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Iraq’s ballistic missile efforts
suffered substantial damage from coalition bombing during the
Gulf
War and from destruction activity by U.N. inspectors after the
war.
The U.N. sanctions have hampered Iraq’s efforts to reestablish
its missile capacity to pre-Gulf War
levels. However, Iraq has been able to rebuild substantial portions
of its missile production
infrastructure, and is doing everything possible to push the
limits imposed by the sanctions in a
major attempt to bolster its arsenal.
In 1996, former UNSCOM Executive Chairman Rolf Ekeus publicly
stated on
several ocassions that Iraq continues to conceal a number of
SCUD missiles.
He also expressed concern that Iraq may be hiding chemical and
biological
warheads for these missiles.
Iraq is believed to be developing ballistic missiles with a
range greater than
150 km, in direct contravention to the prohibitions outlined
in U.N. Security
Council Resolution 687.
Discrepancies identified by UNSCOM in Iraq’s declarations,
suggest that Iraq retains a small force
of SCUD-type missiles – Al Hussein – with a range
of 650 km, capable of targeting Israel, Iran,
Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. In addition, it is believed to possess
a number of launchers and warheads.
Iraq continues work on the Al-Samoud liquid propellant short-range
missile (which can fly beyond
the allowed 150 km). The Al-Samoud and the solid propellant
Ababil – 100 both appeared in a
military parade in Baghdad on December 31, 2001, suggesting
that both systems were near
operational deployment.
Iraq is known to have rebuilt several critical missile production
sites. Al-Rafah-North facility is Iraq’s
principal site for testing liquid propellant missile engines.
Iraq has been building a new, larger test
stand there, that is clearly intended for testing prohibited
longer range missile engines.
At their Al-Mamoun facility, the Iraqis have rebuilt structures
that had been dismantled by UNSCOM
that were originally designed to manufacture solid propellant
motors for the Badr – 2000 missile
program.
Much of Iraq’s post Gulf-War missile activity is conducted
under the auspices of the Ababil program.
This program is developing solid and liquid propellant missiles
with ranges of less than 150 km, an
activity allowed under U.N. Security Council Resolution 687.
There is concern, however, about the growing evidence that Iraq
is using this program to maintain
a knowledge base to support future development of long-range
missiles.
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