United States Department of Defense News Release On the web: Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131 Public contact: http://www.dod.mil/faq/comment.html or +1 (703) 428-0711

The Department of Defense released today its final report on the possibility that chemical warfare agents were present at an industrial area outside Kuwait City during the 1991 Gulf War. This final report concludes it is unlikely that chemical warfare agents were present at the site known as the cement factory. The final report concurs with investigators' original findings released as an interim report in 1999.

On March 12, 1991, a team of chemical defense and explosive ordnance specialists from the 2nd Marine Division inspected the site, which was thought to be an Iraqi chemical weapon filling station. Within a half mile of the inspection site, the Fox vehicle team reported an alert for chemical warfare agents.

Although some of the Marines involved in the cement factory incident thought chemical warfare agents were present, this investigation could find no evidence of the presence of chemical warfare agents at the cement factory.

Bernard Rostker, the special assistant, reminds veterans that although this is a final report, anyone who has new information is encouraged to call (800) 497-6261. Case narratives examine incidents during the Gulf War that might have involved chemical warfare agents. They are part of DoD's efforts to inform the public about its investigations into the nature and possible causes for the illnesses experienced by some Gulf War veterans.

This narrative, and other publications of the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, is posted on the GulfLINK website at http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/cement_factory_ii .

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