Deep Blade Archive
Cutting through the machinations and
effects of the U.S. empire
Chronology
Archive of 2003 War Resources
Archive of 1991 Gulf War Articles
911 Archive
Arming Iraq and the Path to War
A crisis always has a history,
and the current crisis with Iraq is no exception.
Most of what follows in the chronology
below was forwarded by a friend. I added a few items. I would
also like to mention two web resources containing detailed
information and extensive citations covering the history of
this general period and links to much more. These are:
U.S. Diplomatic and Commercial Relationships
with Iraq, 1980 - 2 August 1990 prepared
by Nathaniel Hurd and Glen Rangwala: and
The Iran-Iraq War: Serving American Interests in Aspects
of India’s Economy Nos. 33 and 34, December 2002.
February 3, 2004 -- NOTE: I have noticed
that this is the most popular page in my entire site. While I
recommend you look too at the current
Deep Blade Journal, I’d
like to offer an important posting there from September 16,
2003 for those interested in United States backing of
Saddam’s worst crimes:
This item refers to the Halabja massacre
and Secretary of State Colin Powell’s appearance there
the previous day. The posting offers many links to the
documentary history behind Iraqgate and the arming of Saddam.
Okay, on with the chronology. . .
Chronology
September 1980. Iraq invades Iran. The beginning of the
Iraq-Iran war.
February 1982. Despite objections from congress, President
Reagan removes Iraq from its list of known terrorist countries.
December 1982. Hughes Aircraft ships 60 Defender helicopters to
Iraq.
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.
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.
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 US 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.
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.
November 1983. George Schultz, the Secretary of State, is given
intelligence reports showing that Iraqi troops are daily using
chemical weapons against the Iranians.
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.
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.
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 US becomes the only country
refusing to sign a Security Council statement recognizing
Iraq's use of these weapons.
May 1986. The US Department of Commerce licenses 70
biological exports ot Iraq between May of 1985 and 1989,
including at least 21 batches of lethal strains of anthrax.
May 1986.
US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons grade
botulin poison to Iraq.
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.
May 17, 1987. Iraqi attack on USS Stark costs 37 American
lives. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger declares, "We
will not be driven from the gulf," and accepts Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein's apology for the "unintentional
incident."
Late 1987. The Iraqi Air Force begins using chemical agents
against Kurdish resistance forces in northern Iraq.
February 1988. Saddam Hussein begins the "Anfal"
campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq. The Iraq regime
used chemical weapons against the Kurds killing over 100,000
civilians and destroying over 1,200 Kurdish villages.
April 1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of
chemicals used in manufacture of mustard gas.
August 1988. Four major battles were fought from April to
August 1988, in which the Iraqis massively and effectively used
chemical weapons to defeat the Iranians. Nerve gas and
blister agents such as mustard gas are used. By this time the
US Defense Intelligence Agency is heavily involved with Saddam
Hussein in battle plan assistance, intelligence gathering and
post battle debriefing. In the last major battle with of
the war, 65,000 Iranians are killed, many with poison gas.
(For confirmation of DIA involvement, check the New York
Times, August 18, 2002). Use of chemical weapons in war
is in violation of the Geneva accords of 1925.
August 1988. Iraq and Iran declare a cease fire.
August 1988. Five days after the cease fire Saddam Hussein sends
his planes and Hughes helicopters to northern Iraq to begin
massive chemical attacks against the Kurds.
September 1988. US Senate Foreign Relations Committee
summarizes their knowledge of the victims of the chemical
attacks: "Those who were very close to the bombs died
instantly. Those who did not die instantly found it
difficult to breathe and began to vomit. The gas stung
the eyes, skin, and lungs of the villagers exposed to it.
Many suffered temporary blindness. Those who could
not run from the growing smell, mostly the very old and the
very young, died."
September 8, 1988 U.S. Senate unanimously passes the
"Prevention of Genocide Act of 1988" the day after it
is introduced. The act would have cut off from Iraq U.S. loans,
military and non-military assistance, credits, credit
guarantees, items subject to export controls, and U.S. imports
of Iraqi oil. Immediately after the bill’s passage the
Reagan Administration announces its opposition to the bill, and
State Department spokesman Charles Redman calls the bill
"premature.” Richard Murphy, Assistant Secretary of
State says, "The US-Iraqi relationship is...
important to our long-term political and economic
objectives." The Administration works with House opponents
to a House companion bill, and after numerous legislation
compromises and end-of-session haggling, the Senate bill dies.
September 1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of
weapons grade anthrax to Iraq.
September 1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of
weapons grade botulinum toxin to Iraq.
September 1988. December 1988.
Dow chemical sells $1.5
million in pesticides to Iraq despite knowledge that these
would be used in chemical weapons.
July 25, 1990. US Ambassador to Baghdad meets with Hussein to
assure him that President Bush "wanted better and deeper
relations". Many believe this visit was a trap set
for Hussein. A month later Hussein invaded Kuwait
thinking the US would not respond.
August 1990. Iraq invades Kuwait. The precursor to the Gulf
War.
Late February and March 1991. U.S.-led forces slaughter the Iraqi army
as it retreats from Kuwait. Then George H. W. Bush calls an
abrupt halt to the Gulf War. During the confusion, Bush calls
for Iraqis to rise up against Saddam Hussein. But Hussein is
allowed to fly his helicopters in order to crush the rebellion
in the north and south of Iraq. At least an additional 100,000
people are killed and hundreds of thousands of refugees flee
into the mountains along the border of Iraq and Turkey.
July 1991. The Financial Times of London reveals that a
Florida chemical company had produced and shipped cyanide to
Iraq during the 80's using a special CIA courier. Cyanide
was used extensively against the Iranians.
August 1991. Christopher Droguol of Atlanta's branch of Banca
Nazionale del Lavoro is arrested for his role in supplying
loans to Iraq for the purchase of military supplies. He
is charged with 347 counts of felony. Droguol is found
guilty, but US officials plead innocent of any knowledge of his
crime.
June 1992. Ted Kopple of ABC Nightline reports: "It
is becoming increasingly clear that George Bush Sr., operating
largely behind the scenes throughout the 1980's, initiated and
supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military
help that built Saddam's Iraq into [an aggressive
power]."
September 1992. US Representative Henry Gonzalez of Texas in
testimony before the House: "The arming of Iraq is one of
the most incredible chapters in recent foreign policy.
Not only were foreign aid programs and international
financial systems abused, but our military men and women were
sent to fight the very war machine we helped create."
February 1994. Senator Riegle form Michigan, chairman of the
Senate Banking Committee, testifies before the senate revealing
large US shipments of dual-use biological and chemical agents
to Iraq that may have been used against US troops in the Gulf
War and probably was the cause of the illness known as Gulf War
Syndrome.
August 2002. "The use of gas [during the Iran-Iraq war]
on the battle field by the Iraqis was not a matter of deep
strategic concern... We were desperate to make sure that
Iraq did not lose". Colonel Walter Lang, former
senior US Defense Intelligence officer tells the New York
Times.
This chronology of the United States'
sordid involvement in the arming of Iraq can be summarized in
this way: The United States used methods both legal and
illegal to help build Saddam's army into the most powerful army
in the Mideast outside of Israel. The US supplied
chemical and biological agents and technology to Iraq when it
knew Iraq was using chemical weapons against the Iranians.
The US supplied the materials and technology for
these weapons of mass destruction to Iraq at a time when it was
know that Saddam was using this technology to kill his Kurdish
citizens. The United States supplied intelligence and
battle planning information to Iraq when those battle plans
included the use of cyanide, mustard gas and nerve agents. The
United States blocked UN censure of Iraq's use of chemical
weapons. The United States did not act alone in this
effort. The Soviet Union was the largest weapons supplier, but
England, France and Germany were also involved in the shipment
of arms and technology.
So what do these events have to do with
the current conflict? Just this: If we do go to war
with Iraq, it is important to know why. War will
not really be about terrorism. Twenty years ago the
United States threw its support behind Saddam Hussein in a
geopolitical bid for enhanced access to oil. The
trajectory given him by our support lead directly to the Gulf
War and to the current crises. War, after all, will be
about a history of misdeeds and miscalculations. And war
will not be about morality. War will be about cynicism,
deceit and a thirst for oil that knows no boundaries. j
Assembled (mostly) by John King
