Document #1260301
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
No information on a village called Amereyat
could be found among the sources consulted by the Research
Directorate. There is, however, a weapons site called Fallujah,
(comprising Fallujah I, II and III and also called Project 9230).
Weapons reportedly produced at Fallujah include chemical weapons
(USA Today 21 Aug. 1990; Washington Times 10
Sept. 1990; Jane's Defence Weekly 1 July 1993; AP 22 Apr.
1995; Pointer Aug. 1998).), ballistic missiles
(Toronto Star 24 Oct. 1990), HMX and RDX explosives
(Jane's Defence Weekly 1 July 1993) and 155mm artillery
shells armed with chemical weapons (Jane's Intelligence
Review Dec. 1995, 559). The Fallujah site also reportedly
included an army base (USA Today 21 Aug. 1990).
Coalition forces attacked the Fallujah
sites during the Gulf War (AP 22 Apr. 1995). Later, the Fallujah
sites were among those inspected under the auspices of the UNSCOM
monitoring teams (CNN 7 Apr. 1995; BBC Online 19 Feb. 1998, 3;
Washington Post 10 Nov. 1998) and it was discovered that
equipment for producing enriched uranium was being stored there
(ibid.). The Iraqi government has claimed that since the Gulf War
the facilities at Fallujah are devoted to the manufacture of
pesticides, insecticides and chlorine (United Nations 24 June 1994,
para 37; CNN 7 Apr. 1995; AP 22 Apr. 1995).
The following information about Fallujah is
taken from a document attributed to UNSCOM on the Website of the
Federation of American Scientists:
Chemical sites:
2 - Fallujah I: This site was intended to be an additional precursor production facility for the chemical weapons program. The facility was in the initial phases of construction at the time of the Gulf War. Located 60km WNW of Baghdad.
3- Fallujah II: This facility produced chemical weapons precursors destined for the Muhanna site. Products included chlorine, phosphorous trichloride and oxychlorode, thiony1 chloride, and with high probability two direct nerve agent precursors. The site was bombed during the Gulf War. Remaining precursors and equipment were transferred to the Muthanna site for destruction under the supervision of the Chemical Destruction Group. Located 65km WNW of Baghdad.
4 - Fallujah III: This site was in the late stages of construction at the time of the Gulf War. The facility, intended to support the Muthanna site, contained multi-purpose production plants. These production areas were all destroyed by bombing in 1991. The intended products of this site remain unclear, but may be connected with the VX program. Located 70km WNW of Baghdad.
No information as to whether employees of
weapons production facilities would be considered civilians,
whether such employment would count towards military service and
whether members of ethnic or religious minorities would be
permitted to work there could be found among the sources consulted
by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please consult below
the list of additional sources consulted.
References
Associated Press (AP). 22 April 1995.
Dilip Ganguly. "Iraqis Try to Build a Better Chicken at Former
Weapons Plant." (NEXIS)
BBC Online. 19 February 1998. "Saddam's
Secrets." [Internet] http://www.bbc.co.uk [Accessed 12 Jan.
1999]
CNN. 7 April 1995. Transcript #999-11.
"Iraqi Chemical Plant Opens Doors to UN, World Views." (NEXIS)
Federation of American Scientists. 3
December 1997. "Major Sites Associated with Iraq's Past WMD
Program." [Internet] http://www.fas.org [Accessed 12 Jan.
1999]
Jane's Defence Weekly. 1 July
1993. Barbara Starr. "Iraq 'Able to Expand Military Capability'."
(NEXIS)
Jane's Intelligence Review.
December 1995. Dr. Andrew Rathmell. "Chemical Weapons in the Middle
East: Lessons from Iraq."
Pointer. August 1998. "What is
Saddam Hiding?"
The Toronto Star. 24 October
1990. Eddy Mets. "Iraq Boasts an Array of Deadly Weapons."
(NEXIS)
United Nations Secretary General. 24
June 1994. (S/1994/750). "Seventh report of the Executive Chairman
of the Special Commission, established by the Secretary-General
pursuant to paragraph 9 (b) (i) of Security Council resolution 687
(1991), on the activities of the Special Commission." [Internet] http://www.un.org/Depts/unscom/s94-750.htm
[Accessed 12 Jan. 1998]
USA Today. 21 August 1990.
"Hostages as Human Shield." (NEXIS)
The Washinton Post. 10 November
1998. "Iraq: Special report." [Internet] http://www.washingtonpost.com
[Accessed 12 Jan. 1999]
The Washington Times. 10
September 1990. Bill Gertz. "Missile Strike Against Iraq Mulled on
Hill." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
War Resisters' International. 1998. Bart
Horeman, Marc Stolwijk. Refusing To Bear Arms: A World Survey
Of Conscription And Conscientious Objection To Military
Service. London: War Resisters International.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD, WNC.