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File: 062596_cia_68357_68357_01.txt
Page: 01
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Subject: REVIEW OF NESA FILES Not Finally Evaluated Intelligence TO FACILITATE ELECTRONIC ACCESS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REFORMATTED TO ELIMINATE INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES OR THAT IS CLASSIFIED. A COPY OF THIS REDACTED DOCUMENT, IN ORIGINAL FORMAT, IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. 21 FEBRUARY 1996 MEMORANDUM FOR: CHIEF, GWI TASK FORCE OFFICE OF WEAPONS, TECHNOLOGY, AND PROLIFERATION FROM: NESA SUBJECT: REVIEW OF NESA FILES FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO "GULF WAR VETERAN'S ILLNESS" 1. AS PART OF CIA'S EFFORT TO IDENTIFY INFORMATION THAT MAY BE RELATED TO "GULF WAR VETERAN'S ILLNESS," WE CONDUCTED A THOROUGH REVIEW OF NESA'S PAPER FILES ON IRAQ'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD) AND RAN KEY WORD SEARCHES AGAINST CIA'S ELECTRONIC FILES. WE ALSO DISCUSSED IRAQ'S WMD PROGRAMS, WMD CAPABILITIES, HISTORIC USE OF WMD, AND IRAQ'S INTENTIONS DURING THE GULF WAR WITH ANALYSTS WHO COVERED IRAQ DURING THE WAR. 2. WE FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT IRAQI LEADERS ORDERED CW OR BW USE DURING THE GULF WAR AND NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT IRAQI FORCES EMPLOYED THOSE WEAPONS. SUBJECT: REVIEW OF NESA FILES FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO "GULF WAR VETERAN'S ILLNESS" 3. CIA'S MAY 1993 REPORT STATED THAT "IRAQI PREPARATIONS TO FIGHT IN A CHEMICAL WARFARE ENVIRONMENT." SUCH PREPARATIONS ARE INDICATIVE OF PRUDENT MILITARY PREPARATIONS, NOT AN INTENT TO EMPLOY CHEMICAL WEAPONS. 4. RECENT REPORTING-- --REINFORCES OUR 1993 ASSESSMENT THAT BAGHDAD CONSIDERED BUT ULTIMATELY REJECTED THE USE OF CW OR BW WEAPONS: IRAQ HAD NUMEROUS MUNITIONS AND SOME SCUD MISSILE WARHEADS LOADED WITH CW AND BW AGENTS, AND THAT IRAQ PLANNED TO RETALIATE WITH CW AND BW WEAPONS FOR A NUCLEAR ATTACK ON BAGHDAD. SUBJECT: REVIEW OF NESA FILES FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO "GULF WAR VETERAN'S ILLNESS" IRAQ DEPLOYED SEVEN FULLY-FUELED SCUD MISSILES TO WESTERN IRAQ--WHERE THEY COULD BE USED TO ATTACK ISRAEL. HUSAYN KAMIL STATED IN AUGUST 1995 THAT IRAQI OFFICIALS WERE CONVINCED THE UNITED STATES WOULD RESPOND WITH TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS IF IRAQ USED CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS AGAINST THE COALITION 5. WE IDENTIFIED NO CONFIRMED GULF WAR REPORTS OF IRAQI CW USE, CASUALTIES, OR UNEXPLODED CW ORDNANCE SIMILAR TO THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH IRAQ'S PAST USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS: IRAQ BECAME VERSED IN CHEMICAL WARFARE DURING THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR AND EFFECTIVELY INCORPORATED CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN COMBINED-ARMS OPERATIONS. CHEMICAL WEAPONS CAUSED 20 TO 30 PERCENT OF IRANIAN CASUALTIES DURING IRAN'S FEBRUARY 1986 AL FAW CAMPAIGN. THE SAME ASSESSMENT NOTED THAT EARLY IN THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR IRAN RECOVERED NUMEROUS UNEXPLODED IRAQI CHEMICAL MUNITIONS--AND USED THEM TO PUBLICIZE IRAQ'S USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS. 6. WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE OF NONTRADITIONAL CW OR BW USE DURING THE GULF WAR. NONETHELESS, WE FOUND SOME INFORMATION SUBJECT: REVIEW OF NESA FILES FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO "GULF WAR VETERAN'S ILLNESS" SUGGESTING IRAQ HAS RESEARCHED NONTRADITIONAL USE OF CW AND BW AGENTS 7. FINALLY, WE CANNOT RULE OUT THE UNLIKELY POSSIBILITY THAT IRAQI FORCES MISTAKENLY EMPLOYED ONE OR MORE CW OR BW WEAPONS---ARTILLERY SHELLS, ROCKETS, OR BOMBS--BY CONFUSING THEM WITH CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE OF SUCH MISTAKEN USE. 1.5(C) 68357:68357
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