Description:
The Qadhimiya site of the Karama State Establishment was located approximately 20 kilometers north of the city, and comprises some 30 buildings and structures enclosed in a 300m x 300m location. Like the Wazeriyah site, Qadhimiya was heavily involved in the post-war missile program.

Prior to 1990, the site belonged to the People's Army, and was not associated with missile activities. In January of that year, Project 1728 (Scud reverse-engineering) took it over, as a location for continued expansion of its activities. The Al-Faw State Establishment began modifying the site to make it appropriate for industrial work; this construction continued until January 1991. When Desert Storm began, Qadhimiya became a primary evacuation site for 1728 equipment. Immediately after the war, the Military Industrialization Commission (MIC) reportedly cancelled the Project 1728 expansion, and distributed the site amongst other MIC establishments. However, Project 1728 continued to use the location as a temporary storage site and likely for some missile-related activities, although the nature of this activities remains unclear. On or about August 1991, Iraq began the covert J-1 program, an effort to quickly build a ballistic missile using, effectively, an SA-2 sustainer in a rail-launch, inclined mode. The project fell under the purview of Gen. Raad Ismail (former director of Project 144) and was apparently centered at Qadhimiya, with support from other establishments.

As J-1 was getting underway, the remnant of Project 1728 was re-named Al-Mutawakel Factory, and in January 1992 it was moved out of Qadhimiya to a location in Dawra, a southern suburb of Baghdad. The so-called Sadiq Factory at Dawra was thereafter charged with developing the liquid engine for the J-1 project.

Meanwhile, work continued at the site on the secret J-1missile, as well as an open or "declared" project, known as the Ababil-100. This short-range missile was rooted in pre-war designs; initial post-war designs focused on several possible versions, both liquid and solid. Given all of these activities, Iraq decided to formally create a missile research center, and in April 1992, the Ibn Al-Haytham Missile Research and Design Center was inaugurated at the Qadhimiya location.

After several flight-tests, the J-1 missile failed to meet design objectives, and Gen. Raad was effectively fired as Director General of Ibn al-Haytham. Dr. Modher Al Sadiq—the former director of Project 1728—took control of both Ibn Al Haytham and Al-Karama (the two facilities were administratively merged). While Ibn Al-Haytham handled primary design duties for the Ababil missile and engine, Karama was tasked to manufacture gyro parts being designed at the former facility.

In January 1994, another momentous change took place: Gen. Raad returned from administrative exile to become the new director of Karama. The "new" site was named the Karama Missile R&D Center and split off from Ibn Al-Haytham. Thereafter, the two facilities were in competition with each other to develop a short-range ballistic missile. The name for the Ibn Al-Haytham missile remained Ababil-100 (both a liquid and solid version) while Al-Karama started with a new 500mm liquid design, known as the Al-Samoud.

Following the tidal wave that shook Iraq's military industrial complex after the defection of Hussein Kamil, the MIC made additional changes that affected Ibn Al-Haytham. Principally, this involved the firing and subsequent imprisonment of Dr. Modher, and the promotion of Gen. Raad as the sole director of all missile activities. Thus, at the end of 1995, Ibn-Al Haytham was absorbed under Karama's wing, and Karama thus had three sites: the Wazyriah site (same location as "old" State Establishment), the Qadhimiya site (formerly Ibn Al-Haytham) and the Rafah test site. Thereafter, the Wazeriyah site became the headquarters of missile activities in Iraq, to include the Ababil-50, the Samoud liquid missile, and the Ababil-100 solid missile.

For its part, Qadhimiya was tasked—under Karama direction—with assembly and testing of the Al-Samoud, the production of some gyro parts, the coordination of the Saham Saddam rocket, and with work on civilian projects, such as deep well pumps. In 1997, Qadhimiya also became the headquarters for the Ababil-100 solid project (later named al-Fateh).

Ibn Al-Haytham was struck heavily during Desert Fox in December 1998.

Following the strikes against Iraqi missile infrastructure during Desert Fox, missile activities were distributed throughout a number of sites, including new facilities. For its part, Qadhimiya/Ibn Al-Haytham remained integral to the overall effort. From the summer of 1999 through Operation Iraqi Freedom, Qadhimiya was involved in engineering work for the Samoud-2 missile, some parts production and, perhaps most importantly, engineers on-site performed final check-outs for the Samoud liquid engine prior to static or flight-tests. Towards the middle of February 2003, Iraq began to shift some Samoud-2 assembly capability to the Qadhimiya site. Finally, Qadhimiya served as an important administrative hub, given that the Director General of the entire Karama State Establishment had his offices at the facility.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, and during severe looting after the war, the Qadhimiya site was heavily damaged.

Key Sources: UN Inspection data; Interview data.

	Updated October 2003