The following is mirrored from its source at:
UNObserver & International Report
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Arming Iraq and the Path to War
by John King
U.N. Observer & International Report
31 March 2003
2003-03-31 | This is an accurate chronology of United States'
involvement in the arming of Iraq during the Iraq-Iran war. It is
a powerful indictment of the current bush administration attempt
to sell war as a component of his war on terrorism. It reveals our
ambitions in Iraq to be just another chapter in the attempt to
regain a foothold in the Mideast following the fall of the Shah of
Iran.
A crisis always has a history, and the current crisis with Iraq is
no exception. Below are some relevant dates.
September 1980. Iraq invades Iran. The beginning of the Iraq-Iran
war.[8]
February 1982. Despite objections from Congress, President Reagan
removes Iraq from its list of known terrorist countries.[1]
December 1982. Hughes Aircraft ships 60 Defender helicopters to
Iraq.[9]
1982-1988. Defense Intelligence Agency provides detailed
information for Iraq on Iranian deployments, tactical planning for
battles, plans for air strikes and bomb damage assessments.[4]
November 1983. A National Security Directive states that the U.S
would do "whatever was necessary and legal" to prevent Iraq from
losing its war with Iran.[1][15]
November 1983. Banca Nazionale del Lavoro of Italy and its Branch
in Atlanta begin to funnel $5 billion in unreported loans to Iraq.
Iraq, with the blessing and official approval of the U.S.
government, purchased computer controlled machine tools,
computers, scientific instruments, special alloy steel and
aluminum, chemicals, and other industrial goods for Iraq's
missile, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs.[14]
October 1983. The Reagan Administration begins secretly allowing
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt to transfer United States
weapons, including Howitzers, Huey helicopters, and bombs to Iraq.
These shipments violated the Arms Export Control Act.[16]
November 1983. George Schultz, the Secretary of State, is given
intelligence reports showing that Iraqi troops are daily using
chemical weapons against the Iranians.[1]
December 20 1983. Donald Rumsfeld, then a civilian and now Defense
Secretary, meets with Saddam Hussein to assure him of US
friendship and materials support.[1][15]
July 1984. CIA begins giving Iraq intelligence necessary to
calibrate its mustard gas attacks on Iranian troops.[19]
January 14 1984. State Department memo acknowledges United States
shipment of "dual-use" export hardware and technology. Dual use
items are civilian items such as heavy trucks, armored ambulances
and communications gear as well as industrial technology that can
have a military application.[2]
March 1986. The United States with Great Britain block all
Security Council resolutions condemning Iraq's use of chemical
weapons, and on March 21 the U.S. becomes the only country
refusing to sign a Security Council statement condemning Iraq's
use of these weapons.[10]
May 1986. The U.S. Department of Commerce licenses 70 biological
exports to Iraq between May of 1985 and 1989, including at least
21 batches of lethal strains of anthrax.[3]
May 1986. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons
grade botulin poison to Iraq.[7]
March 1987. President Reagan bows to the findings of the Tower
Commission admitting the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for
hostages. Oliver North uses the profits from the sale to fund an
illegal war in Nicaragua.
[17]http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/armIraqP2W.txt
A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. 
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