Location: Salman Peninsula (not within Salman Pak facility fence line), SE of Baghdad

Short Descriptor: The first dedicated BW research facility, designed specifically for the start of the BW program.

Details:
 
Iraq states that the BW program began in 1974 by presidential decree and by establishment of the Al Hazen Institute. Consideration of the program must have been earlier, given the completion of a functional scientific research complex by mid-1974. Planning, design, and construction of such a complex would had to have started by at least 1973, with concepts developed even earlier. The affiliation of the Institute is not defined, other than to a "State Security Organization." The Hazen Institute was under the direction of Major Ibrahim Ghazim, a member of the Chemical Corps, with the biological component having two senior Chemical Corps members.

The full, final, and complete disclosure (FFCD) states that the biological component of Hazen was "research on microorganisms for military purposes." It included antibiotic and environmental resistance, means of production, and agent preservation. While accepting in a broad sense this stated scope of research, UNSCOM assesses that the true objectives of the work and relationship to military requirement is lacking. Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus anthracis spores, Shigella spp., Vibrio cholerae, and viruses were among the microbes studied. Information from interviews differ on the success and outcome of the research.

The Institute was liquidated on 16 January 1979 because of financial fraud by the chairman and some senior staff, not for reasons of inadequacy of the facility, nor its inability to make scientific progress as claimed by Iraq. Iraq further asserts that that biological research was terminated but it is probably a temporary halt. Overall, UNSCOM has a poor understanding of the work done at this facility.

Other Information:

...In 1964, Iraq established the Iraqi Army Chemical Corps. Shortly thereafter, the Soviet Union provided Iraq a great deal of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protective equipment and training. A little more than a year later, reports began to circulate that Iraq was using toxic agents against the Kurds within their own country. These agents were believed to be riot control compounds; however, there were indications in the mid- to late-1980s that Iraq was interested in developing both chemical and biological warfare agents, possibly for use against the Kurds. Initial agent research and development took place at a facility near Salmat [sic] Pak (3306NO443SE) in association with the Al Hazen Institute. This work was transferred to a larger facility at Samarra (335ON04350E) in the early 1980s.[1]

...This report provides a chronology of events surrounding the Al Hazen Institute, the Ibn Al Haitham Institute, and the Baghdad Medical City, and their links to biological warfare programs.... At the beginning of 1988, the Al Hazen Institute was first identified and linked to the Salman Pak BW facility. The Iraqi Journal of Biological Sciences published an article from the chemistry department at the Ibn al Haitham Institute in Baghdad, Iraq, on trace elements of heavy metals found in Iraqi chewing gum. ((field comment) - see paragraph 14 for more information). In mid-1990, an Ibn al Haitham Institute was described as being in the Medical City. In February 1991, a booklet called "Storm in the Gulf" was published by an Iraqi author living in the West. He stated that the Iraqi secret service was called the "Ibn al Haitham." In September 1991, Commission team UNSCOM 15 looked for an underground BW facility in the Medical City. [deleted]. (source comment) - [deleted]. The team also asked about the Ibn al Haitham Institute and was told it was an eye hospital. At the end of 1991, U/I material was moved to a bunker near Al Amiriyah. In January 1992, the Medical City was cleaned (NFI). Also in January 1992, a source stated that the government chemical institute was moved to Mosul. In February 1992, UNSCOM 21 again looked for an underground bunker in the Medical City. The inspection team had hand-drawn maps that they gave to the Iraqis in an attempt to locate the bunker. (source comment: The Iraqis now believed that this information came from a human source.) In March 1992, the Ibn al Haitham Missile Research and Development Institute was established. In April 1992, the Medical City was reportedly closed to foreigners and only North Korean construction workers were allowed into the area. In July 1992, all personnel was moved out of the Medical City into two separate facilities. One facility was north of Mosul near the Tigris River and was described as being similar to the one in the Medical City. The second facility was the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. (field comment: This is the ministry where the standoff occurred during the UNSCOM39 search for a possible underground facility.) On 9 august 1992, the British magazine The Observer ran an article called "Iraqi Scientist Tells Ten Year Secret From Tehran." The article described BW research carried out under the civilian intelligence service at a facility with a name similar to the Al Hazan Institute. The Iraqis declared the existence of the Technical Research Center (TRC), of which a portion was involved in the analysis of foodstuffs. (source comment: The food analysis at the TRC is similar work to that done by the Ibn al Haitham Institute mentioned in an article from the Iraqi Journal of Biological Science on chewing gum. Source believes it unlikely for Iraq to have two forensic departments in existence at the same time.) UNSCOM42 inspected the missile research center at Ibn al Haitham (NFI). X-comments: (u)1. (source comment: A portion of the Baghdad metro system was designed to run under the Medical City. An U/I American company and an U/I Brazilian company were initially involved in part of the design work. The metro was designed to be nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) secure with walls 2.5 meters thick and the roof 3.5 meters thick. An air lock system was also planned. Two metro stations were near the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. The companies were dismissed after providing the design plans. Given the plans for the tunnels, the Iraqis could have built portions of the planned metro system near the Medical City. This might explain the information about material moving from the Medical City to the Agriculture Ministry. 2. (u) (field comment: An October 1982 article in the British magazine Tunnels and Tunneling entitled "Baghdad Metro - First in the Middle East" provides background information on construction of the Baghdad metro system--see enclosure.) [2]

Key Sources: 
[1] GulfLINK, "Iraqi Chemical Warfare Tactics, Policy and Doctrin," VII Corps/ARCENT, file: 123096_jun96_decls3_0001.txt.
[2] GulfLINK, "Baghdad Medical City," DIA, IIR, June 1993, file 961031_950719_22010825_93a.txt.

	Updated February 2006