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Abu Ghurayb
Project 600
33°18'28"N 44°15'49"E

The Abu Ghurayb plant in Al-Kindi had been carried by American intelligence as a suspect biological warfare (BW) facility since 1988. The Ghraib Infant Formula Production Plant is located three miles from the abu-Ghraib military complex. Although the plant was built in 1980 and had never been used to produce infant formula, it still functioned in perfect working order with all of the equipment being maintained. The facility had not been changed since 1985 and the equipment was kept in working condition. Although according to some accounts there were no apparent suspicious activities at the plant, it did have the capacity to produce biological weapons from the plant's facilities and from foodstuffs stored at the plant.

Project 600 was known as the "baby milk factory" and was located on the highway from Baghdad to Fallujah in the vicinity of 33-18 N, 44-11 E. Some equipment for a milk factory was installed at the facility and samples were distributed. Based on the level of activity at the factory (which did not make milk) the facility had very high-security including guards and sentries who patrolled the compound, a concrete fence and berm, and antiaircraft artillery emplacements. The Project 600 facility was converted to a BW filling plant. the filling factory was built within the preexisting milk factory. A six meter high dirt berm was constructed around the facility. In 1990, the-facility was ready to fill BW weapons. The Iraqis reportedly were not successful in filling artillery shells with BW agents at this site.

The plant was built as a turnkey operation in 1980. In the late 1980s an Italian firm supplied several fermenters to the facility. The total fermentation capacity of the facility likely exceeded 13,000 liters. Each day these fermenters could produce sufficient toxin to cover an area greater than 60 square kilometers. Efforts during 1990 by TSMID to obtain spare parts from an Italian firm supported the US intelligence assessment that the plant was fully operational. [GulfLINK] The Abu Ghurayb Clostridium Vaccine Plant was believed to produce botulinum toxin. Production was assessed at 15-20 grams per day. The second Abu Ghurayb plant was believed to be a back-up BW production facility and advertised by the Iraqis as an infant formula plant. [GulfLINK]

During Desert Storm the Abu Ghurayb Vaccine Plant at Al Kindi [33°l8'28"N 44°15'49"E] was struck on 23 January 1991, while the Abu Ghurayb Suspect BW Production facility [33°l9'26"N 44°10'22"E] was struck on 03 February 1991. [GulfLINK]

Abu Ghurayb Presidential Palace

Construction at the Abu Ghurayb Presidential Palace is ongoing. It features extensive and complex water works.

Sources and Resources



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