How Reagan Armed Saddam with Chemical Weapons

[struggle4progress]

On August 18, 2002, the New York Times carried a front-page story headlined, "Officers say U.S. aided Iraq despite the use of gas". Quoting anonymous US "senior military officers", the NYT "revealed" that in the 1980s, the administration of US President Ronald Reagan covertly provided "critical battle planning assistance at a time when American intelligence knew that Iraqi commanders would employ chemical weapons in waging the decisive battles of the Iran-Iraq war". The story made a brief splash in the international media, then died.
<snip>

In March 1981, US Secretary of State Alexander Haig excitedly told the Senate foreign relations committee that Iraq was concerned by "the behaviour of Soviet imperialism in the Middle Eastern region". The Soviet government had refused to deliver arms to Iraq as long as Baghdad continued its military offensive against Iran. Moscow was also unhappy with the Hussein's vicious repression of the Iraqi Communist Party.

Washington's support (innocuously referred to as a "tilt" at the time) for Iraq became more open after Iran succeeded in driving Iraqi forces from its territory in May 1982; in June, Iran went on the offensive against Iraq. The US scrambled to stem Iraq's military setbacks. Washington and its conservative Arab allies suddenly feared Iran might even defeat Iraq, or at least cause the collapse of Hussein's regime.

Using its allies in the Middle East, Washington funnelled huge supplies of arms to Iraq. Classified State Department cables uncovered by Frantz and Waas described covert transfers of howitzers, helicopters, bombs and other weapons to Baghdad in 1982-83 from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait.
<snip>

http://www.counterpunch.org/dixon06172004.html


Some nice info. Remember, for example, that the Reaganista neocons in '82 removed Iraq from "Washington's official list of states that support terrorism" ...

[TheTruthBeKnown]

1. REAGAN's LEGACY: TERRORISM

REAGAN's LEGACY: TERRORISM
by Larry S. Rolirad

Reagan's legacy can be summed up in one word, "TERRORISM". It was Reagan and his merry band of neo-conservatives who trained, funded and taught how to be a terrorist. Reagan and his regime also funded the Taliban from 1983 to the end of his term. For befriending an enemy of the US Reagan and everyone in his cabinet should have been tried, convicted and put in prison.

And let's not forget Reagan's involvement with selling arms to an enemy nation for hostages. That act alone was treason. If you remember, Reagan spoke in prime time to all Americans and said he knew nothing of the 'arms for hostages'. But Reagan LIED. Two weeks later, Reagan recanted his first words and finally admitted that he was involved. And that was followed by coverups, lies, and obstruction of justice. Oliver North took orders from Ronald Reagan and when North went before congress he deliberately lied to them. For that act alone North should have been put in prison for life. North was also guilty of obstruction of justice when he personally shredded documents in his office. North even ordered his secretary, Fawn Hall, to smuggle out incriminating evidence in her panties.

So why didn't Reagan, Bush, North and the rest of the co-conspirators against the United States end up in prison? They would have if the democratic party had any backbone at all. They let the corrupt republiicans off with a slap on their hands.

Finally, the terrorism that we are facing today are the result of criminal acts by Reagan, Bush-duh-First and their entire regime. It was their blunders that have caused terrorism to grow.

[Skittles]

2. "he gassed his own people"

yeah, with help from Reagan and Bush I. Welcome to the DU, TTBK. :hi:

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Another example of how much Reagan liked Iraq: USS Stark

37 sailors were killed, and 21 injured, when an Iraqi plane fired a missile at it in 1987. Reagan accepted the Iraqi claim that it was a mistake. Can you imagine Saddam getting that amount of leeway later?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stark_(FFG-31)