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POTENTIAL FOR IRAQI SABOTAGE OF FUEL STOCKS 

Filename:75271799
PATHFINDER RECORD NUMBER: 71799
GENDATE:         950605
NNNN
TEXT:            
ENVELOPE CDSN = LGX378 MCN = 90244/15650 TOR = 902440923
OTTSZYUW RUEKJCS6888 2440924-    --RUEALGX.
ZNY 
HEADER O 010924Z SEP 90
FM JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEALGX/SAFE
O 010500Z SEP 90
FM DIA WASHINGTON DC//IRAQ REGIONAL ITF//
TO RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUHQHQA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
RHCUAAA/USTRANSCOM SCOTT AFB IL
RUKLDAR/CDRAMC ALEXANDRIA VA
BT
CONTROLS 
SUBJECT: POTENTIAL FOR IRAQI SABOTAGE OF FUEL STOCKS 
1.     KEY INTERMEDIATE CHEMICALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
CHEMICAL NERVE AGENTS CAN ALSO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE SABOTAGE OF 
FUEL
STOCKS. THIONYL CHLORIDE AND PHOSPHOROUS PENTASULFIDE ARE TWO OF A
FAMILY OF CHEMICALS WHICH CAN BE EASILY MODIFIED TO BE SOLUBLE IN
FUELS, ARE AVAILABLE IN LARGE QUANTITIES IN IRAQ, AND CAN RAPIDLY
CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF PETROLEUM RESEARCH
CENTERS OBTAINING OTHER CHEMICALS IN THIS FAMILY WHICH HAVE NO 
KNOWN APPLICATIONS TO PETROLEUM PROCESSING. IRAQI SCIENTISTS HAVE 
A KNOWLEDGE OF THESE CHEMICALS AND THEIR CORROSIVE PROPERTIES. 
WHILE THE CURRENT ASSESSMENT IS THATTHE ACQUISITION AND PRODUCTION 
OF THESE CHEMICALS IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IRAQI CHEMICAL WEAPONS
PROGRAM, INTELLIGENCE CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT IRAQ
ALSO HAS A PROGRAM TO DEVELOP CHEMICAL ADDITIVES FOR SABOTAGE
PURPOSES AND MAY HAVE FIELDED SUCH MATERIELS WITH SPECIAL 
OPERATIONS
UNITS.
2.     THESE CHEMICALS ARE CORROSIVE TO KEY PRECISION COMPONENTS 
OF
ENGINE; METERING MECHANISMS, INJECTORS AND PUMPS. QUANTITIES AS
LITTLE AS 100 PARTS PER MILLION CAN CAUSE TURBINE ENGINE FAILURE 
IN
2 TO 3 HOURS: ONE GALLON OF THESE CHEMICALS CAN CONTAMINATE 10,000
GALLONS OF JET FUEL. THERE IS NO APPARENT CHANGE IN THE COLOR,
VISCOSITY, OR OTHER PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE FUELS, EXCEPT FOR A
POSSIBLE CHANGE IN THE ODOR OF THE FUEL: SOME OF THESE CHEMICALS
WTLL CAUSE EYE TEARING OR A BURNING SENSATION OF THE NOSE AND 
EYES.
THERE IS NO KNOWN CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL FIELD TEST TO DETERMINE THE
PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF THESE CHEMICALS.
3.     ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT AN ASSESSMENT
THAT THE IRAQIS HAVE DEPLOYED A SABOTAGE TEAM WITH A MISSION OF 
THIS TYPE, THEY HAVE THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY TO DO SO AND THEY 
DID USE SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAMS BEHIND ENEMY LINES DURING THE 
IRAN-IRAQ WAR.
4.     RECOMMENDATIONS: SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE AFFORDED TO
PROTECTING FUEL STORES IN AREAS SUBJECT TO SABOTAGE, AND ANY
UNEXPLAINED ENGINE PROBLEMS OR FAILURES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO
DETERMINE IF FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY UNEXPLAINED CORROSION OF
PRECISION COMPONENTS.
5. (U) THE POC FOR THIS MSG IS THE IRAQ REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE TASK
FORCE,





 



 

 

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