2002 Document: Request For 500 KG Of SODIUM CYANIDE A Precursor For A Chemical Weapon (Translation)

Pentagon/FMSO website for Iraq Pre-war documents ^ | May 23 2006 | jveritas

[jveritas]

On page 40 of document ISGQ-2003-00000847 there is an October 2002 document where there is a request submitted by Zoo Al Fikar Military factory to the “Iraqi Directorate of Planning and Follow up” for 500 Kilograms of SODIUM CYANIDE (NaCN), 15 tones of HYDROCHLORIC ACID ( HCL), and 30 tones of SULFURIC ACID (H2SO4). Sodium Cyanide is an important precursor to produce a Chemical Weapon called HYDROGEN CYANIDE (HCN) also known as ZYCLON B and the use of Sodium Cyanide with Hydrochloric acid or Sulfuric Acid will produce this Chemical Weapon. Although Sodium Cyanide can be used for other military and civilian applications its combination with Hydrochloric Acid or Sulfuric Acid will produce Chemical Weapons and knowing Saddam Regime obsession of acquiring Chemical Weapons and other WMD, this document has a lot of importance.

Beginning of partial Translation of Page 40 of document ISGQ-2003-00000847.

Zoo AL Fikar Factory

Number 499

Date 26/10/2002

To: The Directorate of Planning and Followup

Subject: Need

Your memo number 384 on 3/10/2002 we submit to you below our need of Chemical Materials to the year 2003 to take what is necessary with regards.

1. Name of material: Nitric Acid. Unit: Liter. Quantity: 600. Origin: Iraqi.

2. Name of material: Third Oxide of Chrome. Unit: KG. Quantity: 500. Origin: English/Chinese.

3. Name of material: Dye . Unit: KG. Quantity: 25. Origin: Western.

4. Name of material: HCL. Unit: Ton. Quantity: 15. Origin: Iraqi.

5. Name of material: Hylite Zinc. Unit: KG. Quantity: 500. Origin: Western.

6. Name of material: SODIUM CYANIDE. Unit: KG. Quantity: 500. Origin: Western.

17. Name of material: SULFURIC ACID. Unit: Ton. Quantity: 30. Origin: Iraqi.

End of Partial Translation of page 40.

This paragraph from MSDS website regarding the danger of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) and how it can be obtained by mixing Sodium Cyanide (NaCN) and Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4).

”Exposure to 300 ppm hydrogen cyanide by inhalation can be fatal within minutes and lower doses can endanger life. The high toxicity of HCN was once exploited for the execution of prisoners in several US states; the HCN was generated as needed by dropping NaCN into a solution of sulfuric acid.” http://www.ilpi.com/msdS/ref/cyanide.html

[airedale]

Acording to the Wikpedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_cyanide

Sodium cyanide is used to extract gold and other precious metals from ore, and so metal mining operations consume most of the sodium cyanide production;

[eyespysomething]

Statement about Iraq and chemicals and dual uses and sanctions:

Iraq elected to develop a local capacity for thiodiglycol production using ethylene oxide and hydrogen sulfide obtained from its petroleum industry. By the end of the Iran-Iraq war, they had the capability to produce mustard gas without the need to use outside suppliers for precursors (although they still bought hydrochloric acid abroad because they could do so relatively cheaply and - by claiming a different use - easily). They were thus effectively immune to the opinions - and the sanctions produced by those opinions - of the international community.

[MAexile]

Hylite Zinc might be a zinc plating agent.

See: http://www.osmose.com.au/hylite711.html

And: http://www.metalquip.co.za/products_3.htm

As I recall this process involves cyanide. I also think you change the color of what you are plating be adding a "dye". It could be as simple as that.

On the other hand if I wanted to make Zyklon B and didn't want anyone to know what I was doing, I might just add those things to the list to provide "plausible deniability".

[jveritas]

By itself NaCN is used for gold mining alhough there is not such a thing in Iraq, i.e. gold mining. NaCN with HCL or H2SO4 will produce the Chemical Weapon HCN or Zyklon B.

[SevenMinusOne]

What does this have to do with Immigration?? /sarcasm OFF

Great post -

[SevenMinusOne]

Calm your silly as$ down -

[SittinYonder]

* Reports have indicated that during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, hydrogen cyanide gas may have been used along with other chemical agents against the inhabitants of the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq.

Do you have a link where you obtained this information? This is interesting that Iraq has a history of using hydrogen cyanide specifically.

[spunkets]

The qty looks way too small. This qty is what I would expect for the supply of a production plating bath... silver, gold... Depends on the function of the factory though. This could be for some other chem production. If they were using this as a chem weapon, they would have bought much more, or produced it themselves.

[SittinYonder]

Thanks. This is fast getting beyond my 10th grade chemistry class, so I appreciate the context.

[jveritas]

Please remember that the Iraqis created the biggest scheme of deception to fool the UN. After reading thousands of pages in these documents I can safely conclude that this joke they called the "Iraqi National Monitoring Agency" was created to overwhelm the UN with documents and papers showing how good and sincere the Iraqi are in "self monitoring" any material or activity related to WMD where on the other hand they were still active in many WMD programs. I just cannot believe how did the UN considered NaCN as a dual use material and allowed the Iraqi to import it where it can easily produce HCN when mixed with acids. The incompetence is shocking.

[jveritas]

Thanks.

[SittinYonder]

While I've got no idea about what the chemicals could or could not be used for separately or in combination, I'm just curious about this being an order for a military factory. Are there military applications for this stuff that doesn't involve weaponry?

[eyespysomething]

Hylite Bright Zinc Process is used for Cyanide zinc plating per: http://www.metalquip.co.za/products_3.htm

Zinc Cyanide is a plating grade per the same web site.

From another website:

http://www.vulcanium.com/plating/technical_data_detailed.asp?id=217

Cyanide Zinc
Cyanide zinc baths are used for steel and leaded steel substrates. The plating bath consists of zinc metal (1 to 4.5 ounces per gallon), sodium hydroxide (10 to 12 oz/gal) and sodium cyanide (1.5 to 14 oz/gal) with operating temperatures ranging from 60ºF to 110ºF. The pH
for such baths is 12 to 13.
Cyanide zinc is highly poisonous and corrosive to living tissue. As a result, concerns over environmental and occupational safety hazards have forced the plating industry to develop and utilize cyanide-free zinc plating systems.

[Just A Nobody]

Thanks jveritas! I was wondering what happened to you.

Glad to have you back at the "translation desk!"

[Westlander]

I'm sure Krappy Couric will have this as her lead story on the Today Show.

[eyespysomething]

Reports have indicated that during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, hydrogen cyanide gas may have been used along with other chemical agents against the inhabitants of the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/cyanide/basics/facts.asp

[spunkets]

I should also mention that mixing NaCN with acid isn't a very effective weapon. You're mostly just flinging acid.

The amount of gas this qty could deliver is only 300lbs. If they're buy chems and using them for weapons some other gas is much easier, cheaper and more effective to use.

[Gondring]

LOL...no. But cyanide is used for metal processing.

[BobS]

"1. Name of material: Nitric Acid. Unit: Liter. Quantity: 600. Origin: Iraqi."

This is the one to watch for. Nerve gasses are just very powerful insecticides. You need oil products like kerosene to get there. NO2- NO3- make them easily absorbed just as nitroglycerin is absorbed by heart patients. NaCN can be mixed with any acid, including acetic acid to create hydrogen cyanide.

[eyespysomething]

Would it work as cover for buying what they needed? Wouldn't they, if buying as a dual use, have to buy in quantities that matched the purpose the were claiming?

When metal plating is talked about, what would be metal plated? (just curious about that one)