IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (6)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06765444
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2018
• Case Number: F-2018-00293
• Publication Date: November 25, 1998

(U) IRAQI COMMANDERAp-p-rc7fed -6054-471)
Identifiers:
Document Number: WA2511084098
Dates:
Date Published: 25-Nov-1998 07:35:00
Date Received: 25-Nov-1998 02:38:54
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: IRQ
Region: MIDDLEEAST
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
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(U) SERIAL: WA2511084098
(U) COUNTRY: IRAQ SUBJ: TAKE 2 OF 4--IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (6)
(U) REF: JN2511082498 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 5 NOV 98 P 11 /// UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE.
(U) SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 5 NOV 98 P 11 TEXT:
(U) "(SIGNED) SADDAM HUSAYN "17/1/1991." (THE NEWSPAPER CARRIES A PHOTOCOPY
OF THIS MESSAGE IN THE PRESIDENT'S OWN HAND-WRITING) THE BATTLE IS A
GENERAL ONE. THE FIRST ENEMY OF THE ARAB NATION IS THE ZIONIST ENEMY.
MOREOVER, ALL EVILS AND PLOTS ARE WOVEN IN THE DARK DENS OF ZIONISM.
THEREFORE, THE FAITHFUL MILITARY IDEOLOGY MUST SERVE POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
IN THE BATTLEFIELD. IT IS A STRONG, ANGRY LANGUAGE AGAINST AN ENEMY WHO IS
TAMPERING WITH THE NATION'S DESTINIES, GNAWING AT ITS VERY STRUCTURE FROM
WITHIN, AND TURNING THE ARABS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. SO, THE DAY HAS COME
WHEN IT MUST GET THE PUNISHMENT, WHICH IS PREDICTED IN ALL HEAVENLY BOOKS
AND IS NOW METED OUT BY THE COURAGEOUS WILLPOWER OF PRESIDENT SADDAM
HUSAYN AFTER DEPENDING ON GOD. HERE WE ARE IN THE MISSILE CORPS READING
THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF'S MESSAGE WITH PRIDE AND APPRECIATION AND PUTTING
IT INTO SERIOUS ACTION, BECAUSE IT IS FULFILLING A BIG DREAM, WHICH THE
MILLIONS IN THE ARAB NATION HAVE AWAITED FOR A LONG TIME. I COULD NO LONGER
STAY IN THE SHELTER. THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE FILLED US WITH COURAGE. THE
ZIONIST ENTITY IS NOW WITHIN THE RANGE OF OUR POWERFUL, HEROIC ACTION. I
WENT TO THE MISSILE CORPS SITES ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF BAGHDAD TO FOLLOW THE
PREPARATION AND GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE MEN. I FELT VERY STRONG AND
READY TO FACE OF THE STORM. I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A STAFF OFFICER, MY AIDE-
DE-CAMPS, AND MY TWO SONS MUHAMMAD AND AHMAD. I INSPECTED BRIGADE 224
AND ITS UNITS. THE MORALE WAS HIGH AND THE WILLPOWER STRONG. I OBSERVED
THE SAME LEVEL OF MORALE THE HEADQUARTERS AND UNITS OF BRIGADE 223. AT
1300 HOURS, THE ENEMY BOMBED THE DEPOTS OF THE FIRST MAINTENANCE UNIT IN
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AL-TAJI CAMP. IT HIT SOME SHEApproved for Release: 2018/10/09 CO6765444. SO, THERE WERE
NO CASUALTIES OR LOSSES. I WENT TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE AIR FORCE AND
AIR DEFENSE COMMAND. THE BUILDING OF THE OPERATIONS CENTER WAS HIT IN THE
BOMBING. THE PURPOSE OF MY VISIT WAS TO COORDINATE WITH THE AIR FORCE
COMMANDER ON INSURING PROTECTION FOR THE LAUNCHING SITES. LATER, I WENT
TO INSPECT THE POSITIONS OF THE MECHANICAL UNITS ON THE ROAD TO AL-TAJI, AND
LATER THE POSITIONS OF THE MECHANICAL ON THE ROAD TO ABU-GHURAYB MILITARY
CAMP. MY PLAN WAS TO GO TO THE LAUNCHING SITES IN THE WESTERN REGION TO
ATTEND THE FIRST LAUNCHING OPERATION AGAINST THE ZIONIST ENTITY. I KEPT
THINKING THAT I WOULD BE THE ONE PRESSING THE BUTTON OF THE FIRST MISSILE.
THE THOUGHT WAS STILL WITH ME WHEN I DROVE ALONG AL-FALUJAH-AL-RAMADI
HIGHWAY. MY SON, MUHAMMAD, SAID WITH CHILDISH GLEE: DAD, I WILL PRESS THE
BUTTON OF THE MISSILE THIS TIME, NOT AS IN AL-QADISIYAH WHEN WE PRESSED THE
BUTTON TOGETHER. MUHAMMAD HAD BEEN WITH ME ON SEVERAL FIRING MISSIONS.
SO, I CAN UNDERSTAND HIS ENTHUSIASM WHEN THE DAY CAME TO FIRE MISSILES
AGAINST OUR ENEMIES. HIS THOUGHTS WERE BIGGER THAN HIS AGE. HE KEPT
WATCHING THROUGH THE WINDOW AS THE SUN SET DOWN ON THAT VAST EMPTY
SPACE WITHOUT ANY EFFECT. WE DROVE BEHIND TRUCKS CARRYING LAUNCHERS
LOADED WITH MISSILES. AND WHENEVER A TRUCK STOPPED DUE TO SOME TECHNICAL
FAULT, WE URGED THE MEN TO QUICKLY REPAIR THE FAULT SO WE COULD REACH
OUR DESTINATION IN THE WESTERN DESERT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SUDDENLY, MY
DRIVER SAID: THEY HIT THE TELEPHONE EXCHANGES, SIR! I THOUGHT ABOUT THE
HEADQUARTERS AND WONDERED WHO WOULD ASSUME MY RESPONSIBILITY IN
TACKLING URGENT MATTERS. SO, I TURNED TO THE DRIVER AND SAID: GO BACK TO
HEADQUARTERS IN BAGHDAD. - YES, SIR! MUHAMMAD WAS SORRY. I TRIED TO CALM
HIM DOWN WITH FOND WORDS TO MAKE HIM ACCEPT THE IDEA OF GOING BACK. THE
HEADQUARTERS NEEDS ME, I SAID. I ARRIVED AT THE HEADQUARTERS AT NIGHT AND
INQUIRED ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN MY ABSENCE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE
OPERATIONAL MISSILES CONTROL CENTER IN THE SOUTH CALLED TO SAY THAT THE
SECOND AND THIRD BATTALIONS OF BRIGADE 225 WHICH ARE EQUIPPED WITH
TACTICAL LUNA MISSILES, AND THE FIRST (ASTRAS) BATTALION OF BRIGADE 226,
REPEATED THE STRIKE AGAINST US TROOP CONCENTRATIONS IN AL-KHAFJI. I
CONTACTED THE WESTERN REGION AND LEARNED THAT PREPARATIONS WERE
UNDERWAY FOR THE STRIKE AGAINST THE ZIONIST ENTITY. FRIDAY 18 JANUARY 1991
(SUBTITLE) THE TIME IS 0200 HOURS. THE SOUND OF ENEMY BOMBING CAN BE HEARD
CLEARLY. THE GROUND DEFENSES ARE ALSO RESPONDING FORCEFULLY, THE BATTLE
IS RAGING FROM ONE END OF IRAQ TO THE OTHER. THE ENEMIES KEPT BOMBING
POWER AND OIL STATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS AND FACTORIES WITH THE
SAVAGENESS OF CRIMINAL INVADERS. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE FIRST MOMENT THAT
WHAT THEY ARE DOING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR DECLARED AIM. AT 0235
HOURS, THE TELEPHONE RANG. SOMEONE FROM THE WESTERN REGION SPOKE
ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF ENEMY AIRCRAFT AND ALSO FRIENDLY AIRCRAFT, MEANING
OUR AIRCRAFT. WE IMMEDIATELY CONVEYED THE INFORMATION TO THE VARIOUS
UNITS. AT 0300 HOURS, COLONEL 'ADNAN ANJAD, COMMANDER OF BRIGADE 224, WAS
ON THE RADIO FROM THE WESTERN REGION: WE ARE READY, SIR. BUT, YOUR PLACE IS
VACANT. GOD IS GREAT, I REPLIED. THAT REPLIED MEANT PLACE YOUR TRUST IN GOD
AND PRESS THE BUTTON. AT 0310 HOURS, THE SAME SPEAKER CAME BACK AND SAID:
LISTEN TO THE COUNTDOWN, SIR. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GOD IS GREAT! THE MISSILE
SHOT UP. IT WAS NOT JUST ONE, BUT EIGHT MISSILES AGAINST MILITARY TARGETS
AND VITAL INSTALLATIONS PART OF ENEMY WAR EFFORT. IT WAS THE FIRST STRIKE.
FIVE MISSILES FROM AL-QA'IM; THREE ON HAIFA AND TWO ON TEL AVIV; AND THREE
MISSILES FROM THE POINT WEST OF KILOMETER 160; ONE ON HAIFA AND TWO ON TEL
AVIV. THEY WERE CARRIED OUT BY THE MEN OF BRIGADE 224. (MORE) END OF
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MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED
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- JN2511082498 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 5 NOV 98 P 11 /// UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE.
Collection: FB
Creator:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
Description: (U) None
Language: eng
Precedence: ROUTINE
Source:
Attributions: SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 5 NOV 98 P 11
Subject: --
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