Picture of Chirac selling Saddam nuclear technology

LGF news site ^

[BlackJack]

Saddam Hussein (second from left) at a nuclear reactor in France in 1975. Jacques Chirac (current president of France) is at right in the glasses. Saddam wanted a nuclear reactor capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. France supplied its Osiris reactor which was named Osirak (Osiris + Iraq]. It was being erected when it was destroyed in a Sunday strike [June 7, 1981] by the Israelis, timed to save the lives of the French scientists helping with the construction.

Stratfor.com reports that what Chirac called his "close, personal relationship" with Saddam dates back to late 1974, when Chirac traveled to Baghdad and met the #2 man in Iraq: Vice President Hussein. During that visit, their main negotiation issue was Iraq's purchasing of nuclear reactors. In September 1975, Chirac personally took Saddam on a tour of a French nuclear plant. He expressed his desire to help Iraq with its nuclear program, and "the Iraqis bought a 70-megawatt reactor along with six charges of 26 points of uranium enriched to 93%." That's enough weapons-grade uranium to produce three to four nuclear devices.

Baghdad also purchased a one-megawatt "research reactor," and France agreed to train 600 Iraqi nuclear technicians and scientists. France also agreed to sell $1.5 billion worth of weapons to Iraq - for which they got a lucrative oil contract. In 1987, the Manchester Guardian Weekly quoted Chirac as saying that he was "truly fascinated" by Hussein.

[BlackJack]

Chirac and Saddam go way back!

[EternalVigilance]

[highpockets]

If I am to understand the information provided; one could start to believe that France's refusal to support the coalition against Sadam was not based upon right and wrong but rather upon financial gain.

I for one find it impossible to believe that our historically courageous French brethren would pursue monetary gain over moral obligation.

[Mr. Mojo]

Chirac would sell binoculars to his wife's stalker......if the price was right.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

And where is the picture of Russia selling Iraq crappy tanks and bio chem labs? And China selling Iraq Chelsea Clinton and all of our secrets?

[alphadog]

Is this for real? LOL

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

okay, since you asked, i have to say that i've seen this pic posted at least three times in three different articles. The first time i saw it, i was not convinced it was 'for real'...but you know why? because i SWEAR the 3rd guy looks like AL BUNDY! And, he STILL looks like him. lololol!

[The Real Eddie01]

I think he looks like the principal on Ferris Bueller's Day Off...

[BlackJack]

I just read where that Principal wa recently busted for chid porn-isn't that incredible. Yikes

[RightWhale]

Ever notice how close the sound of Chirac is to Iraq using the Euro pronunciation? What is happening here is that every criticism of Iraq is being heard by Chirac as a personal criticism of him. Maybe his hearing is a little bad, a very common malady of the aging populace.

Someone should tell him that war on Iraq is not war on Chirac just because he thinks that is what everyone is saying. A simple misunderstanding.

[Joe 6-pack]

I started spelling his name, "chIRAQ," weeks ago...

[RightWhale]

See? I knew I couldn't possibly be the first to make that connection. But it was today's revelation from the Akashic plane, and such revelations usually turn out to be things we should have known all along. Somebody please call Chirac on his cell phone and tell him; do it in the interest of whirled peas.