The Private Record of an Arms Buyer

They are the scribbled words of a man who knows war is coming.

They speak of antitank weapons and air defense systems. They describe secret money transfers, things hidden in diplomatic pouches, clandestine meetings with brokers and middlemen. The writing is tight, pared of adjectives. The narrative moves in a ticktock pace toward what the writer -- one of Iraq’s leading arms merchants -- describes as “the mother of battles.”

When U.S. cruise missiles struck on March 20, Siham Addin Khairi, director of the state-owned Armos Trading Co., had already vanished, leaving his day planner on his desk. A German journalist found it in Baghdad, brought it to Hamburg and eventually showed it to The Times.

The entries reveal how Khairi searched the globe for illicit weapons until the brink of war to satisfy his client, Saddam Hussein’s Military Industrialization Commission. There are contract descriptions, financial calculations, telephone numbers and question marks scattered throughout.

The pages also offer a glimpse into the mind of a man who operated in the shadows and methodically went about saving himself, his money and his staff.

Jan. 7: “Minimization of crisis.... Urgent actions necessary to prepare a comprehensive evacuation plan that enables us to save materials and souls of men as our main objective.”

Jan. 8: “The towers, fences and doors to be fortified. Calling in the young. The calling should be mandatory, hence in case of emergency, they should join immediately.”

Jan. 9: “Issuing order on money to be used. The rest is deposited in a safe place.... The parking of the bus is the gathering point.”

Jan. 10: “Each firm based on the emergency plan should be provided for the whole week with bread, dates, lentils, tea, sugar and oil.”

Jan. 11: “Money should not be left to the groups. Revolutionary steadfastness is required in any situation. The position should be strengthened, however simple the signal may be, especially toward the outside [world].”

The day planner is streaked with such inspirational musings. They drive Khairi’s broader quest of amassing, despite Iraq’s isolation and weak finances, weapons and defense systems to fend off the coming invasion. It seems that few schemes were too outlandish for consideration.

Feb. 1: Khairi writes of a meeting with a Czech-German engineer. The two explore the design of a “dust cannon” that would hurl explosives at the ground, kicking up a gritty haze from the desert floor to disrupt the guidance systems of U.S. missiles. Khairi draws a diagram of the cannon -- two tubes at 45-degree angles -- adding the comment: “Explanation of idea. Discuss technical details.”

Feb. 2: In crude block letters, Khairi lists two chemical compounds, diethylenetriamine (DETA) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). The chemicals are used in the production of storable liquid rocket fuels. UDMH was developed in the Soviet Union in the late 1940s.

Khairi leaves for Moscow in early February to meet Russian businessmen, politicians and arms smugglers. The meetings are crucial for Khairi, with tens of millions of dollars at stake.

Adding to the pressure, U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell addressed the United Nations Security Council on Feb. 5 to make Washington’s case for war. The showdown intensifies, and tension mounts on Khairi’s pages.

Feb. 12: “Needs discussed.... Air defense. Antitank weapons. Night sight equipment and devices.... Businessmen want profit. The Russians’ fear?... Subjects of debts.”

Feb. 13: Khairi meets with the Iraqi ambassador to Moscow and the director of an unidentified Russian company. The firm is concerned that its dealings with Iraq are becoming too sensitive. “International conditions draw attention to the company,” writes Khairi, who quotes the Russians as being informed about “what is needed by Iraq, and we wonder how best to get it.” He adds: “The official way is not helpful. Alternatives must be found. Who does not want to act finds excuses. Who does act finds solutions. We hope to get an idea of your needs in Moscow and we can give you some goods.”

Feb. 17: “Materials Institute, Leningrad.... Materials were shipped. Transport of materials from Moscow to Syria and from Syria to Iraq.”

Khairi lists the names of three Russian suppliers -- Alexy S. Kharlonov, Valentin P. Kuznetsov and Lev. S. Krivoshev. Beside the names he writes, “Granting entrance visas [to Iraq] for the purpose of the mother of battles.”

Feb. 18: Ukrainian businessmen agree to visit Baghdad. “Financial claims will be settled immediately,” Khairi writes. “The financial issue will be resolved.”

Feb. 19: Khairi writes of a “SiltMash Contract” and the need for Russian specialists to visit Iraq. “The specialists will come on March 3, 2003.... Two welding machines are sent. After one week, a truck will be sent with two grinding machines.”

Whether the specialists or machines made it into Iraq is not known. The day planner entries dwindle. War comes on March 20.