On the U.S. Selling Arms to Iraq.

[Ladyhawk]

Last night dinner was ruined once again as the conversation drifted into the political arena. Remind me never to have dinner with my brother again.

Anyway, I distinctly remember reading that the Reagan administration and possibly the Bush I administration sold arms to Iraq. I also remember something about them selling chemical and biological compounds to Iraq. Refresh my memory. Is this true? If it is, where can I find the information.

Thanks.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. True.

As true as the sky is blue. I have the info somewhere... hold on.



(Don't have dinner with your brother again)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Start here:

http://www.counterpunch.org/boles1010.html

[XEON]

3. Good for you!

I have some stuff too.

[lancemurdoch]

4. Google for...

Google for "American Type Culture Collection" and "Iraq". It talks about how the US government shipped anthrax strains to Iraq (one link is to a USA Today article - http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002-09-30-iraq-ushelp_x.htm ).

Of course, the US government sent Iraq weapons of a more conventional nature as well.

Of course, from a logical standpoint, this makes the WMD argument absurd, although not in the light of the ever-important class standpoint.

[jabbo]

5. Google

Don't know if this is accurate or what the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is.


Imported Weapons to Iraq 1973-2002 (% share by country):

USSR: 57%
France: 13%
China: 12%
Czechoslovakia: 7%
Poland: 4%
Brazil: 2%
Egypt: 1%
Romania: 1%
Denmark: 1%
Libya: 1%
USA: 1%
UK: 0%

A few other nations come in with a statistically insignificant amount close to 0% as well. This data comes from SIPRI: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

[jabbo]

6. SIPRI data on Iraq

http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/atirq_data.html

[MaverickX]

7. yes and no..

The U.S. DoD did approve weapons sales to Iraq by American Defense contractors but no the U.S. govt didn't sell Iraq these weapons.