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.At the same time, they made every possible effortto conceal their capabilities and facilities from the UN inspectors.NuclearOn 1 January 1994 a representative of a UN monitoring team stated thatthe UN had dismantled Iraq s nuclear program.He claimed that many ofIraq s nuclear sites and facilities were damaged by allied bombing dur-ing the Gulf War, and that UN inspectors had dismantled the survivingequipment.There is increasing evidence however, that UN inspectionteams did not achieve total destruction of Iraq s nuclear facilities.Iraqmay have retained some capabilities through dispersal and concealment.Iraq also retains several skilled nuclear scientists and technicians, capa-ble of reconstituting and rebuilding the nuclear program if UN sanctionsand inspections programs are lifted.BiologicalAlthough Iraq strongly denies developing biological weapons, UNinspection teams found evidence that Iraq pursued research into biologi-cal weapons development.Iraq may have produced at least the agentsanthrax and botulism.Iraqi biological warfare research facilities werehighly covert and many were collocated with pharmaceutical or indus-trial plants.Virtually undetectable, stockpiled biological agents andassociated production equipment may have been dispersed after theGulf War and remain hidden.ChemicalThe Iraqi chemical warfare program was highly developed, and its capa-bilities used extensively by Baghdad during the Iran-Iraq War.It islikely that Iraq still has a residual production capability, despite thedamage done to its production facilities by the Gulf War, follow-on UNinspections, and forced destruction of weaponized agents.It is likelythat Iraq was able to conceal and disperse some of its weaponized stock,as well as production equipment.160Offensive Chemical Warfare (CW) CapabilityAlthough a large portion of Iraq s CW stockpile has been destroyed inaccordance with UN Resolution 687, it is possible that the Iraqis retain asmall offensive CW capability.Prior to Operation DESERT STORM,Iraq produced and stockpiled large quantities of the nerve agents GA(tabun), GB (sarin) and GF, and the blister agent mustard.Iraq alsoadmitted in November 1997 that it had produced 3.9 tons of the nerveagent VX.Iraqi delivery capabilities include tube and rocket artillery,air delivered bombs, spray tanks, mortars, and modified SCUD missiles.Offensive CW PlanningHigh command headquarters in Baghdad reviews offensive OPLANs forcorps and above to determine whether or not to supplement them withchemical weapons planning.The command headquarters may recom-mend implementation of the CW plan when they assess fire support orforce size as sufficient to attain the objective.Saddam Hussein makesthe ultimate decision to deploy and use chemical weapons.Once hegives authorization for chemical weapons use, the chemical munitionsare transferred to the appropriate airfield or corps artillery site.CW Defense CapabilityIraqi forces are equipped to operate in a CW environment.RepublicanGuard forces are typically better equipped than regular units.The Iraqiinventory includes a mix of protective masks imported from EasternEuropean countries as well as masks produced in Iraq.Protective suitsare less common and are typically a plastic or rubber cape-design.Somearmored vehicles have collective protection filters.TACTICAL USE OF FLAME AND SMOKESmoke obscures and blocks all visual observation.Smoke is used to hidevital targets from view, and protect and secure maneuver capability byobstructing enemy vision and observation.In depriving the enemy of bat-tlefield observation, the effectiveness of his firepower is greatly reduced.161He is forced to expend huge quantities of ammunition on false targets.When the following obscurant systems are employed in accordance withIraqi doctrine, the clouds created may be effective against SMARTweapons systems night vision devices, and laser rangefinders.Smoke Hand GrenadesSmoke grenades are used by the Iraqi army to deceive the enemy andinhibit his ability to observe potential targets, frontline positions, andmaneuver units.Two types of smoke grenades are employed by the army:one emits white smoke and another black smoke.Either black or whitesmoke is used to provide small-unit smokescreens to blind opposingforces while covering small-scale maneuvers.Black smoke grenadescan be deceptively used to imitate fires in tanks, vehicles, and variousmaterials.The most common smoke grenades in the Iraqi service arerifle grenades fired from the FAZ rifle.Mortar and ArtilleryMortar and artillery smoke ammunition is the primary method used toinhibit the view of the enemy.Shells are used to blind observation posts,independent targets, or strong positions on the frontline.The main material used in the artillery shell is white phosphorous.Whenthe shell explodes, fragments of burning phosphorous scatter while form-ing heavy amounts of smoke.Smoke shells exploding in front of andaround the target effectively isolate and block the area from enemy view.Aircraft Smoke BombsPhosphorous bombs with a smoke-emitting capability can effectivelyblind the enemy and screen the movements of frontline maneuver units.Aircraft dropping 12 bombs can produce a screen up to 3,500 meterslong and 300 meters wide for up to 15 minutes in average weather.162TanksTanks can produce smokescreens by using a portion of their fuel.Fuelevaporates when it goes through the hot tube.When it reaches the out-side, it condenses as smoke.In average weather situations, a tank canproduce a smoke screen up to 400 meters long and 50 meters wide.Nomore than 100 liters of fuel is used for this purpose.ELECTRONIC WARFARE (EW)Iraq has a sophisticated EW warfare capability.Its collection and jam-ming capability includes an assortment of older Soviet equipment andmore advanced Western systems.Their capability includes both groundbased and airborne systems.Targeted against both communications and noncommunications sys-tems, the Iraqi SIGINT/EW structure includes three separate organiza-tions under the control of the civilian government, the army, and the airforce, respectively.Their capabilities are arrayed at both strategic andtactical levels [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]