Posted on 04/10/2006 11:17:03 AM PDT by jveritas
1999 Document: Chemical Platoons Applied Training In Chemical Laboratory to Detect Nerve Agents, VX Agents, Mustard Gas
Document BIAP 2003-003543 talks about the training of the Iraqi Chemical Platoon in Al Qadisya Air base. It contains training programs of 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1999.
In the Chemical training program of the year 1999, page 153 of the document, there is section concerning the Field Chemical Laboratory, and in this section listed the both Theoretical Training Schedule and The Practical (Applied) Training Schedule to Detection of Nerve Gas Agent, VX agent, Sulfuric Mustard Agent, and Agent that contains Cyanide.
Pages 101, 103 of the document deal with the 1996 Chemical training program and this documents it shows as well how to Detection of in the Laboratory Agent KS that contain Cyanide, Agent KS that contain Sulfuric Mustard, and Agent VX.
In the 1994 and 1996 Chemical training programs, I noticed that the TOP SECRET memos concerning these training programs were written on the back of papers that has English text in the front. The English texts were about standard construction information using water and cement, etc... If you open the document (start on page 77), you can notice the front page English text of the memo and the Top secret Arabic memo written on the back pages. This was clearly a deception scheme by the Iraqis to hide the information of Chemical training programs from UN inspectors, because in that period the UN inspectors were still in Iraq whereas in 1999 they were not there after they were kicked out by Saddam in 1998.
Most of the correspondences related to the Al Qadisya Air Base documents (spanning from 1988 to 2002) that I have read are related to the Chemical training programs and it looks like the Iraqis had an obsession with these types of training, one tournament after another, after another to train their Chemical Platoons and other members of the armed forces. They conduct many of these training programs each year and in many air force bases. From these documents, it appears to be that their air force bases whole existence was to conduct Chemical trainings.
Beginning of Partial translation of page 153 in Document BIAP 2003-003543 for Chemical Training Program in 1999
Details
4. Field Chemical Laboratory
First. Knowing the Field Chemical Laboratory
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
B. Security measures when working in the Field Chemical
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
C. Detection of the Nerve Agent via the Laboratory
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
D. Detection of Agent K.S that contain the element Arsenic.
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
E. Detection of the Sulfuric Mustard via the Laboratory.
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
F. Detection of Agent K.S that contains Cyanide
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
G. Detection of Tabun in the Laboratory.
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
H. The method to examine the Decontamination Detergents via the Laboratory.
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
Detection of the Agent V.X in the Laboratory.
Number of Hours: Theoretical 1, Applied 1, Total 2.
End of partial translation of page 153.
Beginning of Partial translation of pages 101 and 103 (1996 Chemical Training Program) of BIAP 2003-003543
Top Secret
Date 2/1/96
Hours 2, 3, 4
Organizing the paper work to fix the Chemical equipments and devices
Date 10/1
Hours 2, 3, 4
Detection of The Nerve Agents via the Field Laboratory
Date 28/1
Hours 2, 3, 4
Detection of KS agent that contain Cyanide
Date 29/1
Hours 2, 3, 4
Detection of the Sulfuric Mustard in the Laboratory.
Date 30/1
Hours 2, 3, 4
Detection of of Mustard and Sulfurs in the Laboratory
Date 13/2
Hours 2, 3, 4
Detection of the V.X Agents in the Laboratory
End of Partial Translation of Page 101 and 103.
see #14 & #17
Exactly who is undergoing this training? I mean, if it was every unit in the Iraqi army, that would be, well, strange. Spending 1/3 of your training time on chemical warfare is just bizarre.
If those were specially-designated chamical platoons, then that's probably about right because that's their specialty. I imagine our NBC platoons probably do at least the same.
After 1991 Iraq was absolutely prohibited from having any Chemical Weapons Agents no matter how small the quantity is and no matter whether it was for defensive or offensive purposes. This applied training in the Chemical Field Laboratory using Live Chemical Agents like VX, Nerve Agents, Mustard Gas, was against every UN resolution.
As I see this forum deteriorating into madness out there, it is YOUR work that keeps me hopeful that there is still a point to all this.
They were Chemical Platoon and other members of the Iraqi military, however it was the Chemical platoons that conducted the training.
Please keep in mind that Iraq was not supposed to be treated like any other army when it comes to Chemical Warfare including his Chemical Platoon training. They were not supposed at all to have any Chemical Weapons agent even if it is a small quantity. We simply cannot compare our NBC platoon training to that of the Iraqi and assume that the Iraqi have the same right of training as our NBC units.
BTTT
Here's the latest document translation.
BTTT!
jveritas Bump.
As I said before the Chemical training top secret memos in 1994, 1996 were written on the back of papers that has English text in the front. The English texts were about standard construction information using water and cement, etc... This was clearly a deception scheme by the Iraqis to hide the information of Chemical training programs from UN inspectors, because in that period the UN inspectors were still in Iraq because the UN inspectors were in Iraq up to 1998 and they were kicked after that and not return until November 2002.
I honestly don't know if that's correct. I recall during the invasion that we captured some very small quantities of agents that were considered to be only for detection purposes, rather than offensive use. And nobody really considered that to be an issue. And in fairness, I don't think it should have been.
The legit purpose of the resolutions was to prevent them from using chemical weapons on the battlefield, not preventing them from protecting themselves against someone else's use. I don't think anyone here would have supported a war if the sole basis is that the Iraqis had kept tiny quantities of chems for use in detection kits and defensive training. I'm as pro-war as they come, and I don't think that would have justified anything.
Notice how France and Germany have STFU'd about slamming the US in Iraq?
I think that has more to do with the change in the govt of Germany than anything else.
You make me want to learn Arabic so I can help you out with this.
All this is true if it was not SADDAM HUSSEIN. However since it was Saddam military who used Chemicals Weapons for offensive purposes more than any other military in history then we simply cannot allow them to possess any type of Chemical weapons agents even for a small quantity even for a defensive purpose, because if they were still in power and the appropriate time would have come they would have produce these type of weapons at much larger scale for offensive purposes.
Thank you for the information.
Yes I noticed :)
I will be glad to teach you :)
I'm not sure that was even a part of the ceasefire or resolutions.
because if they were still in power and the appropriate time would have come they would have produce these type of weapons at much larger scale for offensive purposes.
But they could have produced them on a large scale anyway, regardless of whether they'd kept small amounts or not. When you're talking about trace amounts for testing and producing large amounts for offensive use, one has nothing to do with the other.
Like I said, I'd hate to see us push this point because it just isn't very strong. I think you'll find more military types agreeing with me on that.
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