The Second Battle of Britain - a Soviet Sealion

37 – Gas


Iraqi artillery shells filled with the nerve agent GA – better known as Tabun – were used on the battlefield at Abqaiq because Rashid had confirmed intelligence reports that there were no Americans present at that fight. There had been the intention to use the same chemical weapons several days beforehand at Hofuf, yet Iraq’s leader had been informed that there were US Army soldiers at that location. In fact, the Americans had none at each fight. Regardless, because he had been warned by Moscow that using such weapons against the Americans would likely bring ‘an overreaction’ from Washington, which by that they meant the likely use of nuclear weapons in retaliation, Abqaiq was chosen as the debut location for gas in this conflict over Hofuf. A special artillery unit fired the Tabun. The shells were heavily guarded and the procedures for the use of this weapon well practised. The Iraqi Army had used Tabun before, during the war against Iran, and knew what it was doing when it came to their effective use. The shells were fired on-target and against exposed infantry. Reconnaissance had said that the Saudis and Qataris in the way of the gas were perfectly sited for such an attack. This was correct too. When struck, there was a delay before those in the way realised what was happening. There was little they could have done to protect themselves anyway but the delay ensured that the fatalities were even worse than they could have been with early warning. Then there were those who survived, those that the gas didn’t kill. Tabun was lethal yet there were some of those targeted soldiers who were fighting Iraq who lived. They were in a terrible state. The stories which would go through the Saudi and GCC armies afterwards about these survivors caused more fear than anything could achieve with anything else. No one wanted to face gas like those unlucky survivors of Abqaiq had.

The chemical weapons programme of Iraq was still relatively new. It was only a few years old whereas the (currently stalled) efforts to attain a nuclear capability was much older. As to nerve gases, Iraq had West Germany to thank for their availability. Private companies from that country had supplied – while their government looked the other way – Iraq with all that it needed to begin a chemical weapons programme. Progress had been fast. Starting in 1981, by ’87 Iraq had over a hundred tons of usable nerve gas. Initial work had started with Tabun: the first step for any nation when manufacturing such weapons. There were better and more effective gases, but by beginning with this particular gas, Iraq gained the experience to begin work on those others such as Sarin and XV. Tabun was an effective weapon especially when used against those with little or no protection to its effects. Like it all nerve gases, it had a terror effect just like a military one. This was seen on the battlefield in Saudi Arabia just like it had been when used against Iran too.

Rashid had decided to use gas as the Second Gulf War moved to this new stage because it was the ‘right’ weapon to employ following ongoing unfortunate events. While his armies were out conquering Saudi Arabia, King Fahd remained defiant. There had been more of those launches of ballistic missiles against the Iraqi capital that the Saudis had received from China. During the war with Iran, both Iraq and Iran had fired Scud missiles at each other’s cities – getting the same weapon from different sources – but the DF-3 was a very different weapon. The destruction caused in Baghdad was significant with hundreds killed. Rashid was only upping the ante as far as he was concerned. The Soviets expressed their concerns about Iraqi targeting – don’t hit those Americans with gas! – but gave no objection. The Tabun was thus used. It didn’t just spread confusion and fear throughout the enemy. It was an effective killing weapon too. The Saudi & GCC counteroffensive to go through Abqaiq and onwards to Dammam and Dhahran came to a halt there in the eastern desert of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, there was an immediate reaction elsewhere. Across the Najd, the Saudi & Egyptian forces moving to close-in upon occupied Riyadh suddenly slowed down and started to disperse themselves rather than be all bunched up. They were fearful of a gas attack too. Iraqi intelligence had information on the chemical protection that the armies of its enemies had. There was some there but not enough to make a difference. Iraq’s own soldiers were wearing their chemical warfare suits – which only made the ongoing drinking water issue worse as the soldiers were now always thirsty inside their stuffy outerwear – and they had specialist equipment for early detection of gases, decontamination gear and the expertise of using gas before. There was an advantage on the chemical battlefield that Iraq had.

Rashid intended to use gas again.


The chemical weapons strike in the Saudi desert was afterwards said to have scuppered the latest peace effort to bring the Second Gulf War to an end. This was one undertaken by the Jordanians after previous efforts by other nations and international organisations had failed. It was almost certain that the Jordanians were going to get nowhere either. Rashid and Fahd both had their diplomats meeting with the envoys of King Hussein as he tried to bring the inter-Arab fighting to a close but each of them were doing what many would regard as only widening the conflict. When the news came that such a weapon as nerve gas had been employed by Iraq, neither the Saudis nor their allies in the Gulf Arab Monarchies would no longer talk about the idea of peace.

Things had already gone too far though and, as said, the gas was just an excuse.

Iraqi actions in the regions which they had forcibly taken under their control were something that their neighbours were becoming aware of. Rashid had recently spoken of the disestablishment of the states with which Iraq was at war with in terms of their leaders. In doing so, this had seemingly been out of character. The general who had taken over Iraq after Saddam’s death had been for some time trying to establish favourable relations with these countries. There was the issue of all of that debt which Rashid wanted to be forgiven or if not then significantly reduced yet he had met with the emirs and kings while treating them with respect… but then he had arranged for the assassination of Kuwait’s leader before invading Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Inside Kuwait, there were shocking acts being reported. Members of the House of Sabah who hadn’t managed to escape had been executed. Important non-royal Kuwaitis had been killed too in brutal manners alongside anyone who tried to raise the hand of resistance. The ‘rape of Kuwait’ was ongoing as the wealth of that nation was stripped away with the Iraqis carrying out anything they could. Rashid had then announced he was going to annex the small country. Inside Saudi Arabia, similar events were taking place where there was organised theft at official Iraqi sanction and the slaying of important captives with no regard – or specific regard: it depended upon how you looked at it – of their status. In backchannel dealings through the Jordanians, there had been talk of Iraq pulling out of those occupied territories following a solving of the dispute between Rashid and his neighbours. That was only a façade as far as his enemies could see with these things taking place and his calls for the end of the regimes throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

At the same time, the Iraqis saw the Saudis and the Gulf Arab Monarchies bringing the United States and other Western countries into this war. The Americans, the British and the French weren’t involved in this war just to see armies sent back over the borders from which they came. Rashid watched and listened to what was being said abroad. Those countries were out to destroy his regime because he was allied – in their opinion – to the Soviets and doing their bidding. Moreover, they also wanted their say in what was done with all of that black gold under the desert. Where he had the killings done of those organising resistance and the taking of war booty through occupied territory, he considered that all legitimate acts. It was his opponents, not he, who had gone too far. The use of nerve gas on the battlefield was just a response to the ballistic missile attacks on his capital. He would carry on doing what he was doing with the war continuing until it was won. Winning meant destroying his enemies: their armies and their regimes. Once that was done, then he would strike a deal with the West because at the moment, and, he believed, for the future, he controlled all that oil under the desert. There would be time to talk through intermediaries only then.