IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (8)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06765450
• 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 -6054-5-(5)
Identifiers:
Document Number: WA2611072498
Dates:
Date Published: 26-Nov-1998 06:24:00
Date Received: 26-Nov-1998 01:27:30
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: WA2611072498
(U) COUNTRY: IRAQ SUBJ: TAKE 2 OF 5--IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (8)
(U) REF: JN2611071598 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12 /// WAS IN
DHAHRAN.
(U) SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12 TEXT:
(U) AT NOON, SURROUNDED BY MY OFFICERS, I MUST HAVE GONE INTO A REVERIE.
FOR I ROAMED THE STREETS OF BELOVED PALESTINE, THE HOLY ARAB LAND AND
SPOT FROM WHICH PROPHET MUHAMMAD ASCENDED TO THE SEVEN HEAVENS. HOW
BEAUTIFUL HAIFA LOOKED ALSO FROM THE SEA! THERE WAS A PAUSE. THEN MY EYES
FOCUSED ON THE BRIGHT GREEN PATCHES ON THE BIG MAP OF PALESTINE I POSTED
ON THE WALL. IT WAS INDEED HUGE WITH A 6,000/1 SCALE AND ITS SQUARES HAD
MARKINGS RELATED TO OUR OPERATIONS. THAT MAP CONTINUED TO BE THE SUBJECT
OF OUR PRIDE AND ADMIRATION AS IT REPRESENTED THE LAND AND THE CAUSE OF
OUR STRUGGLE, THE PALESTINE QUESTION. AT 2200 HOURS, AS I WAS STILL WORKING
ON THE COORDINATES WITH THE HELP OF THE SQUARES ON THE MAP WHEN THE
PHONE RANG. THE SPEAKER ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS THE COMMANDER OF BRIGADE
224 INFORMING ME ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF ENEMY INFILTRATORS IN THE WESTERN
REGION. I IMMEDIATELY ORDERED PROTECTION FOR THE LAUNCHERS AS FIRST
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PRIORITY. I THEN ORDERED SE7�p.p.1:6-vedioT:liele-a-s'e72(ii eii 6/66 6606515HE HIGHWAY,
USING TROOPS FROM THE COMMANDO BRIGADE OF THE 1V ARMY CORPS TO PROTECT
ROADS AND BRIDGES. I EMPHASIZED THAT THE TROOPS MUST STAY CLOSE TO THE
LAUNCHERS LIKE PERSONAL GUARDS. I ORDERED BRIGADE 224 TO HELP CAPTURE OR
LIQUIDATE THE INFILTRATORS. MEANWHILE, I INFORMED THE GENERAL COMMAND OF
THE ARMED FORCES ABOUT THE SUBJECT AND AT THE SAME TIME CHECKED THE
ORDER FOR THE SIXTH STRIKE ON THE ZIONIST ENTITY AND HOSTILE TARGETS IN
SAUDI ARABIA. AT 2250 HOURS, A MISSILE WAS FIRED ON AN ENEMY TARGET IN
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA. AND AT 2300 HOURS, FOUR MISSILES WERE FIRED ON TEL AVIV
AND ONE ON HAIFA. 27 JANUARY 1991 (SUBTITLE) I WAS STUDYING THE LEADER'S 21
JANUARY 1991 ORDER TURNING OVER THE MISSILES DIRECTORATE TO THE MISSILE
CORPS COMMAND WHEN THE COMMANDER OF BRIGADE 224 CALLED TO SAY THAT OUR
UNITS SUCCEEDED IN CAPTURING A GROUP OF INFILTRATORS AND KILLING SOME OF
THEM. THE COMMANDER SAID THAT THEY FOUND IN THEIR POSSESSION WEAPONS,
AMMUNITION, COMPASSES, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS
MAPS. HE SAID THE INFILTRATORS SPENT THE WHOLE OF LAST WEEK NEAR SAD BASE
AND THEN WALKED TO THE 180 KM AREA. DIDN'T I SAY THAT GOD IS OUR PROTECTOR
FROM THE EYES AND PLOTS OF THE ENEMIES? 28 JANUARY 1991 (SUBTITLE) I ISSUED
INSTRUCTIONS ON FUTURE USE OF EQUIPMENT AND THE NEED FOR PRECAUTION,
CONCEALMENT, PRESERVATION OF LAUNCHERS, REDUCTION OF THE ACTIVE FORCE,
AND MAINTENANCE WORK ON LAUNCHERS. I ASSIGNED THE ROLE OF SUPERVISION TO
THE RESERVIST AND MAINTENANCE UNITS, AND EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR
EVERYONE TO BE READY TO CARRY OUT MAJOR STRIKES WITH FULL FORCE IN
CERTAIN CASES. MY INSTRUCTIONS ALSO CALLED FOR CONTINUING WORK ON MORE
THAN ONE AXIS AND AREA, BOTH IN THE WEST OR THE EAST, AND THE NEED TO
TIGHTEN SECURITY ON ROADS AND BRIDGES AND TO SPEED UP WORK IN GENERAL.
FOR I NOTICED THAT SOME COMMAND UNITS TENDED TO BE A BIT SLOW.
FURTHERMORE, MY INSTRUCTIONS CALLED FOR CLOSER LIAISON AND
COMMUNICATION, AS I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH SOME OF THE MEASURES TAKEN BY
BRIGADE 223 WHICH AFFECTED CONTROL OPERATIONS. "THE ENEMY HAS LOST ITS
SENSES COMPLETELY," CRIED OUT CAPTAIN FARIS HAZIM, THE COMMAND
OPERATIONS OFFICER I NICKNAMED "SPRIGHTLY OFFICER!" MY RECOLLECTION OF
CAPTAIN FARIS, WHEN I SAW HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A MISSILE UNIT, WAS THAT HE
SPOKE SOFTLY AND MOVED SLOWLY. SO, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND HIM IN THIS
PLACE WHICH CALLED FOR QUICK ACTION. BUT, IT IS A FACT THAT I COULD NO LONGER
DISPENSE WITH HIS WORK. THAT CALM FACADE HID A BRILLIANT BRAIN. SO, WE GOT
ACCUSTOMED TO LISTENING PATIENTLY TO HIS WORDS, WHICH REMAINED CALM EVEN
IN THE MOST SENSITIVE AND CRUCIAL MOMENTS. WHAT IS IT? I ASKED. THE ENEMY IS
DIRECTING INTENSE FIRE ON AL-QA1M, HE SAID. THERE IS NOTHING NEW ABOUT THAT,
I REMARKED. HE SAID: THE NEW THING IS THAT THE ENEMY HAS DIRECTED ITS FIRE ON
THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN KILOMETERS 160 AND 190, BOMBING CIVILIAN CARS AND
TRUCKS COMING FROM JORDAN. THE ENEMY IS KILLING DEFENSELESS CHILDREN AND
CIVILIANS IN TENTS. 0 GOD, TAKE VENGEANCE ON THE ZIONISTS, THE AMERICAN
TYRANTS, AND THEIR COLLABORATORS AMONG THE TRAITORS OF OUR NATION IN THIS
WORLD AND THE LIFE HEREAFTER; AND HAVE MERCY ON ALL OF OUR MARTYRS.
(MORE) 10 NOV STAFF BRIGADIER GENERAL 'ABD-AL-QADIR AND COLONEL (b)(3)
GHANIM NEEDED AN EXPLANATION. I TOLD THEM: THE MATTER IS VERY SIMPLE. THE
ENEMY IS UNDER THE WRONG IMPRESSION THAT THE CIVILIAN TRUCKS AND CARS ARE
CAMOUFLAGE FOR OUR LAUNCHERS, OR THAT THEY CARRIED MISSILES, OR THAT
SOME OF OUR WEAPONS ARE IN BEDOUIN TENTS. INDEED, THE ENEMY WENT CRAZY. IT
COVERED THE REGION DAY AND NIGHT. ITS INFILTRATION ALSO CONTINUED BY
HELICOPTER AND LAND. NEVERTHELESS, OUR MISSILES CONTINUE TO BE HURLED ON
THEM FROM THE SAME REGION, THANKS TO THE MIGHTY EFFORTS OF OUR OFFICERS
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AND NOC'S. INDEED, I CAN STILLA'p'p-r;;-(Ii;r74je;;;72cri-gjic19-6-66jE5-7486,AITING FOR THE
MISSILE TO BE LAUNCHED TO WHISK THE LAUNCHER AWAY TO ANOTHER SAFE HIDING
PLACE. THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF CHIVALRY AND NOBILITY WHICH SADDAM HUSAYN
INSTILLED IN EVERYONE OF US. THIS IS THE BRIGHT PICTURE, WHICH IS REMINISCENT
OF THE HEROISM OF THE FIRST ARAB ERA. AT 1845 HOURS, THE 19TH BATTERY FIRED
A MISSILE IN THE DIRECTION OF A HOSTILE TARGET IN RIYADH. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY
THE FOURTH BATTERY, WHICH FIRED ANOTHER MISSILE IN THE DIRECTION OF TEL
AVIV AT 2205 HOURS. AT 2230 HOURS, THE OPERATIONAL MISSILE CONTROL CENTER
INFORMED US ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE AIR RAIDS ON THE SOUTHERN SECTOR,
WHERE A TACTICAL LAUNCHER BELONGING TO THE SECOND BATTALION OF BRIGADE
225 WAS HIT. TWO OFFICERS AND TWO MEN WERE MARTYRED AND OTHER FIGHTERS
WERE INJURED. (MORE) END OF MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED
- JN2611071598 AMMAN AL-ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12111 WAS IN
DHAHRAN.
Collection: FB
Creator:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
Description: (U) None
Language: eng
UNCLASSIFIED
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Precedence: ROUTINE
Source:
Attributions: SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 10 NOV 98 P 12
Subject: --
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