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        Further, the constant movement of the cannoneers means that
        avenues of penetration for the gasses are progressively opened
        up; seams are a natural avenue as they are the point of greatest
        movement and frequently the point where sweat accumulates to
        further degrade the protective qualities of the overgarment.
        The passage of voice commands is rendered difficult, in what is
        already a practically impossible situation. And there are
        always some soldiers who have a form of claustrophobia and can
        tolerate being masked only so long.
        
        (U) In summary, chemical agents are effective in degrading
        command and control, fire support and lines of communications.
        One of the most dramatic examples of this was during Operation
        Khaybar I in February l984. In this operation, the Iranians
        attacked through the Hawizah marshes, attempting to cut the
        Basrah-Baghad road. In a notable example of battlefield
        interdiction, the Iraqis isolated the forward elements of the
        attacking force with Mustard, cutting it off almost entirely
        from resupply by land. When the Iraqis counterattacked, they
        encountered Iranians who had no ammunition and who had not eaten
        for several days.
        
        (U) An additional Iraqi tactic was to target Iranian
        infantry in its assembly areas, as well as supply points. These
        attacks caused the less-well-protected rear echelon soldiers and
        volunteers to flee.
        
        There are also reports of chemical weapons use against
        command and control centers, the most dramatic--yet most
        questionable--one being the 1988 attack on the headquarters of
        the Iranian force defending A1 Faw. The installation fell to
        ground assault within 38 minutes of H-hour. It is unlikely,
        under these circumstances, that gas was used. A more
        interesting possibility-not considered until later--is fuel-air
        explosives. Properly delivered, this weapon--not a chemical
        weapon per se--could have killed or seriously incapacitated all
        personnel in the headquarters at a single blow.
        
        (U) Chemical weapons require quite particular weather and
        geographic conditions for optimum effectiveness. Given the
        relative nonpersistence of all agents employed during this war,
        including Mustard, there was only a brief window of employment
        opportunity daily and seasonally when the agents could be used.
        Even though the Iraqis employed Mustard agent in the rainy
        season and also in the marshes, its relative effectiveness was
        significantly reduced under those conditions. As the Iraqis
        learned to their chagrin, Mustard is not a good agent to employ
        in the mountains, unless you own the high ground and your enemy
        is in the valleys. 
        
        (U) We are uncertain as to the relative effectiveness of
        nerve agents since those which were employed are by nature much
        

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