October 20, 1980
Iraqi Delegation in the GDR Requests Purchase of Military Material
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
Ministry for State Security
Main Department XVIII/ AG 1
Berlin, 20 October 1980
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On 16 October 1980 the Unofficial Collaborator IMS “Peter Heine” informed:
An Iraqi official delegation staying in the GDR has established contact with Special Foreign Trade via the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and requested the purchase of military material.
After the departure by the official delegation, one of its members stayed behind in Hotel “Metropol” and asked for respective negotiations.
The head of ITA [Engineering-Technological Foreign Trade, company of the GDR Ministry for Foreign Trade], Colonel Möller, decided for now not to negotiate until all problems are cleared on the GDR side. This was the correct decision at this point.
Special Trade approached the Ministry for National Defense (Colonel General Fleissner) to discuss the problem. Since they could not get hold of Colonel General Fleissner, they apparently received a clearance with Defense Minister Hoffmann via General Neidhardt.
On 15 October at 1300 hours the head of General Fleissner's office, Ludwig, confirmed that contracts and exports are fine for the first five positions.
Those are:
Position 1 – 50,000 sub-machine guns
Position 2 – 10 million rounds of ammunition
Position 3 – 1,000 kilometer, Special Wire FFK 250
Position 4 – 200 launching pads “Fasts” (for air defense missile “Strela”)
Position 5 – Tracer bullet ammunition M 43
The following conditions were listed:
- Preparing a plan of measures, which must contain respective strong secrecy provisions: keeping it secret from the GDR industry, solving transport problems, ensuring profitability and instant payment, deciding delivery dates, camouflaging the country of origin, and so on.
- A code name for the endeavor (proposal was 53/A – this proposal was returned for review by the Stasi case officer since code number 53 is for everybody who works with country and number lists evidently Iraq)
- The plan has to be coordinated with Colonel General Fleissner (currently in Bad Saarow).
Since the decision made concerns a politically sensitive issue, which can cause political damage to the GDR in case secrecy is violated, the head BSA, General Schönherr, informed the Minister for Foreign Trade, Sölle. The latter agreed to all that. According information was forwarded on 15 October.
The Iraqi who stayed behind in Hotel “Metropol” will be kept busy by made to think about potential self pick-up, instant payments, and so on.
Recommendation was given to IMS “Peter Heine” to check the Iraqi individual for his authorizations and decision-making capacities before respective negotiations are to be held.
[Signed]
Hammel
Captain
In October of 1980, a delegation from Iraq travels to the GDR in the hopes of securing an arms deal. However, before going ahead with anything, those on the GDR side of the deal first seek appropriate approval from their superiors.
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