IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (8)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06765451
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2018
• Case Number: F-2018-00293
• Publication Date: November 26, 1998

(U) IRAQI COMMANDERAp-p-rc7fed -6054-571)
Identifiers:
Document Number: WA2611072598
Dates:
Date Published: 26-Nov-1998 06:24:00
Date Received: 26-Nov-1998 01:27:52
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: IRQ
Region: MIDDLEEAST
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
UNCLASSIFIED 1
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(b)(3)
(U) SERIAL: WA2611072598
(U) COUNTRY: IRAQ SUBJ: TAKE 3 OF 5--IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (8)
(U) REF: JN2611071598 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12111
FIGHTERS WERE INJURED.
(U) SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12 TEXT:
(U) THE DIRECTOR OF THE AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE PROVIDED ME WITH A PRECISE
MAP OF HAFR AL-BATIN, WHICH HE FOUND IN THE POSSESSION OF A CAPTURED
ENEMY PILOT. THE MAP PROVED VERY USEFUL IN MY WORK. THE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF DECLARED 29 AND 30 JANUARY AS REST DAYS FOR THE MISSILE UNITS. I GOT
THE ORDER THROUGH THE PRESIDENT'S AIDE-DE-CAMP AT NIGHT. 29 JANUARY 1991 AT
1000 HOURS, I ORDERED THE RETURN OF BRIGADE 224 TO ITS SHELTERS IN BAGHDAD.
AND AT 1200, I ORDERED BRIGADE 223 TO DEPLOY IN BA'QUBAH. I ALSO ORDERED THE
MISSILE MAINTENANCE COMMANDER TO VACATE THE BELONGINGS AND STORES OF
THE FIRST MAINTENANCE UNIT FROM AL-RAMADI TO SAFER AREAS. AT 1230 HOURS,
TWO ENEMY HELICOPTERS APPROACHED KILOMETER 160 AREA IN THE WESTERN
REGION. AT 1600 HOURS, THE FIRST BATTALION OF THE FIRST COMMANDO BRIGADE
OF THE 1V ARMY CORPS WAS PREPARED TO OPEN THE ROAD BETWEEN AL-
MUHAMMADIYAT AND AL-RUTBAH AS THE ENEMY OCCUPIED A POSITION 10
UNCLASSIFIED 2
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KILOMETERS EAST OF AL-RUTBaApproved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765451-ZOMPLISH THE
TASK BY 2000 HOURS. WE ESTIMATED THE HOSTILE FORCE AT A BATTALION MINUS A
COMPANY. THE PRESIDENT'S AIDE-DE-CAMP BROUGHT A MESSAGE CONTAINING AN
ORDER TO RESUME THE ATTACK ON ENEMY TARGETS AFTER THE TWO-DAY REST, BUT
ALSO STRESSING THE NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL AND TO USE ONLY ONE OR TWO
MISSILES AT A TIME. 30 JANUARY 1991 AT 0100 HOURS, THE FIRST COMMANDO
BRIGADE INFORMED US THAT IT SEARCHED THE ROAD FROM KILOMETER 190 TO AL-
RUTBAH WITHOUT TRACING THE ENEMY. THE SECURITY AUTHORITIES INFORMED US
ONCE AGAIN THAT HOSTILE RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLES WERE SIGHTED FIVE
KILOMETERS EAST OF AL-RUTBAH. THE SECOND BATTALION FROM COMMANDO
BRIGADE WAS ORDERED TO SEARCH THE REGION BETWEEN THE OLD ROAD AND THE
HIGHWAY. I SENT A FOLLOW-UP TO THE INSTRUCTIONS I ISSUED THE PAST TWO DAYS
TO BRIGADE 224 AND THE COMMANDER OF THE FIRST SPECIAL TASK FORCE ON THE
CAMOUFLAGE OF LAUNCHERS, DECEPTION METHODS, PROTECTION, AND
COORDINATION ON PROTECTING AND CAMOUFLAGING UNITS, AND LAYING AMBUSHES
FOR ENEMY AIRCRAFT WITH STRELLA MISSILES TO SHOOT THEM DOWN. (MORE) 5 NOV
I ISSUED ORDERS FOR PREPARATION TO FIRE ONE MISSILE ON TEL AVIV AT (b)(3)
1730 HOURS ON 31 JANUARY. I SUBMITTED A REPORT ON OUR STRIKES FROM 18 TO 28
JANUARY, AS WELL AS OTHER DETAILS AS FOLLOWS:
(U) 1. THE NUMBER OF MISSILES WERE 52-28 ON THE ZIONIST ENTITY AND 24 ON
HOSTILE TARGETS IN SAUDI ARABIA. I EXPLAINED THE TARGETS.
(U) 2. THE AVERAGE DAILY FIRING IN GENERAL WAS FOUR AND ONE QUARTER
MISSILES; ONE AND ONE QUARTER MISSILES BY IRAQI LAUNCHERS AND THREE
MISSILES BY OTHER LAUNCHERS DAILY.
(U) 3. THE FIRING WAS CARRIED OUT FROM 11 LAUNCHING SITES IN FIVE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND ON THREE AXES.
(U) 4. OUR UNITS WERE SUBJECTED TO HOSTILE AIR AND MISSILE BOMBING AND
INFILTRATION OPERATIONS. SEVEN INFILTRATORS WERE CAPTURED.
(U) 5. OUR LOSSES WERE: ONE OFFICER AND FIVE SOLDIERS MARTYRED AND SEVEN
OFFICERS AND 41 MEN INJURED.
(U) 6. THE ENEMY HIT NINE FIXED BASES --WHICH WERE NOT IN USE, SINCE WE
DEPENDED ON MOBILE BASES ONLY-- OUT OF A TOTAL OF 28 BASES; 17 VEHICLES;
AND 3 ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS. IT TOOK THE ENEMY 43 FULL DAYS TO HIT THE FIXED AND
CAMOUFLAGE BASES. STILL, IT DID NOT HIT THEM ALL. YET, THE ACCURSED
SCHWARZKOPF CLAIMS THAT THEY DESTROYED THEM ALL ALONG WITH OTHER
MOBILE LAUNCHERS ON THE FIRST DAY.
(U) 7. THE BALANCE OF OUR MISSILES AND WARHEADS.
(U) 8. I PRESENTED THE PROBLEM OF PROTECTION AND THE NEED FOR MORE UNITS
TO INSURE A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ACTION, SINCE OUR OPERATIONS
COVERED A VERY LONG AXIS OF 1,180 KILOMETERS. THE WESTERN REGION ALONE IS
530 KILOMETERS LONG. IT WAS ALSO EXPOSED TO HOSTILE LANDING AND
INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS.
(U) I INQUIRED FROM THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE ABOUT THE
INFORMATION THEY OBTAINED FROM THE INFILTRATORS WHO WERE CAPTURED ON
THE NIGHT OF 26-27 JANUARY CONCERNING OUR POSITIONS AND BASES IN THE
WESTERN SECTOR. WE TRANSFERRED SOME BATTERIES BELONGING TO ANTI-
AIRCRAFT BATTALION 852--WHICH WERE PLACED AT OUR DISPOSAL BY THE 11TH
UNCLASSIFIED
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DIVISION--FROM OUR COMMANEA07eC1107 :.--0r871-(3/1:i6--CbF7-664-5-1TO PROTECT ITS
UNITS. THE NUMBER OF RA'D (LUNA) MISSILES AND TARIQ (ASTRAS) MISSILES FIRED TO
THIS DAY IN THE SECTORS OF THE VARIOUS ARMY CORPS IN KUWAIT WAS 40, AND 925
RESPECTIVELY. 31 JANUARY 1991 (SUBTITLE) THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE
DIRECTORATE SAID THAT THE TASK OF THE ENEMY INFILTRATORS WAS TO RESCUE
ENEMY PILOTS AND MONITOR, OBSERVE, AND GATHER INFORMATION ON IRAQI
WEAPONS. IT ADDED: THERE ARE THREE BRITISH GROUPS IN THE DESERT AREAS IN
IRAQI TERRITORY. EACH GROUP CONSISTS OF EIGHT PERSONS. THE ONE CAPTURED
IS THE NORTHERN ONE. THE SEARCH IS CONTINUING TO TRACK DOWN THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN GROUPS. OUR UNITS HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO BE MORE CAREFUL.
(MORE) END OF MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED
- JN2611071598 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12111 FIGHTERS
WERE INJURED.
Collection: FB
Creator:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
Description: (U) None
Language: eng
UNCLASSIFIED
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Precedence: ROUTINE
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Source:
Attributions: SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12
Subject: --
UNCLASSIFIED 5
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