Iraqgate (need help debunking)

Village Voice ^ | March 1993 | Russ W. Baker

[blanknoone]

"ABC News Nightline opened last June 9 with words to make the heart stop. "It is becoming increasingly clear," said a grave Ted Koppel, "that George Bush, operating largely behind the scenes throughout the 1980s, initiated and supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military help that built Saddam's Iraq into the aggressive power that the United States ultimately had to destroy."

"Is this accurate? Just about every reporter following the story thinks so. Most say that the so-called Iraqgate scandal is far more significant then either Watergate or Iran-contra, both in its scope and its consequences. And all believe that, with investigations continuing, it is bound to get bigger."

"We've learned by now that a vast network of companies, based in the U.S. and abroad, eagerly fed the Iraqi war machine right up until August 1990, when Saddam invaded Kuwait."

"And we've learned that the obscure Atlanta branch of Italy's largest bank, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, relying partially on U.S. taxpayer-guaranteed loans, funneled $ 5 billion to Iraq from 1985 to 1989"

"Beginning in September 1989, a Financial Times team, reporting from Milan, Baghdad, and London, laid out the first charges that BNL, relying heavily on U.S. government-guaranteed loans, was funding Iraqi chemical and nuclear weapons work."

September 16: the Journal, in a piece headed IRAQ FUNDED SCUDS WITH MONEY GAINED FRAUDULENTLY IN U.S., INVESTIGATOR SAYS, recounted prosecution testimony that Drogoul had toured an Iraqi military facility, was shown a drawing of a missile, and was told that it had been financed through BNL Atlanta.

[blanknoone]

This was posted to a mostly European bulletin board, and I would appreciate sources and links so that I can properly debunk this.

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[Puppage]

"that George Bush, operating largely behind the scenes throughout the 1980s, initiated and supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military help that built Saddam's Iraq into the aggressive power that the United States ultimately had to destroy."

UGH! So, what? We also back Stalin in WWII. The times dictate what we do. It's an everchanging landscape. Sonny was married to Cher once, too.

[Izzy Dunne]

Read this article.
And look at this graph:

[comitatus]

The most recent Weekly Standard has a great chart showing who supplied Iraq with weapons 1973-2001. Surprise - the top 2 were Russia & France. The US was at the bottom, having supplied approximately 1% of the weapons Iraq acquired over more than a quarter century.

[ThreeYearLurker]

Here ya go

Arms transfers to Iraq, 1973-2002

Notice the US only sold helicopters to Iraq for civilian use, Saddam later adapted them for military use.

[reformedliberal]

Dated 1993. Old news. Intended as a hit peace on Bush pere. Use of Columbia J-schools as the *legitimizer*. IIRC (I am not going to waste time deconstructing this), this is the main source of the Left hatred for the Carlyle Group.

If for one minute this was provable and real, don't you think it would have been examined seriously by the media during the past 6 months?

Do a google and see that Russ Baker hates FOX News, as well.
His bio is here
http://www.russbaker.com/aboutruss.htm

[GraniteStateConservative]

Tell me when they have proof we armed Hussein after 1991. That's all that matters. Our national security interests demanded we choose a side in the Iran-Iraq war. It was more of a Sophie's Choice, but we had to make it.

[wimpycat]

Everybody knows we backed Iraq while it fought against Iran. Iran was the greater of two evils at the time. They tried to bring this sh** up back in 1991, as if it were some sort of secret, and now they're trying it again.

I knew back in the 80's we helped out Iraq. I remembered it during the first Gulf War.

This isn't news. This isn't a secret. This wasn't concealed.

[3AngelaD]

This is from the Columbia Journalism Review in 1993. Funny that the followup to all this damning info didn't come out during a time when the Democrats contolled one or other of the houses of Congress, or when the Clinton administration was in power or when Al Gore was challenging GWB for the presidency. It is no secret in this country that during the Iran-Iraq War, we helped Saddam, considering him to be at the time the lesser of two evils. Since then, they've gotten all their weapons from France and Russia.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Quite simply, look at the Iraqi military equipment. RPGs, AK47s, T-55s and T-72s, SCUDs, Sunburns, Silkworms, Mirage fighters, Mi-24 helicopters, the list goes on.

[m1911]

How much of the Russian, French and Chinese equipment was bought with US dollars?

Not that it matters. IF we helped to build a monster, now we're helping to tear him down. We shouldn't have done it but at least we're trying to fix our mistakes.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

How much of the Russian, French and Chinese equipment was bought with US dollars?

Probably none. Iraq needed a loan the way Saudi Arabia needed a loan. They have all that lovely oil and it has always been in demand. The cash crunch came when the embargo was put in place in 1991 and he was allowed only enough for "Humanitarian" reasons. He also spent that on weapons which is why Iraq is in such wrenched shape now.

[blanknoone]

Another bit of screed is the accusation that the US company pfaulder provided blueprints for a chem warfare plant. I know its BS, but I can only find it on extreme left wing sources....any links/sources refuting/disputing it?

[Future Snake Eater]

Oh it was on a European bulletin board? Isn't that that continent that the United States lost tens of thousands to liberate? Isn't that the group whose majority seems to want to leave Saddam Hussein in power NOW, and is complaining about how we helped him out 15-20 years ago? Europe can shove it. We may have inadvertantly created a problem, but we sure as hell have solved it.

[blanknoone]

Yes, the origins of this is fight I am having on an international BB. As much as I enjoy being around like-minded rational people here...it is even more fun to go into their lair and force them to confront the truth. I have noted that that a couple of Serbians and some Arabs are really rather vehement about this. And its kinda fun to taunt them with facts and reality. FR is our refuge of truth and justice, but sally forth...take the fight to the enemy!