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Environmental Damages of Military Operations During the Invasion ofIraq (IIMO) (2003 2005)

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

I. Introduction:

The Iraqi population and environment have suffered a great deal of damage due to thecontinuous state of wars and economical sanctions since 1980 to this day. During thesedestructive war operations, the USA administration and the Pentagon decided to makethe Iraqi people and Iraqs environment a Guinea Pig laboratory for DoD testing of alltypes of DU radioactive, thermaboric, chemical, robust earth penetrators, microwave,and other types of weapons. They also decided to distribute all the 750,000 tons ofradioactive waste from their backyard to certain parts of the world- beginning fromAfghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, the Balkans and on to the list of similar countries.

After converting this waste to deadly weapons that can be sold for billions of dollars.Part of the technique to bury evidence of the catastrophic crimes that are beingcommitted every single minute against the people and environment in Iraq includes thedestruction and looting of research centers, and the imprisonment and assassination ofIraqi scientists.

This paper is an oversimplified presentation to define some of the environmentaldamage resulting from the Iraq Invasion and Military Operations (IIMO) starting on the19th of March 2003 and continuing to this very day


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Operation Iraqi Invasion : Military Operations and WeaponsNote: Iraqs Invasion Military Operations (IIMO)

Tremendous types and generations of deadly military weapons have been used duringthe invasion of Iraq (March 19 April 21) some of which are shown [1]

Table 1: Types of Weapons Used in IIMO Since March 2003 Today

Munitions Ground Weapons

AGM 88 Up-armored Humvee

AGM 154A M1A1 Abrams battle tank

SCUD C M2A3 Bradley fighting vehicle

Tomahawk M6 Bradley Linebacker

AGM 65 Humvee

MK-82 M109A6 Paladin Howitzer

AGM 84D Saxon Armored personnel carrier

GBU 12 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle

MOAB SA-80 rifle

Hellfire air-to-surface missile A590 Braveheart

TOW anti-armor missile M270 multiple launch rocket system

Stinger anti-aircraft missile Patriot missile system

Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb(MOAB) Avenger Humvee

JDAM air-to-surface bomb Light armored vehicle

JSOW air-to-surface bomb M88A2 Hercules Recovery

GBU laser-guided bombs US infantry weapons

GBU 28/27 Bunker Buster Challenger II battle tank

Daisy Cutter 15,000 lb bomb Warrior combat vehicle

MK 82/ 500 lb bomb Striker anti-armor vehicle

MK 84/ 2000 lb bomb Sabre reconnaissanceThermobonic weapon Land rover light truck

Tomahawk / AGM, cruise missile

Maverick air-to-surface missile

HARM anti-radar missile

AIM-120 air-to-air missile


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Also the following weapons have been used (References [1] to [20])

Napalm bombs

Cluster bombs (BLU-97 A/B) and (RBL 755), (CBU-105), and cluster munitionsand MLRS

Chemical agents (like in Fallujah, Al-Dor, Ballad, Tikrit etc.)

DU weapons (including those in Bunker Buster Bombs and Tomahawk missiles).

Reminder: First generation of Bunker Busters (GBU-27) were also tested for the firsttime in Iraq on February 13 to destroy Al-Amariyah Shelter in Baghdad. It has beenproven successful with 2000 lb of explosives incinerating 408 women and children

sleeping the shelter.

II. Air Pollution:

Major air pollution sources as a result of IIMO are:

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

Figure (2) shows these HC and soot plumes and Table 2 shows pollutants loads fromburning different fuel types.

Table 2: Pollutants Loads Generated from Burning of Hydrocarbons Fuels

Kg Pollutants / Tone of Burned Fuel

Fuel TypeSuspended

ParticlesSO2 Nox HC CO

Gasoline 2.0 0.54 10.3 14.5 377.0

Gas Oil 2.4 19.00 11.00 2.6 43.5

Kerosene 3.0 17.00 2.3 0.4 0.25


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2- Explosions plumes from conventional weapons (Nox, Sox, Cox, etc.)

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

4- Noise Pollution during air raids and what was known as Shock and Awe wherenoise 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 artilleriestraffic and deep into earth bombardment using the Bunker Buster bombs and otherheavy missiles.

6- Increase the number or frequency of sand and dust storms compared to the previousyears due to the destruction of soil molecular structure and the damage to vegetationcover. Table (3) shows the frequency and concentrations of total suspended particles(TSS) in selected years in Iraq.

Table 3: Frequency and Concentrations of TSS in Selected Years in Iraq [24], [25]

Year Storms Frequency Highest and Lowest Conc.Of TSS (gm/m)

1985 2 950 319

1986 1 1211 213

1988 -- 461 113

1990 -- 580 167

1991 3 8800 139

* 2003 5

7- Ionized radiation (, , ) as a result of using more than (1100 2200) tons ofDepleted Uranium weaponry. [2], [9], [14], [15], [18]

8- Complex plumes of adsorbed (DU) oxides on fine suspended dust (clay particles of


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1- Chemicals and hydrocarbons and sewage water to nearby watercourses or togroundwater then to surface water.

2- Polluted surface runoff after each rainstorm adds dissolved air pollutants to soilor surface water.

3- Increase of waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, infectious hepatitis,malaria, and dysentery especially after the degradation of sanitary conditions dueto lack of disinfection chemicals after the looting of major mechanical andelectrical parts of the water purification and sewage treatment plants in Baghdadand other cities.

WHO, UNEP, Oxfam, Voices in the Wilderness groups wrote about the deterioration ofsanitation and the outbreak of some serious dangerous diseases like (leishmaniasis)which leads to disfigurement of the face and the hands. [22], [25]

IV. Soil and Land Degradation:

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

1- Spilled chemicals and oils. About 217 attacks on oil pipes [30], and refineriesresulted in the spillage of thousands of oil barrels to soil and ground and surfacewater.

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

3- Heavy artilleries and tanks and armored vehicles traffic.

4- Bulldozing huge areas of trees and date palms by American troops as acollective punishment for resisting the occupation [24], or as a security measureto reduce the resistance attacks on occupying forces. Figures (3, 4, 5, 6) Landsatimages show how more than 50% of previously vegetated areas on the way toBaghdad airport, Samarra, floodplains of the Tigris river in Baghdad and othercities have been removed and bulldozed. These are green belts preventingdesertification in these areas.

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

V. Radiological Pollution Associated with the IIMO:

Since 1991 Iraq has been subjected to radiological pollution as a result of usingDepleted Uranium Weapons by USA and Allies in the Gulf War I.


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This contamination caused an increase in cancer incident rates and congenitalmalformations to six times more than prior to the war in southern Iraq where more than320 tons of DU munitions have been fired in areas west of Al-Basrah City. Other areasin Iraq proven to be contaminated (Table 4) but with a lesser degree of contamination.

During IIMO in 2003 DU munitions were also used directly [13], [14], [15], [16], [19], [20]or indirectly through new generations of weapons with an extraordinary number ofpenetrating capabilities like Cruise Missiles and the Bunker Buster Bombs.

Dr. Dai Williams listed these suspected weapons in Table (5). [20].

During 2003 IIMO the use of depleted (or non-depleted) uranium weapons this time onheavily populated areas like Baghdad center. [9], [13], [18], [27]

To assess the impact of these radiological and toxic weapons on the population in thearea we need to know the exact amount of depleted uranium used. IIMO officials

wouldnt release this information after the outrage of the international community on DUweapons health and environmental consequences on the First Gulf War Veterans andthe Iraqi people.

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

Authors Year Measurements Areas

Maarouf, B.A. et al. 1993 Exposure, soilsampling to define (U-238, Th-234, Ra-226)increase radioactivity

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

Al-Azzawi, S.N. etal.

1996 Exposure, soil, water,vegetation cover andanimal tissues

Safwan, Jabal Sanam, Al-Zubair, South and NorthRumaila Oil Fields (south ofIraq)

Khalil, M.A. andFethi, F.M.

1996 Exposure, soil, water,plants and animaltissues

Al-Muthana and Thee-QarGovernorates

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

samples

Al-Muthana, Al-Basrah,

Thee-Qar Governorates

Maarouf, B.A. 2000 Exposure, activitymeasurements in soil

Al-Basrah and Al-MutharanGovernorates

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

2000 Water and riversediments

North of Al-Basrahwaterways and Shatt Al-Arab


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Al-Azzawi, S.N.and NashwanShawkat

2000 Exposure, soil, water,sediment

Mosul City and NinevahGovernorate

Al-Azzawi, S.N.

and Hassan, A.

2000 Exposure, soil Safwan City, Al-Zubair,

Jabal Sanam, Northern andSouthern Rumaila OilFields, Al-Basrah City

Elias, M.M. et al. 2001 Radioisotopes indrinking water

Baghdad City Municipality

Tawfiq, N.F. et al. 2000 U-238 concentration inTigris and EuphratesRivers

Al-Basrah, Al-Suweirah andother locations

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

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

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

VI. DU in Cruise Missiles:

Post the first test of AGM 154JSOW Cruise Missiles in the No-Fly Zone in 1999 [20], acomprehensive radiological detection, sampling and testing program has beenconducted by the Environmental Engineering Department in Baghdad University in the

following areas. [28]

Table (6): Number and Types of Sampling Programs

AreaNo. of ExposureMeasurements

No. of Soil Samples No. of Water Samples

Mosul City Center 86 57 3

NinevahGovernorate

24 24 1

Total 110 81 4

Figures (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) [28] Show studied area locations and distributions ofsampling programs. Notice the three locations destroyed by Tomahawk Cruise Missile,in the east bank of the Tigris river in Mosul.

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


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1- Population distribution2- Climatological conditions (rainfall, temp. prevailing winds, etc.)3- Surface geographical features4- Hydrology of the area

5- Soil conditions6- Geology of the area7- Previous contamination from the Chernobyl accident.

Results of Field and Laboratory Tests:Tables (7), (8), (9) shows three major test results

Table (7): Average Exposure Measurements

Area Aver. Exposure R/hr Natural Background Level

Mosul City Center 11.38 < 7.0NinevahGovernorate

10.11 < 7.0

Table (8): Soil Sample Average Activity Measurements

Area Aver. Activity in soilMeasurement (Bq/Kg)

Natural Background SoilActivity Meas. (Bq/Kg) [ ]

Mosul City Center 95.4 < 60

NinevahGovernorate

75.1 < 60

All higher measurements are close or in the windward direction of the threedestroyed 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] TomahawkCruise Missiles, and from the Bunker Buster Bombs used from 2003 2005 areway larger than the released figures by the IIMO leaders or even estimated bythe other concerned organizations or groups (1100 2100) tons.


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VII. Other Radiological Contaminations:

1. Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Complex Disaster

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

About 600 tons of natural uranium and Cobalt-60 in the complex contained insealed, isolated, fenced area under the inspection and monitoring of IAEA wereall looted.

Storage of the two Tamouz nuclear reactors highly contaminated parts,instruments, motors, pipes, tools, etc. on the same site were also looted. Inaddition 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 andsome in the nearby Tigris river segment close to the complex. They wanted touse the nice colored standard radioactive waste barrels to keep food and water intheir houses.

Green Peace radioactivity measurements in some of the Tuwaitha villageshouses reached (1300 10,000) times the natural background levels [21]

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

Where highly contaminated instruments, tools, machines, and waste ponds are locatedand monitored by the IAEA and all inspection teams during the nineties.

The looters took the contaminated instruments and destroyed the radioactive wasteponds to take the reinforcement of the concrete resulting in serious groundwatercontamination surrounding the area has occurred. The whole area needs an emergencyplan to define the heavily polluted spots and act accordingly.


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VIII. Concluding Remarks:

IIMO Iraq Invasion Military Operations from 1991/2003 to this day imposecatastrophic environmental problems under the sight of the international

community, the United Nations, WHO, UNEP, UNDP and all other internationalorganizations.

Insisting of adding huge extra radioactive DU contaminants to what is alreadyexisting from 1991 to prove that a genocide is gradually being implemented notonly against the Iraqi population, but to all natural ecosystems in the region.

Chemical, biological and radiological pollution is causing an increased humanhealth degradation and suffering hospitals are not allowed to release anyinformation, photos, or records.

An outbreak of cancer cases, miscarriages, fertility problems and congenital

malformations have already begun in Baghdad, Rumadi, Balad, Tikrit, and Mosulin addition to what has been going on in the southern cities since 1991.

Universities and research centers and scientific communities are forbidden fromtouching the issue of Depleted Uranium or even conduction any type of riskassessments related to the war and occupation military processes.

International organizations and groups should conduct an emergencycomprehensive radiological survey and risk assessment to define hazardous highradioactivity areas before it is too late.

The risk model should include the combined effect of hydrocarbons, soot, dustand DU oxide plumes during first three weeks of the IIMO.


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References:

[1]War in Iraq. Forces: Weaponscnn.com/specials/2003/iraq/weapons/index.html, 02/09/2004

[2] Simon Helweg-Larson, April 07, 2003, Znet

[3] United States Naval Forces, Central Command and 5 th Fleet

[4]Bunker Buster Bombs Used Against Baghdad, Associated Press,March 27,2003, http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles /03272003iraqpm-cr.html

[5]B-2 Successfully Drops Improved Bunker Buster Bomb, Air Force NewsService, March 26, 1998, Global Politics

[6]Factfile: Bunker Buster Bombs, BBC Newshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hilworld/americas/289508.stm

[7]Jay Shaft, US Colonel Admits 500 Tons of DU were Used in Iraq,Scoop, Independent News, May 5, 2003http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0305/500050.html

[8]Marshal Brain, How Bunker Busters Workhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/bunker-buster.html

[9]Frida Berrigan, Weapons of Mass Deception, In These Times, June 20,2003

http://www.inthesetimes.com/comments

[10]Sara Flounders, Iraq: A Depleted Uranium Nightmare, PortlandIndependent Media Center, August 18, 2003http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/269974.shtml

[11]BLU 118/B Thermobaric Weaponhttp://www.globalsecurity.org

[12]Toxic Radioactive Uranium Weapons: Did You Know, Abolish DUhttp://www.nukewatch.com/du/factsheet.html

[13] Scott Peterson, Remains of Toxic Bullets Litter Iraq, May 18, 2003,Christian Science Monitor

[14]Larry Johnson, Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons Lingers as HealthConcern, Monday August 4, 2003http://www.seattlepi.com/

[15] March W. Herold, Uranium Wars: The Pentagon Steps Up its Use of


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Radioactive Munition, November 13, 2002

[16]Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, Silent WMD, Effects of DU, February 29, 2004http://www.xs4all.nl/~stgvisie/VISIEsilentwmds.html

[17] Amy Worthington, Death by Slow Burn- How American Nukes Its OwnTroops, The Idaho Observer, August 13, 2003, Sierra Timeshttp://www.sierratimes.com/03/05/02article

[18]Christian Scherrer, Depleted Uranium and the Liberation of Iraq: AReport from Hiroshima, Japanfocus.org

[19]Coalition Forces Employ DU A Weapon of Mass Destruction, The LightParty

[20]Dai Williams, Hazards of Uranium Weapons in the Proposed War onIraq, September 22, 2002

[21] Deadly Waste Returned to US Forces, Green Peace, June 24, 2003

[22]MEDACT, News and Analysis, The Health and Environmental Costs ofWar on Iraq, November 11, 2003http://electroniciraq.net/news

[23]R.Aaren Vesilined et al., Environmental Pollution and Control,Butterworth-Heinemann, 1990

[24]Al Omar, Muthana, Aggression and Economical Sanctions, Umm Al-Maarik Magazine, 2000, Baghdad

[25]David Smith-Ferri: Iraq Health and Infrastructure Digest #7, Voices in theWilderness, April 15, 2005

[26] Baghdad Fires Pose Health Risks, War in Iraq, UNEP, March 13, 2003

[27]The Use of Depleted Uranium (DU) Weapons, Uruknet.info, December 1,2004

[28]Environmental Radiological Pollution and Its Sources in NinevahGovernorate, M.Sc. Thesis in Environmental Engineering, Baghdad

University, August, 2000

[29]Magwar, J. : Effects of Radiological Weapons on Human and theEngironment in Iraq: M.Sc. Thesis in Environmental Engineering, 1998,Baghdad University, Iraq

[30]Iraq Pipeline Watch, Energy Security, Institute of Analysis for GlobalSecurity
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles%20/03272003iraqpm-cr.htmlhttp://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0305/500050.htmlhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/bunker-buster.htmlhttp://www.inthesetimes.com/commentshttp://www.globalsecurity.org/http://www.nukewatch.com/du/factsheet.htmlhttp://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles%20/03272003iraqpm-cr.htmlhttp://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles%20/03272003iraqpm-cr.htmlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hilworld/americas/289508.stmhttp://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0305/500050.htmlhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/bunker-buster.htmlhttp://www.inthesetimes.com/commentshttp://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/269974.shtmlhttp://www.globalsecurity.org/http://www.nukewatch.com/du/factsheet.htmlhttp://www.seattlepi.com/


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