IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (3)

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
06765412
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
4
Document Creation Date: 
December 28, 2022
Document Release Date: 
November 20, 2018
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2018-00293
Publication Date: 
November 22, 1998
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PDF icon iraqi commander memoirs o[15518761].pdf113.04 KB
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Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 U IN UL/AJ J iritu (U) IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (3) Identifiers: Document Number: JN2211063398 Dates: Date Published: 22-Nov-1998 05:39:00 Date Received: 22-Nov-1998 00:41:47 Coverage: CIA Country Code: IRQ Region: MIDDLEEAST Publisher: Agency Acronym: RESTON VA Office Name: FBIS (b)(3) (b)(3) (b)(3) UNCLASSIFIED 1 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 U IN l, L/AJ Jiritu (b)(3) (U) SERIAL: JN2211063398 (U) COUNTRY: IRAQ SUBJ: TAKE 1 OF 5--IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (3) (U) SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 29 OCT 98 P 11 TEXT: (U) (PART THREE OF BOOK OF MEMOIRS ENTITLED "FORTY-THREE MISSILES ON THE ZIONIST ENTITY," BY STAFF LIEUTENANT GENERAL HAZIM 'ABD-AL-RAZZAQ AL-AYYUBI, COMMANDER OF THE IRAQI SURFACE-TO-SURFACE MISSILE CORPS DURING THE GULF WAR) (U) (FBIS TRANSLATED TEXT) CHAPTER 111: CALL DAY (1) 2 AUGUST 1990 IN MY DIARY, CALL DAY CORRESPONDED TO 11 MUHARRAM 1411 HEGIRA. IT WAS THE DAY THE ARMED FORCES DECLARED A STATE OF ALERT. THIS INCLUDED OUR UNITS, WHICH DID NOT EXPERIENCE A STATE OF ALERT BEFORE, BUT WERE STILL READY. MISSILE BRIGADE 224 WAS IN THE WESTERN REGION, AND MISSILE BRIGADE 225 IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. 4 AUGUST 1990 WE FORMED AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTALION AND SECONDED IT TO MISSILE BRIGADE 224 TO PROTECT IT FROM ENEMY AIR ATTACK. THE BATTALION INCLUDED GUNS AND A BATTERY OF STRELLA MISSILES. 5 AUGUST 1990 I ISSUED AN INTEGRATED WORKING PLAN FOR MISSILES WITH CHEMICAL WARHEADS. I HAD ISSUED INITIAL PLANS SINCE 28 APRIL IN OORDINATION WITH AL-MUTHANNA ENTERPRISE. 7 AUGUST 1990 I RECEIVED THE PRESIDENT'S ORDER TO GET READY TO REPLY IMMEDIATELY TO THE ZIONIST ENTITY WITH LONG-RANGE MISSILES. THIS CAME IN HIS COMMENT ON AN ANALYSIS BY THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE ON THE ZIONIST POSITION ON 3 AUGUST 1990. I ALERTED THE UNITS BELONGING TO BRIGADES 223 AND 224 AND THE FIRST MAINTENANCE UNIT. WE ALSO TOOK STEPS TO REDUCE PREPARATION TIME FOR THE MILITARY STRIKE TO A QUARTER OF THE TIME. AND TO GUARANTEE IMMEDIATE ACTION, I MADE THE FOLLOWING REQUESTS: (U) INSURING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE MISSILE CORPS HEADQUARTERS AND UNCLASSIFIED 2 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 U IN l, L/AJ Jiritu THE QUARTER WHICH WILL BE RECOMMENDED BY THE HIGHER AUTHORITY FOR CONTACT IN AN EMERGENCY. ASSIGNING A HELICOPTER, WHICH WILL BE ON ALERT AT AL-RASHID AIR BASE, FOR CONTROLLING THE UNITS. (U) I OBTAINED THE PRESIDENT'S APPROVAL OF MY REQUESTS THROUGH HIS SECRETARY ON 11 AUGUST 1990. WE ALSO REQUESTED THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE TO INFORM US AS SOON AS THE ENEMY DIRECTS A TREACHEROUS STRIKE AT IRAQ AND TO ALSO PROVIDE US WITH THE RESULTS OF SUCH STRIKES. 8 AUGUST 1990 AL-HUSAYN MISSILES ARE READY FOR LAUNCHING TODAY. I ISSUED AN ORDER THE PREVIOUS EVENING TO FUEL 10 OF THEM IN BRIGADE 224 SITES. THUS, THE MISSILE STRIKE NEEDED ONLY FOUR HOURS FROM THE TIME THE ORDER IS GIVEN TO THE TIME OF LAUNCHING. ON THE SAME DAY, WE PREPARED REPLACEMENT CREWS FOR THE ONES MANNING THE CHEMICAL WARHEADS. WE TRAINED THEM ON OUR ACTION PLANS AND PREPARED ALL THE NECESSARY INVENTIVE MEANS FOR THEM. 9 AUGUST 1990 I ASKED THE SUPPORT UNIT AT THE AIR FORCE AND AIR DEFENSE COMMAND TO GUARANTEE PROTECTION FOR THE DEPLOYMENT AREAS, SHELTERS, AND LAUNCHING SITES THROUGH THE SECOND AIR DEFENSE SECTOR AND PROVIDED IT WITH A SKETCH OF OUR LAUNCHING MEANS. I ALSO TOLD THE UNIT THAT WE WOULD INFORM THE AIR DEFENSE OPERATIONS CENTER AS SOON AS OUR UNITS BEGAN TO MOVE. MOREOVER, I GAVE IT THE NUMBERS OF OUR DIRECT TELEPHONES. AT THE SAME TIME, I REQUESTED IT FOR ANY INFORMATION IT MIGHT HAVE ON ANY ZIONIST ATTACK AS SOON AS IT TOOK PLACE. 10 AUGUST 19901 RECEIVED A DIRECTIVE FROM PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSAYN WHICH WAS COMMUNICATED BY HIS SECRETARY ABOUT OUR PLAN TO CONCEAL STRATEGIC STORAGES. THE DIRECTIVE SAID THAT THE PLAN SHOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO CONCEALMENT OVER ANY OTHER ACTION. THIS EARLY MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT PROVED TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IN PROTECTING OUR STORAGES FROM ENEMY BOMBING THROUGHOUT THE WAR. THIS, OF COURSE, WAS IN ADDITION TO OUR TRUST IN GOD TO PROTECT US FROM ENEMY AIR RECONNAISSANCE AND MONITORING. THAT WAS A BLESSING FROM GOD ALMIGHTY AND WE THANKED HIM FOR IT. I GAVE ORDERS TO THE UNITS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTION AND TURNED MY ATTENTION TO THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED ON POTENTIAL ENEMY TARGETS. 11 AUGUST 1990 WE BEGAN CARRYING OUT THE PRESIDENT'S DIRECTIVE ON THE CONCEALMENT OF STRATEGIC STORAGES. I ALLOWED ONE WHOLE WEEK FOR THIS TASK, BUT IT TOOK 10 DAYS. BECAUSE THE STORAGES HAD TO BE SCATTERED IN 15 DIFFERENT AREAS FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. WE FOLLOWED THIS COURSE OF ACTION: (U) 1. FIRST PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO DISPERSING AND STORING AL-HUSAYN MISSILES. (U) 2. SECOND PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO OTHER STORAGES. (U) 3. MISSILES WILL BE STORED IN DIFFERENT PLACES FROM THOSE FOR CHEMICAL WARHEADS. OTHER STORAGES, WILL BE KEPT IN DIFFERENT PLACES. (U) 4. NOT MORE THAN 25 TO 30 MISSILES WILL BE STORED IN ANY ONE PLACE. (MORE) END OF MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED Collection: FB Creator: Agency Acronym: RESTON VA Office Name: FBIS UNCLASSIFIED 3 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412 U IN UL/AJ J wit U Description: (U) None (b Language: eng Precedence: ROUTINE Source: Attributions: SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 29 OCT 98 P 11 Subject: -- UNCLASSIFIED 4 Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765412