iraq armed 155mm artillery shells and 122mm
rockets with biological agents.
-- UNSCOM entirely destroyed Al Hakam facility where Iraq claimed to
be making animal feed and biopesticides but was in fact a custom-built
biological warfare agent production plant.
-- UNSCOM found Iraq had flight-tested a MIRAGE F-1 aircraft spray
tank designed to dispense biological weapons.
Why continuing Monitoring is in the National Interest:
-- Claims destroyed all of its biological agents from 1991.
Undocumented and unverified.
-- Claims destroyed Al Hussein scuds filled with biological weapons.
Undocumented and unverified.
-- Showed willingness to use biological weapons during the Gulf War
when Iraq had 25 scud missiles and 166 aerial bombs filled with
biological agents.
-- Iraq released detailed record of how many ball point pens it
ordered in the late 1980s, but has not provided records of how it
procured biological precursors or supported claims that it destroyed
missile warheads capable of delivering BW and CW agents.
-- Maintains a number of medical, veterinary and university facilities
where biotechnical research and development could be carried out.
-- Iraq has a wealth of experience In biological warfare, research and
development, to quickly resume a small-scale BW program at known
facilities that currently produce legitimate items such as vaccines
and other pharmaceuticals.
-- Iraq can quickly and covertly switch production of legitimate
biological products to Anthrax by changing seed material.
III. Nuclear Weapons:
What is The Threat:
Iraq has long desired a nuclear program and remains determined to establish nuclear capabilities. Following Kamel's defection in 1995, Iraq admitted to having had a crash program to develop a nuclear weapon as quickly as possible. While the weapon production and research apparatus has been destroyed, Iraq still maintains the desire to reconstitute its weapons program.
What Has Been Accomplished
-- Suffered considerable damage from Coalition bombing and IAEA
destruction of nuclear facilities. All fissile material removed.
-- IAEA inspections determined Iraq experimenting with 7 uranium
enrichment techniques and was most actively pursuing electromagnetic
isotope separation, gas centrifuge and gas diffusion.
Why Continuing Monitoring is in the National Interest:
-- Retains a large cadre of nuclear engineers, scientist and
technicians that continue to work on theoretical nuclear research that
may reduce time required to produce a weapon should Iraq acquire
sufficient fissile material.
-- Could manufacture fissile material for nuclear device in 5 or more
years, if sanctions were lifted, or substantially reduced, and
considerable foreign assistance provided.
-- Not signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
-- Baghdad has revised its nuclear declaration four times within 14
months of its initial submission in April 1991.
IV. Cruise and Ballistic Missiles
What is the Threat:
Before the Gulf War, Iraq developed a broad and sophisticated missile effort that could deliver its weapons of mass destruction and threaten its Arab neighbors Israel, and Europe. While Saddam's missile program suffered severe damage during the Gulf War he has not given up his plans to build larger, longer range missiles. If sanctions were lifted, Iraq could quickly resume production of SCUD-type missiles, perhaps in one year.
What Has Been Accomplished
-- UNSCOM has accounted for the destruction of 817 of the total 819
SCUD missiles imported during the 1980's from the Soviet Union.
-- Destroyed fixed launch pads and mobile pads.
-- UNSCOM discovered Iraq was working on a program to build a
longer-range missile that could reach Paris (3,000 km) and found
evidence of Iraqi development of other long range missiles.
-- UNSCOM has accounted for 10 imported and 4 Iraqi-produced SCUD
launch vehicles but Iraqi concealment efforts suggest that more are
still out there.
-- Destroyed 30 chemical warheads for SCUD variants.
-- Discovered Iraq was doing research and development testing of
liquid propellants and significant design studies for advanced rocket
engines with extended range.
Why Continuing Monitoring is in the National Interest:
-- Accounting for missile propellants and special warheads is still
outstanding.
-- Iraq has technical know how to produce SCUD airframes and engines.
Accounting gaps remain for engine components, guidance instruments,
and testing activities for complete home produced missiles.
Undocumented and unverified.
-- Iraq continues to receive some parts through clandestine
procurement networks. In 1995, Jordan interdicted missile-guidance
equipment (gyroscopes) bound for Iraq.
-- Iraq continues to expand a missile production facility at Ibn Al
Haytham -- currently used to support the allowed Ababil-100 and Samoud
anti-aircraft missile modification programs.
-- Not a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime.