DIRECTORATE OFECHNOLOGY
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE DIGEST
Top Secret
7
No.opy No.
CONTENTS
Page
UAR Use of Toxic Chemical Warfare (CW) Agents inrjeT />
The Scientific Intelligence Digest is produced solely by CIA. It is prepared by the Office of Scientificand the Foreign Missile and Space Analysis Center. The Digest is coordinated with the Offices of Current Intelligence, Research and Reports, and Basic Intelligence.
uar use of toxic chemical warfare (cw) agents
in yemen
a lapse ofear, the UAR resumed Its CW toxic agent operations In Yemen inttackswere made onanuary andourth attack reportedly occurred on,ebruary. In all but the third attack, lethal casualties resulted. Mustard and phosgene are probably the chemical agents used in the attacks.
fragments, eyes and respiratory tracts also were affected. These effects are in accord with those caused bymustard|
anuary, Field Marshal AbdAmir, who is believed toall UAR use of toxicwas requested to authorize anon
In the attack, two smoke marker bombs were dropped first, possibly as target markers and to indicate wind direction.
ombswere
dropped near the Koyahst headquarters at Jabal ahl Yazid. The agentiquid. The casualties sustained blisters either directly from the agent or from contact with contaminated earth and bomb
erson? died
"Tor occnex
In the first half hour; total death* have been reported as high. Animal deaths also occurred. The casualties had breathing difficulties,ose bleeds, and coughed blood; somoshowed nausea and cyanosis. No blistering effect was noted on the skin, although one unconfirmed reportdeath from handling contaminated objects. At tho time of bomb drop, the weather was clear and dry, with little or no wind, and the temperature wasnder such weather conditions, inversion existed; in this situation an agent cloud holds together rather than dissipates and drifts downwind aa anentity. With the lack of wind orery light wind, expansion of the agent cloud was limited further, with the result that the agent waa hold Inhigh concentrationin an "overkill" dosage. The agent wasa liquid thai vaporized rapidly; the odor was described in various ways, such as the smell of yeast, oranges,and spoiled fruit.
imilar
on JabaJ h. v mh
the Royalist headquarters, again using initial marker bombs. The attack was unsuccessfultrong windthe agent cloud quickly. Four of the gas bombs did not explode but burst open on impact. The agent volatilized quickly and none was left in tho opened casings when they wereew minutes after impact. This rapidstrongly suggests phosgene, which boilsn thisthere was no explosion to blow out the agentine spray and thereby speed the change from liquid to gaseous state. The agentpassedintothogasphase by natural evaporative processes. These processes occur rapidly for low boiling chemicals such asighmaterial would be expected to have some uncvaporated liquid remaining at time of examination. The munitions used in this action have not been identified as "Read" bombs.
ebruary, UAR aircraftdropped "destructive and gas bombs" on the village of Mikhlaf Bani Salab, causing the death ofersons andnimals. An attack reportedly took place at Mikhlaf Bani Salamebruary. "Poison gas" was used andeaths are said to have occurred.ebruary, ai Beni Salama near Sana, the UAR reportedlygas attack" causingeaths and loss of cattle.of the similarity of names and data, these reports may refer to the same action. Confirmatory data hav<. I- .obtained as yet.
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Original document.
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