Iraqi Chemical Munitions

The following was unclassified on 21 June 2006. (Click here for the source document)

Purpose: This summary provides an unclassified overview of chemical munitions recovered in iraq since May 2004.

Key Points:
Since 2003 Coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munition which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent.

Depsite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq's pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist.

Pre-Gulf War Iraqi chemical weapons could be sold on the black market. Use of these weapons by terrorists or insurgent groups would have implications for Coalition forces in Iraq. The possibility of use outside Iraq cannot be ruled out.

The most likely munitions remaining are sarin and mustard-filled projectiles.

The purity of the agent inside the munitions depends on many factors, including the manufacturing process, potential additives, and environmental storage conditions. while agents degrated over time, chemical warefare agents rmain hazardous and potentially lethal.

It has been reported in open press that insurgents and Iraqi groups desire to acquire and use chemical weapons.