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French connection armed Saddam
Washington Times ^ | 9/08/04 | Bill Gertz

Posted on 09/08/2004 12:08:10 AM PDT by kattracks

The United States stood by for years as supposed allies helped its enemies obtain the world's most dangerous weapons, reveals Bill Gertz, defense and national security reporter for The Washington Times, in the new book "Treachery" (Crown Forum). In this excerpt, he details France's persistence in arming Saddam Hussein.
    
    First of three excerpts
    
    
    New intelligence revealing how long France continued to supply and arm Saddam Hussein's regime infuriated U.S. officials as the nation prepared for military action against Iraq.

The intelligence reports showing French assistance to Saddam ongoing in the late winter of 2002 helped explain why France refused to deal harshly with Iraq and blocked U.S. moves at the United Nations.
    "No wonder the French are opposing us," one U.S. intelligence official remarked after illegal sales to Iraq of military and dual-use parts, originating in France, were discovered early last year before the war began.
    That official was careful to stipulate that intelligence reports did not indicate whether the French government had sanctioned or knew about the parts transfers. The French company at the beginning of the pipeline remained unidentified in the reports.
    France's government tightly controls its aerospace and defense firms, however, so it would be difficult to believe that the illegal transfers of equipment parts took place without the knowledge of at least some government officials.


(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: axisofweasels; billgertz; france; frogs; geopolitics; iraq; nonallyfrance; saddam
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1 posted on 09/08/2004 12:08:10 AM PDT by kattracks
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To: kattracks

Didn't we find when we invaded, new French missiles date-stamped 2003?


2 posted on 09/08/2004 12:12:00 AM PDT by thoughtomator ("With 64 days left, John Kerry still has time to change his mind 4 or 5 more times" - Rudy Giuliani)
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To: kattracks
Mostly about France selling military and dual use equipment to Saddam from 1975 through 2002.
This is the country that Jane Fonda Kerry wants to trust to protect America's freedom.
3 posted on 09/08/2004 12:17:09 AM PDT by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (GEORGE WASHINGTON is nothing like HO CHI MINH as stated by Kerry.)
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To: kattracks

The French are not our friends. But sKerry will only act with their approval.

Blessings, bobo


4 posted on 09/08/2004 12:17:57 AM PDT by bobo1
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To: nuconvert; AdmSmith

USA, Soviet Union, France & Germany equipped Saddam with latest technologies and Weapons in the 1980s.


5 posted on 09/08/2004 12:18:35 AM PDT by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: MizSterious; TexKat; backhoe; GailA; McGavin999

FYI.


6 posted on 09/08/2004 12:19:42 AM PDT by Howlin (I'm mad as Zell)
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To: kattracks
BTTT; thanks for the heads-up.

BTW, did anyone see Putin condemn the west for asking Russia to negotiate with the Ruslan terrorists? He implied hypocrisy because we have not sat down with Osama. I was stunned. But, my brother was watching CNN, so I made him change it to SCIFI (it's more tactful than making him change his own TV to FNC). :D

I never heard a US official ask Russia to meet the bastards at the bargaining table, but that's what Putin implied. Perhaps I missed the press briefing.
7 posted on 09/08/2004 12:22:45 AM PDT by andyk
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To: kattracks

United States stood by for years

thank you president clinton for ALL the(NO) help in protecting these United States.


8 posted on 09/08/2004 12:23:32 AM PDT by rineaux (hardcore for W04)
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To: kattracks

The oil for weapons disguised as food scandal continues to get uglier and uglier.


9 posted on 09/08/2004 12:26:26 AM PDT by HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath (Cream rises to the top, but in a secular culture, so does the slime.)
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To: F14 Pilot
USA, Soviet Union, France & Germany equipped Saddam with latest technologies and Weapons in the 1980s

Yes, but this story is in regard to arming up to the 21st century, my friend. A lot of things happened since the 80's (the destruction of the USSR, the end of the Iran/Iraq war, the invasion of Kuwait, etc.).
10 posted on 09/08/2004 12:26:30 AM PDT by andyk
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To: F14 Pilot

In fact, you were put out of business (or at least had a mission alteration) as a result of those things that happened during the 80's. If I remember correctly (I'm just an AF puke), F14's were originally envisioned to eliminate (and protect carriers against) incoming Soviet bombers, using their spiffy Phoenix AAMs.


11 posted on 09/08/2004 12:31:45 AM PDT by andyk
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To: andyk

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/2783574


12 posted on 09/08/2004 12:47:25 AM PDT by GoLightly
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To: GoLightly

OMG, that's the State Department. They'd tell me to negotiate with my brother's cat if he wouldn't come out from under the bed to urinate.


13 posted on 09/08/2004 1:00:34 AM PDT by andyk
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To: GoLightly

What's your point? You were a little URL-heavy, and word-light.


14 posted on 09/08/2004 1:01:29 AM PDT by andyk
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To: GoLightly

BTW, thanks for showing me the bastards that asked him to sit at the bargaining table. LOL


15 posted on 09/08/2004 1:17:41 AM PDT by andyk
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To: andyk

The first actual combat exercise for the tomcats belongs to the Imperial Iranian Air Force in the late 70s and early 80s.

They were the first to use AWG-9 & AIM-54A against Soviets MIG-25s over flying the Iranian territories.

http://www.iiaf.net


16 posted on 09/08/2004 1:23:49 AM PDT by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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To: andyk

My point in posting the URL was to answer your question, what "we" said that ticked Putin off.

My opinion on the matter, the State Department is as good at ticking off foreign countries, as it is at ticking off Americans. Sometimes diplomatic words are undiplomatic. For example, I'm still mighty ticked with France. In my own undiplomatic way, I ask, who the F are they? True diplomacy has little or nothing to do with just saying the right words. As the old proverb goes, Walk a mile another man's moccasins, something State clearly failed to do.


17 posted on 09/08/2004 1:25:47 AM PDT by GoLightly
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To: andyk

;o)


18 posted on 09/08/2004 1:26:29 AM PDT by GoLightly
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To: F14 Pilot

No offense, but your point?


19 posted on 09/08/2004 2:47:46 AM PDT by andyk
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To: andyk

Nothing... just reminding a part of history ;-)


20 posted on 09/08/2004 3:02:57 AM PDT by F14 Pilot (Democracy is a process not a product)
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