Dr. Souad N. Al -AzzawiAssistant Professor / Environmental Eng.

IRAQ

Iraqs Invasion Millitary Combat Operations and Weapons

Tremendous types and generations of deadly military weapons have been

used during the invasion of Iraq (March 19 – April 21) some of which

are shown [2]

AGM 88AGM 88

AGM 154AAGM 154A

SCUD CSCUD C

TomahawkTomahawk

AGM 65AGM 65

MK-82MK-82

AGM 84DAGM 84D

GBU 12GBU 12

MOABMOAB

Hellfire air-to-surface missileHellfire air-to-surface missile

TOW anti-armor missileTOW anti-armor missile

Stinger anti-aircraft missileStinger anti-aircraft missile

Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB)(MOAB)

JDAM air-to-surface bombJDAM air-to-surface bombJSOW air-to-surface bombJSOW air-to-surface bombGBU laser-guided bombsGBU laser-guided bombs

GBU – 28/27 Bunker BusterGBU – 28/27 Bunker BusterDaisy Cutter 15,000 lb bombDaisy Cutter 15,000 lb bomb

MK 82/ 500 lb bombMK 82/ 500 lb bombMK 84/ 2000 lb bombMK 84/ 2000 lb bombThermobonic weaponThermobonic weapon

Tomahawk / AGM, cruise missileTomahawk / AGM, cruise missileMaverick air-to-surface missileMaverick air-to-surface missile

HARM anti-radar missileHARM anti-radar missileAIM-120 air-to-air missileAIM-120 air-to-air missile

MunitionsMunitions

- Up-armored Humvee- Up-armored Humvee- M1A1 Abrams battle tank- M1A1 Abrams battle tank- M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicle- M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicle- M6 Bradley Linebacker - M6 Bradley Linebacker - Humvee- Humvee- M109A6 Paladin Howitzer- M109A6 Paladin Howitzer- Saxon Armored personnel carrier- Saxon Armored personnel carrier- Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle- Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle- SA-80 rifle- SA-80 rifle- A590 Brave heart - A590 Brave heart - M270 multiple launch rocket system- M270 multiple launch rocket system

- Patriot missile system- Patriot missile system- Avenger Humvee- Avenger Humvee- Light armored vehicle- Light armored vehicle- M88A2 Hercules Recovery- M88A2 Hercules Recovery- US infantry weapons- US infantry weapons- Challenger II battle tank- Challenger II battle tank- Warrior combat vehicle- Warrior combat vehicle- Striker anti-armor vehicle- Striker anti-armor vehicle- Sabre reconnaissance- Sabre reconnaissance- Land rover light truck- Land rover light truck

Ground WeaponsGround Weapons

Also the following weapons have been used [1], [6], [7], [8], [10], [11], [13], [14]

Napalm bombsCluster bombs (BLU-97 A/B) and (RBL 755), (CBU-

105), and cluster munitions and MLRSChemical agents (like in Fallujah, Al-Dor, Ballad,

Tikrete, etc.)DU weapons (including in Bunker Busters and Tomahawk missiles).

Reminder:Reminder: First generation of Bunker Busters (GBU-27) were also tested for the

first time in Iraq on February 13 to destroy Al-Amriyah Shelter in

Baghdad. It has been proven successful with 2000 lb of

explosives incinerating 408 women and children sleeping the shelter.

Major air pollution sources resulting from IIMO are:

1- Toxic hydrocarbon (HC) soot and fumes from the burning of thousands of barrels of oil from wells or oil pits surrounding Baghdad and other cities. Smoke and soot from oil burning contains toxic and carcinogens [21] Substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs, dioxins, furans, mercury, sulfur.

Figure (a ): shows these HC plumes and Table 2 shows pollutants loads from burning different fuel types.

Figure ( b): shows these HC plumes and Table 2 shows pollutants loads from burning different fuel types.

Kg Pollutants / Tone of Burned FuelKg Pollutants / Tone of Burned Fuel

Fuel TypeFuel Type Suspended Suspended ParticlesParticles

SOSO22 NOxNOx HC HC COCO

GasolineGasoline 2.02.0 0.540.54 10.310.3 14.514.5 377.0377.0Gas OilGas Oil 2.42.4 19.0019.00 11.0011.00 2.62.6 43.543.5

KeroseneKerosene 3.03.0 17.0017.00 2.32.3 0.40.4 0.250.25

Table 2:Table 2: Pollutants Loads Generated from Burning of Hydrocarbons Fuels

2- Explosions plumes from conventional weapons (NOx, SOx, COx, etc.)

3- Thermal and heat pollution as a result of using Napalm and Thermaboric Bunker Buster bombs.

4- Noise Pollution during air raids and what was known as “Shock and Awe” where noise intensity exceeded 130 dB or

close to the threshold of pain to human beings [23].

5- Increase of TSS (Total Suspended Solids) in air due to tanks and heavy artilleries traffic and deep into earth bombardment using the

Bunker Buster bombs and other heavy missiles.

6- Increase the number or frequency of sand and dust storms compared to the previous

years due to the destruction of soil molecular structure and the damage to vegetation cover. Table ( 3 ) shows the frequency and consternations of total suspended particles in selected years in Iraq .

Year Storms Frequency

Highest and Lowest Conc. Of TSS

(µgm/m³)1985 2 950 – 3191986 1 1211 – 2131988 -- 461 – 1131990 -- 580 – 167 1991 3 8800 – 139

* 2003 5

Table (3):Table (3): Frequency & concentrations of (TSS) in selected years, in Iraq [24], [25].

8- Complex plumes of adsorbed (DU) oxides on fine suspended dust (clay particles of <5 microns) with hydrocarbonic soot and smoke.

7- Ionized radiation (α, β, δ) as a result of using more than (1100 – 2200) tons of Depleted Uranium weaponry.

Surface and groundwater in Iraq represented by Tigris and Euphrates rivers, their tributaries, storage lakes, marshes and shallow ground water aquifers connected to these water courses. Heavy bombardment of understorage tanks and infrastructures caused a great deal of seepage of hazardous materials, such as:

1.Chemicals , hydrocarbons and sewage water to nearby water courses or to groundwater then to surface water.

2.Polluted surface runoff after every rainstorm adds dissolved air pollutants to soil or surface water.

3. Increase of waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, malaria, and dysentery especially after the degradation of sanitary conditions due to lack of chemicals and the looting of major mechanical and electrical parts of the water purification and sewage treatment plants in BaghdadBaghdad and other cities.

WHO, UNEP, Oxfam, Voices in the Wilderness groups wrote about the deterioration of sanitation and the

outbreak of some serious dangerous diseases like

(leishmaniasis) which leads to disfigurement of the face and the

hands.

The continuous and heavy bombardment for one month caused tremendous damage to soil structure. Soil contamination and degradation by:

1.Spilled chemicals and oils. About (217) attacks on oil pipes [25] & refinaries resulted in spillage of thousands of barrels of oil which seeps to surface water, soil, and groundwater.

3. Heavy artilleries and tanks and armored vehicles traffic.

4. Bulldozing huge areas from trees and date palms trees by American troops as a collective punishment for resisting the occupation [24 ].

2. Sewage with high TDS and biological oxygen demand (BOD).

All of the above reasons caused degradation in land fertility capability

to support natural or cultivated vegetation cover. As a result there was a reduction in vegetation cover in 2005

by ( 47 ) % of the area before the invasion as shown in the Landsat images of Baghdad in these two

periods.

As a consequence endangered Iraqi desert species like Asiatic jackal, wolf, fox, gazelle and falcons disappeared from the few areas sheltering them on the edges of urban areas.

Baghdad International Airport Highway in 2002, more than 10 km long and about 100 m width was highly vegetated with palm trees

and eucalyptus.

Enhanced satellite image of 2002

The filled colored area were previously vegetated as shown in the previous image.

The estimated bulldozered area is about 1 million (sq.m.)

Euphrates River

Al- Rammadi CityAl- Rammadi City

Radiological Pollution Associated with the IIMO:

Since 1991 Iraq has been subjected to radiological pollution as a result of using Depleted Uranium Weapons by USA and

Allies in the Gulf War I.

This contamination caused an increase in cancer incident rates

and congenital malformations to six times more than prior to the war in southern Iraq where more than 320

tons of DU munitions have been fired in areas west of Al- Basrah

City. Other areas in Iraq proven to be contaminated (Table 4) but with

a lesser degree of contamination.

During IIMO in 2003 DU munitions were also used directly or indirectly through new generations of weapons

with an extraordinary number of penetrating capabilities like Cruise

Missiles and the Bunker Buster Bombs.

Dr. Dai Williams listed these suspected weapons in Table (5).

Using depleted or non-depleted uranium weapons this time or heavily populated areas like

Baghdad center.

To assess the impact of these radiological and toxic weapons on

the population in the area we need to know the exact amount of depleted

uranium used.

AuthorsAuthors YearYear MeasurementsMeasurements AreasAreasMaarouf, B.A. et al. 1993 Exposure, soil sampling to

define (U-238, Th-234, Ra-226) increase radioactivity

Artawee North and South Rumaila Oil Fields, Grange (south of Iraq)

Al-Azzawi, S.N. et al. 1996 Exposure, soil, water, vegetation cover and animal tissues

Safwan, Jabal Sanam, Al-Zubair, South and North Rumaila Oil Fields (south of Iraq)

Khalil, M.A. and Fethi, F.M.

1996 Exposure, soil, water, plants and animal tissues

Al-Muthana and Thee- Qar Governorates

Tawfiq, N.F. et al. 2000 (Alpha) activity in soil samples

Al-Muthana, Al-Basrah, Thee- Qar Governorates

Maarouf, B.A. 2000 Exposure, activity measurements in soil

Al-Basrah and Al-Muthana Governorates

Al-Azzawi, S.N. and Aref, A.

2000 Water and river sediments North of Al-Basrah waterways and Shatt Al-Arab

Al-Azzawi, S.N. and Nashwan Shawkat

2000 Exposure, soil, water, sediment

Mosul City and Ninevah Governorate

Table ( 4 ): Measured DU Contamination Areas in Iraq During and Post First Gulf War 1991

AuthorsAuthors YearYear MeasurementsMeasurements AreasAreasAl-Azzawi, S.N. and Nashwan Shawkat

2000 Exposure, soil, water, sediment

Mosul City and Ninevah Governorate

Al-Azzawi, S.N. and Hassan, A.

2000 Exposure, soil Safwan City, Al-Zubair, Jabal Sanam, Northern and Southern Rumaila Oil Fields, Al-Basrah City

Elias, M.M. et al. 2001 Radioisotopes in drinking water

Baghdad City Municipality

Tawfiq, N.F. et al. 2000 U-238 concentration in Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Al-Basrah, Al-Suweirah and other locations

Butrus, S.M. et al. 2001 Soil sampling East, central and west areas of Al-Basrah

Kinani, A.T. et al. 2001 U-235/U-238 in soil samples

Al-Basrah, Safwan, S. Rummailah, N. Rummailah Oil Fields

Table (4)….CONT.

DU in Cruise MissilesPost the first test of AGM 154JSOW Cruise Missiles in the No-Fly Zone in

1999 [ 20 ], a comprehensive radiological detection, sampling and testing program has been conducted by the Environmental Engineering

Department in Baghdad University in the following areas [28].

Area No. of Exposure

Meas.

No. of Soil Samples

No. of Water

Samples Mosul City

Center86 57 3

Ninevah Governorate

24 24 1

Total 110 81 4

Table (6): Number and Types of Sampling Programs

Location of the study areaLocation of the study area

Figure Shows studied area locations and distributions of sampling problems.Notice the three locations destroyed by Tomahawk Cruise Missile, in the eastern bank of the Tigris river in Mosul.

Extensive studies of the following were done before the sampling program:

1. Population distribution2. Climatological conditions (rainfall, temp.

prevailing winds, etc.)3. Surface geographical features4. Hydrology of the area5. Soil conditions6. Geology of the area7. Previous contamination from the Chernobyl

accident.

Area Aver. Exposure

µR/hr

Natural Background

LevelMosul City

Center11.38 < 7.0

Ninevah Governorate

10.11 < 7.0

Table (7): Average Exposure Measurements

Area Aver. Y Activity in soil Measurement

(Bq/Kg)

Natural Background Soil

Activity Meas. (Bq/Kg) [ ]

Mosul City Center

95.4 < 60

Ninevah Governorate

75.1 < 60

Table (8): Soil Sample Average Activity Measurements

All higher measurements are close or in the windward direction of the three destroyed targets by the (AGM 154 AJSOW) Cruise Missiles.

• Important conclusion of that study:Cruise missiles used to destroy these three targets contain uranium or depleted uranium metal.

Considering this conclusion, the amount of DU from (800 – 1200) [3] Tomahawk Cruise Missiles, and from the Bunker Buster Bombs used from 2003 – 2005 are way larger than the released figures by the IIMO leaders or even estimated by the other concerned organizations or groups (1100 – 2100) tons.

VII. Other Radiological Contaminations:

In an attempt to eliminate the evidences of DU contamination resulting from 1991 or IIMO in 2003 the occupying forces allowed the looters to sabotage the Tuwaitha Nuclear Complex south of Baghdad [21]

1. Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Complex Disaster1. Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Complex Disaster

About 600 tons of natural uranium and Cobalt-60 in the complex contained in sealed,

isolated, fenced area under the inspection and monitoring of IAEA were all looted.

Storage of the two Tamouz nuclear reactors highly contaminated parts, instruments, motors, pipes, tools, etc. on the same site were also looted. In addition to about 500

barrels of radioactive waste.

The looters knew nothing about the health hazards of radioactive materials, spilled the uranium and the radioactive waste, and the

cobalt 60 on grounds and some in the nearby Tigris river segment close to the

complex. They wanted to use the nice colored standard radioactive waste barrels

to keep food and water in their houses.

Green Peace radioactivity measurements in some of the Tuwaitha villages houses

reached (1300 – 10,000) times the natural background levels [21]

Al Mosul Uranium Extraction Site (Al Jazeera) SiteWhere highly contaminated instruments, tools, machines, and waste ponds are located and monitored by the IAEA and all inspection teams during the nineties.

The looters took the contaminated instruments and destroyed the radioactive waste ponds to take the reinforcement of the concrete resulting in serious groundwater contamination surrounding the area has occurred. The whole area needs an emergency plan to define the heavily polluted spots and act accordingly.

2. Al Mosul Uranium Extraction Site (Al Jazeera) Site2. Al Mosul Uranium Extraction Site (Al Jazeera) Site

• IIMO Iraq Invasion Military Operations from 1991/2003 to this day impose catastrophic environmental problems under the sight of the international community, the United Nations, WHO, UNEP, UNDP and all other international organizations.

• Insisting of adding huge extra radioactive DU contaminants to what is already existing from 1991 to prove that a genocide is gradually being implemented not only against the Iraqi population, but to all natural ecosystems in the region.

• An outbreak of cancer cases, miscarriages, fertility problems and congenital malformations have already begun in Baghdad, Rumadi, Balad, Tikrit, and Mosul in addition to what has been going on in the southern cities since 1991.

• Chemical, biological and radiological pollution is causing an increased human health degradation and suffering hospitals are not allowed to release any information, photos, or records.

• International organizations and groups should conduct an emergency comprehensive radiological survey and risk assessment to define hazardous high radioactivity areas before it is too late.

• Universities and research centers and scientific communities are forbidden from touching the issue of Depleted Uranium or even conduction any type of risk assessments related to the war and occupation military processes.

The risk model should include the combined effect of hydrocarbons, soot, dust and DU oxide plumes during first three weeks of the

IIMO.

To all the groups, activists, countries and people who stood firm against the war in Iraq and

other parts of the world.

Acknowledgements:

To all the scientists who have been detained or killed by occupation forces because

they revealed the truth about the dangers of DU weapons

in Iraq in 1991.

To Dr. Alim Yacoub and Dr. Huda Ammash.To all of you honest, brave women and men who committed their lives and continue the struggle against all kinds of atrocities in the

world.

To all of you I present my appreciation, deepest respect and love.