US Studies 'Iraqi Chemical War Plan'

September 21, 2002
By Shyam Bhatia

US intelligence experts are examining a top secret document sent to Iraqi military commanders on President Saddam Hussein’s orders that appears to confirm that they have a chemical arsenal and are prepared to use it.

The 23-page military order allegedly instructs local commanders that, in the event of the Iraqi regime facing defeat in a war, the officers are free to use their own initiative and unleash chemical weapons.

Signed by the head of the Iraqi Navy, it talks of preparations that must be made for a “chemical battle” between Iraqi and US forces. It also allegedly includes details of the radio-coded messages for the use of chemical weapons.

If intelligence specialists authenticate this document, it will provide evidence that can be shown to the United Nations of how Saddam has lied about stockpiling chemical weapons and his willingness to see his forces use them. US officials have not yet decided whether to include this document in the dossier that they are preparing for President Bush to show Iraq’s continuing deception over its weapons of mass destruction.

Parliament is being recalled next week when Tony Blair will reveal to MPs what British Intelligence has discovered about Saddam’s chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. It is not known if this document has been passed to British experts for analysis.

Last night a senior US official in Washington said: “We are taking this very seriously.”

He confirmed to The Times that intelligence specialists were still investigating the document and what it revealed about Saddam’s chemical capabilities.

“We are studying the contents very carefully to see what it tells us about Saddam’s military contingency planning,” the source said.

The document was handed to the White House last month when Iraqi opposition leaders were invited to Washington. Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, took part in the meeting on a video link from his ranch and instructed senior officials to examine the intercepted military order carefully.

Senior officials from the State and Defence Departments were present at these talks.

The order, reportedly sent in March, details the five military zones inside Iraq and circumstances in which commanders of these areas will be free to use their initiative on deploying chemical weapons that they have at their disposal. It is allegedly signed by Staff Lieutenant General Yahiya Taha Huwaish, the Commander of the Iraqi Navy.

Below his signature is that of Chemical Lieutenant Colonel Qasim Hamoud Slayih, Staff Chemical Officer of the naval forces.

The Iraqis are careful in the communiqué not to talk about the specific chemical toxins that they have in their arsenal. Experts say the reference to “preparations” and the use of the word battle rather than attack suggests that Saddam could have been readying his chemical weapons for deployment as far back as March.

One of those who attended the White House meeting in August was Dr Hamid Bayati, London representative of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution.

He was a member of his group’s three-man team led by Abdul Aziz Hakim that was part of a large Iraqi opposition delegation who briefed Mr Cheney. They included representatives from Dr Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress, Ayad Alawi’s Iraqi National Accord and the two Kurdish parties: the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by Jalal Talebani; and the Kurdish Democratic Party, led by Masoud Barzani. Sharif Ali, head of the Iraqi Constitutional Monarchists group, was also present.

Dr Bayati said: “The document is marked top secret, then it says Navy Forces Command Training Department. It lists the military units this order should be distributed to.”

US officials will want to ensure the accuracy of the communiqué before using it to persuade sceptical members on the UN Security Council that it is reason not to trust Iraq over its apparent compliance with weapons inspectors.

Intelligence chiefs will also want to learn whether this document provides any clues as to sites where weapons may be found, which UN inspectors could then demand to visit.

Despite the efforts of UN inspectors from 1991 until they were expelled in December 1998, Saddam is believed to have secretly hidden his stores of deadly nerve gas, such as sarin and tabun, as well as mustard gas. According to Iraqi defectors, production of these three agents was resumed immediately after the expulsion of the inspectors.

What is most alarming is the addition of sufficient quantities of another and even more deadly nerve agent, VX.

Dr Hussain Shahristani, a former chief scientific adviser to the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission who now heads the Iraqi Refugee Aid Council in London, said: “Saddam had about 250 tonnes of precursor chemicals to make VX and refused to hand them over to the UN inspectors.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-422044,00.html