People have forgotten that Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, and we didn't pile into that war, we somehow managed to mind our own business,
and someone we managed to survive.
Why did THAT approach suddenly stop being an option by 1990??
Why was not doing what had worked in 1980 a better idea?
Not doing what we did in 1980 got us 2 Iraq wars, 9/11, and an Afghan war. How was that the better outcome?
When Iran started winning, Raygun supported Saddam with money and replacement parts for his military. In fact Raygun opened the flood gates on Western technology sales from our allies too. That's how Saddam was able to aquire his advanced Chemical and Biological weapons and start his clandestine nuclear bomb program.
France's involvement in Iraq's nuclear program started in the mid-1970s five years before Saddam ever invaded Kuwait. The Iraqi's already had manufatured their own chemical weapons before the start of the Iran-Iraq war and first used them in 1982!
The Soviet Union, not the United States was the primary supplier of weapons to Iraq. In fact, the Soviet Union and China sold Iraq 100% of its main battle tanks, armored personal carriers, and 80% of its artillery and combat aircraft. There were over 1,000 Soviet military personal on the ground in Iraq training Iraq Republican Guard forces for the entire Iran/Iraq war. Of the funding that came from western and middle eastern countries, only about 5% came from the United States. The United States did provide Saddam with 5 Billion dollars, transport helicopters, technical support and repair for electronics and computers and several hundred trucks for military transport. No actual weapons, although Iraq did legally obtain biological stocks that could later be weaponized. But those biological stocks were available to any country not under sanctions.
Saddam's Iraq was a client state of the Soviet Union. Ironically while the United States did assist Iraq, it provided no actual weapons. It did provide 2,000 Tow missiles to Iraq's enemy Iran during the Iran/contra deal.
Mustard gas is not an advanced chemical weapon. When the Iran/Iraq war started the USSR embargoed arms sales to Iraq. Hence the need to supply him with Soviet spare parts.
The Teicher Affidavit: Iraq-Gate
From The Teicher Affidavit: Following is the sworn court declaration of former NSC official Howard Teicher, dated 1/31/95, regarding 'Iraqgate.' The document is currently under seal by the US District Court, Southern District of Florida. The original document bears Teicher's dated signature.
13. The United States and the CIA maintained a program known as
the 'Bear Spares" program whereby the United States made sure that spare
parts and ammunition for Soviet or Soviet-style weaponry were available to
countries which sought to reduce their dependence on the Soviets for
defense needs. If the "Bear Spares" were manufactured outside the United
States, then the United States could arrange for the provision of these
weapons to a third country without direct involvement. Israel, for
example, had a very large stockpile of Soviet weaponry and ammunition
captured during its various wars. At the suggestion of the United States,
the Israelis would transfer the spare parts and weapons to third countries
or insurgent movements (such as the Afghan rebels and the Contras).
Similarly, Egypt manufactured weapons and spare parts from Soviet designs
and porvided these weapons and ammunition to the Iraqis and other
countries. Egypt also served as a supplier for the Bear Spares program.
The United States approved, assisted and encouraged Egypt's manufacturing
capabilities. The United States approved, assisted and encouraged Egypt's
sale of weaponry, munitions and vehicles to Iraq.
14. The mere request to a third party to carry out an action did
not constitute a "covert action," and, accordingly, required no
Presidential Finding or reporting to Congress. The supply of Cardoen
cluster bombs, which were fitted for use on Soviet, French and NATO
aircraft, was a mere extension fo the United States policy of assisting
Iraq through all legal means in order to avoid an Iranian victory.
15. My NSC files are currently held in trhe President Ronald
Reagan Presidential Archives in Simi Valley, California. My files will
contain my notes and memoranda from meetings I attended with CIA director
Casey or CIA Deputy Director Gates which included discussions of Cardoen's
manufacture and sale of cluster bombs to Iraq. My NSC files will also
contain cable traffic among various United States agencies, embassies and
other parties relating to Cardoen and his sale of cluster bombs and other
munitions to Iraq and other Middle Eastern states.
Raygun took Iraq off the nations who support terrorism and that opened the floodgates for our allies to start selling him Western Technology.
