DoD says it was 'unlikely' chemical weapons stored at Kuwaiti ammo supply point

WASHINGTON, November 29, 2001 (GulfLINK) - The Department of Defense has concluded its investigation into the reports of possible chemical warfare agent detections at an ammunition supply point located some eight miles west of Kuwait International Airport. The report, "Fox Detections in the ASP/Orchard," released today presents the final conclusions of investigators working for the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Medical Readiness and Military Deployments. Investigators assess that it is unlikely that chemical weapons were stored in the ammunition supply point.

"We believe the existing evidence indicates that chemical weapons or chemical warfare agents were not present in the ASP," said Tim Gainor, an investigator working for the special assistant's office. "We examined a lot of evidence and talked to key witnesses. Despite the Fox alerts to the possible presence of chemical warfare agents, there isn't any evidence to corroborate agent presence."

Initially published as an interim report on September 23, 1997, this final report incorporates recommendations of the Presidential Special Oversight Board. The board concurred with the interim report's assessment and recommended publishing a final report. Investigators conducted two additional interviews and included information from those interviews in this report. The special assistant's staff has received no new information that contradicts the interim report's assessment.

On February 28, 1991, a Fox Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance vehicle, assigned to Task Force Ripper and commanded by then U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant George Grass, inspected an ammunition supply point located southwest of Kuwait International Airport. While inspecting the site, the Fox crew reported their MM-1 mobile mass spectrometer detected the possible presence of three chemical warfare agents: sulfur mustard, HT mustard and benzyl bromide. The MM-1 operator printed tapes of the three alerts. Grass gave the tapes to a senior officer, who, in turn, reported up the chain of command through the 1st Marine Division to U.S. Central Command.

The next day, March 1, 1991, Grass escorted a five-member explosive ordnance team to the ASP/Orchard. Using M8 and M18A2 chemical detector kits, the EOD team checked for chemical contamination in the area and did a visual and hands-on inspections of the bunkers and munitions. During the inspection, which lasted several hours, the team found no evidence of chemical weapons or chemical warfare agents in the ASP. The team only found conventional munitions such as small arms, grenades, artillery and mortar rounds. The EOD team leader recalled informing Grass and Task Force Ripper's NBC officer that they found no chemical weapons at the ASP. Additionally, no one who entered the ammunition supply point reported any physical symptoms of chemical warfare agent exposure.

Word that no chemical weapons were stored at the ASP was reported up the chain of command through the 1st Marine Division to U.S. Central Command.

After the Gulf War, Kuwait contracted ordnance-clearing services to rid the country of munitions left by Iraq's occupying army. Teams of explosive ordnance experts dismantled the ammunition supply point during clean-up operations and found no chemical weapons or chemical warfare agents.

"We have a lot of experience examining Gulf War MM-1 alerts," said Gainor. "We've learned from MM-1 experts that the MM-1 was susceptible to contaminants other than chemical warfare agents. And, in some cases, falsely alerted to the presence of chemical warfare agents.

Without the Fox MM-1 tapes - which were lost and most likely destroyed - it is impossible to determine what the MM-1 alerted to. Hence, our assessment is unlikely. However, other evidence suggests an absence of chemical warfare agents," says Gainor.

Gainor said in all alerts to possible presence of chemical warfare agents, investigators searched for additional corroborating information. In this case, says Gainor, there is none. The EOD team found no evidence of chemical warfare agents and no chemical weapons. Further inspection of the ASP by Marines using chemical agent monitors, or CAMs, found no evidence of chemical warfare agents or chemical weapons. Teams of ordnance experts involved in post-war clean-up operations in Kuwait discovered no chemical weapons or chemical warfare agents in Kuwait or in the ammunition supply point.

Additionally, UNSCOM and the U.S. intelligence community believe no evidence exists that Iraq moved chemical weapons into Kuwait.

"Based on an examination of all the evidence, we believe it is unlikely that chemical weapons or chemical warfare agents were present in the ASP," concluded Gainor.