"The Glass Desert"

A War in A Petrie Dish

White House Support of Iraqi Agents

Secret and Illegal Policy Initiatives of the United States

and

The Exposure of the Gulf War Veterans to Biologicals

THE GULF WAR SYNDROME

PROCUREMENT OF rDNA TECHNOLOGY BY THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT

By Robert F. Bickel, Sr.

The Alexandria Group, Inc.

This is a partial introduction of a much longer book length work which is currently being edited from notes and documents involving several years of personal investigation experience, interviews with investigators from U.S. and foreign agencies, and documents gained from inspection of United States Congressional investigations. While most documents have been gained through open or declassified sources others remain "Classified". Every attempt has been made to assure that documentation and interviews of events are capable of being certified to "stand alone" to insure that personality or character attacks on various parties cannot cloud or detract from the information presented. As with this work any investigative undertaking is a learning experience – in this instance we learned to much to late at to high a price. The author assumes complete responsibility for all statements made in this introduction and in the completed work.

In the past I felt I had been fortunate for my family and myself to have escaped the level of suffering that I have observed in the veterans who served in the Gulf War. On several occasions I have been confronted by individuals who insisted that I had a responsibility to disclose the documents and information that I possess on the subject of the arming of Iraq. My answer to these individuals -- without exception -- has been to ask where they were when myself and others who had been involved in the investigations of technology transferred to Iraq in the mid-to late 1980's were sacrificed legally, financially, emotionally and spiritually. I came to my own very compartmentalized understanding of this problems in the late 1980’s, expecting, as an external research and investigative resource to the United States Customs Service, to write an analysis and help develop a program that would expand Customs’ interdiction of Dual Use Technology Transfers to Third World Countries attempting to enhance their military and terrorist capabilities. The elephants were dancing, and we, the ants got stepped on. This was done much before the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq to protect certain covert and illegal activities, their conduits and handlers within the United States and the European community in support of the secret policy initiatives of Presidents Regan and Bush. Many of us who had been intimately involved in those investigations have been set aside as kooks, discredited through the legal system, and systematically attacked just as surely as the veterans whose bodies are wracked by the diseases that they contracted in a desert that we should not have been fighting for in the first place.

Now, it is time, for what can documented to be brought forth to stand on its own without regard for what is said about myself or others as an individuals. The track that is being taken with these investigations is covering well worn ground, being diverted down blind alleys, bypassing information and documentation that establishes how the level of infection being demonstrated by the veterans was achieved and from whence it came. There were truly conspiracies -- then as now -- through the overt conduits that operated not only with the complicity of the administrations of two American Presidents but through a conspicuous lack of integrity in the discussions of where biological materials were acquired and through what means outside of those listed in various reports. Conspicuous also is the deletion of a complete working understanding of how these covert conduits were maintained by the United States government with the assistance of England and it’s intelligence agencies.

The largest single supplier of technology and contracting for the purposes of enhancing the Iraqi military's weapons development program was IBI International, owned and operated by Iraqi expatriate Ishan Barbouti – the "Head of the Snake" as it were. Barbouti has been conclusively shown to be a primary force behind the covert conduits procuring weapons technology and equipment for the Iraqi military through several proceedings in the United States and Europe. What has been documented are the close ties between Barbouti and well known handlers who continue to operate even after their alleged disgrace in the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid 1980's. It has been a established as a requirement that a cloud confusion and turmoil is a crucial element in maintaining the perception of plausible deniability for the U.S. government, Baghdad and Barbouti's bagman. While Barbouti was the single largest contributor to this disgrace he was not by any means alone in his conduct, by the very nature of conspiracies there must be larger agendas and potential gains by many players. Those are the players who will be documented here – their faces and deeds exposed to the light of day and the scrutiny of righteous indignation.

At present I have been working on a chronological summary of the events which surrounded investigations that I was involved in and other investigations which were contemporaneous, including those or the United States Congressional committees. When this event summary is studied it is obvious that there were a number of factors at work; (1) during the "Caddy" 1980's the United States Government initiated its support for Iraq through secret policy initiatives and managed support through the NSC and NSA conduits from the White House, (2) several conduits were either enlisted directly or their actions condoned by the NSC and managed by the NSA for weapons procurement and financial bagmen to pay the costs of these acquisitions, (3) these conduits supported overtly and covertly, Iraqi operations involving their primary agent Ishan Barbouti and IBI International Corporation and the buildup of the Chemical, Biological and Nuclear capabilities of the Iraqi Military. These facts are not exactly new, but at this point it is imperative that a different approach be taken to assembling this puzzle, names and faces have to be attached to the actions which resulted in the Gulf War Veterans' exposures and through what means rDNA technology was acquired by Iraq to enhance the effects of their biological and chemical weapons systems.

In spite of various models of explanation the public debate over the medical pathology which have been observed in Gulf War Veterans' and subsequently their families clearly defines what they are experiencing, the recent disclosure by the United States government that Americans and Coalition forces were in fact exposed to as yet undetermined chemical agents assumes that there were only area specific exposures to chemical agents. Available documentation in the archived medical records of coalition troops and private sector employees who served or worked in the region indicates that while the United States Government is promoting the "Chemical exposure medical pathology model," more pervasive biological agents are known to have been present. The procurement of the technology by Iraq required to create biologicals which operate at micro-biological level has never been discussed in any open forum, nor has the system of support that allowed Iraq to develop these weapon technologies. An analysis of equipment manufactures and materials suppliers lists, the copies of letters of credit from the Rafidan Bank and U.S. Commerce Department documents secured from several sources provide a very telling tale of a free enterprise system gone mad.

"In October 1992, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which has Senate Oversight responsibility for the export Administration Act, held an inquiry into the U.S. export policy to Iraq prior to the Persian Gulf War." During this hearing and in subsequent reports published by Chairman Riegle's staff it was disclosed that U.N. inspectors identified many U.S. manufactured items exported under license issued under U.S. Department of Commerce which was used to further Iraq's chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons systems. These items included a number of various strains of biological toxins which alone would pose a significant threat. What was "Not" disclosed were the parallel conduits of covert procurement operating throughout the United States, Europe, and Latin America, which while established and supported by NSA, were also under investigation by several U.S. Government agencies as early as 1983. Nor was it disclosed that the major conduit for these procurements had been identified by Defense Department/U.S. Military Intelligence and was operating with support conduits provided by original Iran-Contra Assets.

In May 1985, according to congressional hearing records of the Iran-Contra scandal, Oliver North and Richard Secord initiated an off shore corporation, Lake Resources, and others through an Attorney in Panama, Julio Quijano. Another front company was established in Panama by a Quijano in July 1985, IBI financial, which were incorporated around the world, including Britain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and United States. Oliver North's two principal associates in their "Enterprise," the network of foreign shell companies and Swiss Bank Accounts setup to carry out secret and illegal U.S. Government policy initiatives, were General Richard Secord and U.S. naturalized Iranian Albert Hakim. These two men, Secord and Hakim, were "at all times acting under direct control of North," according to court documents filed by the U.S. Government. Recent U.S. court documents from a number of jurisdictions have enabled us to piece together the elements of how North, Secord and their associates facilitated the activities of Iraq's arms procurements agents in the United States right up to the invasion of Kuwait in August of 1990.

Barbouti boasted of his close association with Secord and with one of Secord's trusted business associates Don Scalon (telephone records in my possession show that Barbouti and Secord were in contact). Seaton, a former U.S. Commerce Consultant, helped Barbouti identify companies from which he could acquire equipment or weapons technology for the Iraqi military. Seaton and Secord in turn introduced Barbouti to a company in Decatur, Illinois, Equipment Renewal and Search, which provided chemical and biological process equipment to the Iraqi's for several projects. The contact by Barbouti with Equipment Renewal and Search, and his introduction by General Secord was verified by the owner of that company. A thorough search of the records will show the type and quantity of chemical and biological process equipment pieces shipped for Barbouti and IBI International. Barbouti is known to have stated to an associate that "the Americans are stupid to be concerned about Libya's Pharma 150 plant in so far as he had already duplicated it in Iraq." North never made the rehabilitation from Law Breaker to Law Maker, Seaton was indicted and convicted for money laundering and narcotics trafficking in New Orleans in 1990, and General Secord wishes he could have retained the 48 million that he and North secreted in Swiss accounts.

This is but one example of many which have been documented in interviews with United States Congressional and GAO investigators. While the investigations which these individuals were conducting were the ingredients for the soup of public political outrage during and just after the Desert Storm period very little substance was derived from the documentation which was available. The liability for the origins of the nuclear and chemical equipment/materials was glazed over in public statement after public statement – the biological were seldom mentioned if at all. Barbouti’s exploits serve as a contextual focal point to bring the other conduits of financing, supply and transport into a definable perspective.

Ishan Barbouti and his companies, IBI Engineering with offices in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Japan had long been identified as a major player in support of Terrorists and was reported to have been actively engaged as a paymaster between countries supporting terrorists organizations and the terrorists themselves. Barbouti's involvement with the biological weapons facilities is no secret to U.S. Military Intelligence and the Department of Defense(See the Unclassified Document on International terrorists Ishan Barbouti on the web page). The Barbouti conduit was very active and prolific in providing biological and chemical weapons development manufacturing support throughout the Middle East as indicated by the Iraqi's weapons development projects. From a letter to Barbouti's son Haidar, at IBI Services LTD., in London, from the Iraqi state Establishment for Textile, "We expect the assistance that you promised to the Enterprise for Pesticide Production. Additional supplies of the raw material will insure funding by the Foreign Minister. Abdul Senoussi knows our requirements," as it turns out is the brother-in-law to Col. Mohamar Quadafi. It seems that a construction template had been created so that when a chemical or biological plant was needed somewhere else in the Middle East it was virtually off the shelf supply.

It is unfortunate, in light of the current condition of Gulf War Veterans' and their families that Secretary James Baker, who served on President Bush's staff was covered by a "Conflict of Interest Waiver," wasn't reading the contracts for "secret enzymes" and "formulas" which were being prepared by the law firm which bears his name. From a confidential billing statement submitted by Barbouti attorney Donald Bernard to IBI Industries InC., Houston, Texas, dated May 31, 1990 we find, "May 9, meeting with Bob Hilton to review proposal enzyme contract." "May 9 -10, preparation of enzyme contract for execution in Paris and faxing Bob Hilton." "May 11, 14-17, tel cons and multiple drafts of enzyme contracts, including Baker & Botts attorney who is holding secret formulas. Tel Con with Ed Durnte re Edwards Research Venture and preparation of Joint Venture Agreement." The significance of the "enzyme contract," and "secret formulas," becomes more sinister with a latter disclosure and the involvement of the Baker & Botts Law Firm is of further interest due to a "memorandum for the Attorney General, Subject: Conflict of Interest Waiver," from the White House dated 8 August 1990, and signed by George Bush, which states in part as follows;

"I am aware that under Federal Conflict -of- Interest Law (18 U.S.C. 208), no Executive Branch Employee cannot participate and substantially in a particular manner in which, to the employee's knowledge, he has or is deemed to have a financial interest..."

It is not clear which, if any of the decisions ahead would constitute "particular matters" that would have a "direct and predictable effects on the financial interests of advisors on whom I need to rely.

Nonetheless, in the interest of caution and prudence, I believe that under current circumstances, Cabinet Members and other key foreign policy advisors should not be needlessly restricted in assisting me in shaping the United States response to the Iraqi offensive or be left in doubt about when they may can or cannot assist me. I have therefore directed my counsel, C. Boyden Gray, to review the financial interests of those of my foreign policy advisors foe whom I have not delegated the waiver authority vested in me under 18 U.S.C. 108 (b). In particular, I have had him conduct a special review of the financial interests held by--

The Assistant to the President for National Security

The Assistant to the President and Deputy for National Security

The Attorney General

The Chief of Staff to the President (James Baker)

The Director of Central Intelligence

The Secretary of Commerce

The Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Energy

The Secretary of State, and

The Secretary of Treasury

Essentially every individual who had complicity in creating the "900 pound gorilla" which Saddam Hussein became was granted immunity with but the stroke of the pen. And, at this point it is not politically correct to put faces and names with the events and activities which have created the horror of the gulf War Syndrome.

In bringing to bear on Barbouti, his associates, and handlers within the United State Government and to establish the direct contact as Iraq's conduit acquiring sophisticated biological technology consider this quote from a taped conversation between an attorney and a biologist at a laboratory facility in Texas which Barbouti targeted for acquisition. Biologist - "We do efficacy testing on this (molecularly altered biological enzymes) continuously, because its important to know that what we are using is not going to have any environmental affects or health hazards for the people that are working on it or might come in contact later...I think that any self respecting microbiologist would do that sort of thing. If it got in the hands of the wrong people I couldn't tell you...that they wouldn't use it for something ...for particularly....to contaminate water, that would be the most logical thing. "Attorney - "We are looking at...potential dual use reasons for Dr. Barbouti's interest in some companies and we have reason to believe that he had identified x (laboratory)....you know long distance phone calls from London....is one he wanted to acquire." Biologist - "Well it seems to me that when he (the lab director) first of all told me, that Dr. Barbouti was coming...that he said... that there would be an opportunity to visit the Middle East..."

"There is evidence, based on the nature of the materials imported by Iraq, and by the construct of Barbouti's activities on behalf of Iraq, that the capacity to deliver a biological which operates at the molecular level was part of their weapons arsenal. Since the Iraqi government managed to dismantle much of its biological warfare program prior to UNSCOM inspections, we can only speculate on how advanced this program might have been" (Riegle Report). This speculation is better read in the faces of those being affected daily from their exposure to these molecularly active biologicals. There is more than adequate evidence based on the materials – letters of Credit from the Central Bank of Iraq -- contained in the files of the United States House of Representatives committee chaired by Congressman Henry B. Gonzales (D. Texas) that a complete trail of supply and shipment can be constructed. The listing of manufacturers and suppliers compiled by the U.N. Inspection Teams also provides tremendous insight into the "back-trail" of the Iraqi equipment.

I was told early in my career that to achieve the greater needs and to maintain the proper perspective on activities that I was engaged in that I would have to develop the ability to "sin without guilt," as it has been termed by one author. This concept has had tremendous consequences for myself and others over the past twenty years as it was eventually used as a tool to discredit each of us in turn of we presented any potential for exposing the vulnerable underbelly of the beast we served. it was a seductive environment where no excuses were asked for or given. Often we found ourselves pitted against our own government in areas we weren't suppose to understand. We were often told as the same author above stated it, "that this (the deception) was the key to the making of great generals and corporate executives," and our only hope was that "the Glory would outshine the guilt." There is no glory built on the broken bodies of individuals and as yet unborn children where the price that they have credited against them is to sacrifice their all for the gratification of the few. There were many of us who worked diligently and sacrificed everything to keep the Gulf War Syndrome from the becoming a reality. On the day of the invasion of Kuwait, after years of tracking the dual-use technology transfer conduits, we each knew that the fate of anyone who served in that conflict was already determined and they were to be sacrificed on the alter of the failed "State Craft" and secret policy initiatives. Hopefully the glory and strength of heart of these who have been most seriously affected will outshine the guilt of the leadership that subordinated their responsibilities in favor of foreign nations and their agents.

The social and political niceties continue to be practiced while the suffering and sacrifices of the Gulf War Veterans' and their families continue unabated. The need to maintain the political security and secret policy initiatives of the Reagan and Bush Presidencies has become almost religious mantra within the Capital Committee rooms -- life goes on. Personally, this has already cost me a considerable amount of time in jail, 10 months and 9 days, while the F.B.I. , U.S. Customs Enforcement Internal Affairs agents squired me around the country to recover documents that I had secreted away as my protection. Since that time their need for control over myself and others has taken a life of its own, while the documentation to prove what has taken place rests quietly in, Congressional Committee and government enforcement agency files all over the nation the charade continues with more investigations and promises of hearings. There is no single place where there is an individual or group of individuals of responsibility who value the truth and honor who will step forward to stop the greatest blight on this Nations history; the sacrifice without cause of its greatest asset, those who have chosen to serve America and protect her from "all enemies." Federal agents who hold the files are bound by secrecy, Congressional investigators are bound in the same manner, those who would step forward are controlled more by fear than by the shame of their silence.

The documents that constitute the background for this paper and cover a greater detail than space allows for here are secure. On one occasion in August 1991, I and others who could bring forward documentation to confirm our claims were offered sanctuary by Congressman Charlie Rose of Carolina. "We will protect Mr. Bickel and any other persons who come forward with him to expose these activities," said Charlie in an interview with Jack Anderson on CNBC. Of course, Charlie, being confused about what I was in conference with his assistants on, also congratulated me for helping get to the bottom of "corruption in the Capital Cafeteria" when I was introduced to him by his legal counsel in the Conference Room for the Committee on Government Operations. So much for anyone in Congress paying attention!

Given available documentation, resolving the question of the Gulf War Syndrome, its origins and effects on the veterans of the Gulf Conflict, there must be more direct and less politically correct approach taken to show the complete lineage of the technology provided by U.S. manufacturers and employed by the Iraqi's. The names and faces that provided the support for this illegal activity are the key to establishing the foundation of proof that will secure an end to the daisy chain of committees and investigations that have gone nowhere. Then and only then will studies to develop meaningful treatment for those who are affected proceed in an honest environment. Without these confirmations of the origins and applications of recombinant DNA technology in the hands of the Iraqi's there is no ability to prove what may or may not have happened.