Introduction

Welcome to Thoughts following the 5th International CBRN Safety and Security Conference. This magazine has been created with the kind help of the University of Babylon, DTRA, and Falcon Communications.

Inside you will find a snapshot of the many voices that were dedicated to improving safety and security in Iraq when it comes to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The majority of people that gave their time to speak to us were presenters at the 5th International CBRN Safety and Security Conference, and we are grateful for their efforts on the day and also for working on this magazine.

CBRN Safety and Security is a major issue for Iraq, as it is for many other countries. There has been a lasting legacy of war damage and hostile actors in the region for greater than twenty years and this has left institutional and security challenges that the country is still trying to overcome. All of the people in these pages are dedicated to making Iraq a safer and cleaner place to live.

The magazine is thematically split into five sections. The first, pages four to twenty one, look at the conference itself. What was done and said, and what are the plans for the event in future years. If you missed the event, and have found this on a coffee table somewhere, please check out http://cbrnssd.uobabylon.edu.iq/index.html and we all hope to see you at a future one!

The second section, pages twenty two to thirty, have two insights into the CBRN security situation in Iraq. The first deals with the experience from the CBRN Civil Defense force and the second from the Peshmerga. The third section, pages 31 to 42, is looking at some of the friends that Iraq has in the region, both next door in Jordan and across the Mediterranean in Europe. Finding solutions takes many partners, and even more good ideas and there are individuals that are keen to help, and these pages look at some of the initiatives that are underway.

The fourth section, pp43 to 52, investigates what was a major focus of the 5th conference, the issue of hazardous material waste in Iraq. Here are two voices from the region looking at the hazmat challenges to Iraq and what best practice can be used to overcome them. There are many difficulties in overcoming them, and this will be an ongoing thrust of the conference until they have been reduced.

The final section, pages pp53 to 56, looks at the legacy of Daesh in the North of Iraq. The devastation done to the area is a scar that will take over ten years to heal, and the work of the DoD is examined and suggestions made as to where the priorities should be.

I hope you enjoy the magazine and the efforts that have been undertaken for improved CBRN security in Iraq. If you want to know more about initiatives in the region please email gwyn.winfield@cbrneworld.net and I will be happy to pass your request on.

Gwyn Winfield Editor

Contents

1 Introduction 4 A higher education

Professor Falah H Hussein, emeritus professor at the faculty of pharmacy, University of Babylon and member of the ministerial CBRN committee in the ministry of higher education and scientific research talks to Gwyn Winfield about his plans

9 Building out

Shawn Baker-Garcia, CEO of The Critical Mass on taking the conference to new heights

14 Level up

Dr Ali Abdel Aziz al-Yasiri, director general of the National Centre for Joint Planning and head of the CBRN Team Development Team in Iraq talks to Gwyn Winfield about taking Iraq’s CBRN to the next level

17 CBRN Exercise

Photos from the demonstration at the 5th International CBRN Safety and Security Coordination Conference

22 CBRN in the time of Covid

Brigadier General Mahmood Delli, Iraqi CBRN Department Manager at the Department of Civil Defence in Iraq tells Gwyn Winfield about their experience on the front lines

26 Only sleeping

Brigadier General Hajar Ismail, director of coordination and relations at the Ministry of Peshmerga on preparing for Daesh’s re-awakening

Published by Falcon Communications Limited

Directors Gwyn Winfield David Levitt Art Director Tony Denton Marcoms Manager Zoe Rutherford Sub Editor Jenny Walton

Thoughts following the 5th International CBRN Safety and Security Conference is published by Falcon Communications Ltd. Postmaster: send address changes to: Falcon Communications US LLC, 2404 Fairway Oaks Court, Suite 100, Hampstead, Maryland, 21074.

31 A strong Center

Tristan Simonart, European Commission Director General for International cooperation and development, EU CBRN CoE, Gulf and Central Asia, on the wider Center of Excellence family

35 A Culture of CBRN

Nasser bin Nasser, Managing Director of MESIS, gives his opinion on what is working well at the CBRN COE in the Middle East

39 Crimping the terrorist threat

Gwyn Winfield looks at Project CRIMP, Interpol’s project to combat potential chemical terrorists in Iraq

43 Being responsible

Caner Zanbak, Environmental Coordinator at the Turkish Miners Association, talks to Zoe Rutherford about careful management of chemicals

48 Pollution Solution

Mr. Luay Al-Mukhtar, National focal point, from the Iraq Ministry of Health and Environment, discusses pollution and chemical safety in Iraq with Zoe Rutherford

53 An improving situation

Colonel Jeff Brodeur (ret.), CBRN subject matter expert, and Dr Laima Warnecke on the challenges of chemical security and radiological safety in Iraq, tracing the current situation’s origins through the past few decades

Legal Niceties: Reproduction in whole, or part, of any content of Thoughts following the 5th International CBRN Safety and Security Conference, without prior permission, is strictly prohibited. Any correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, gwyn.winfield@cbrneworld.com. We acknowledge the assistance and hard work of many individuals, associations and organisations who have contributed to this magazine. The information published in this magazine has been published in good faith and the opinions contained in the article are those of the author and not Falcon Communication Ltd. Photos are credited individually. ©Falcon Communication Ltd 2021.