War's one of the US' biggest businesses

[Delta4Embassy]

The Arms Trade is Big Business Global Issues

Total sales of arms to foreign countries is one of those rare instances where the US really is number 1. The US surpasses Russia in this by about 2.5 times.

Ever wonder how the US knew Iraq and WMDs? We sold them the chemical weapons precursors.

Wonder why we go to war at the drop of a hat but don't seem to do very well? Everyone we've gone to war with in my lifetime was a buyer of our weapons systems. We sell em the weaponry, some of them turn on us and we deplete our own stocks fighting them then buy more from the various defense contractors who supply them. War and betrayl is a win-win for the US. So a few patriots get killed, and many more get crippled, it's just the cost of doing business.

Right?

 

[BillyP]

Iraq had zero WMD. Don't be a fool like usual.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Iraq had zero WMD. Don't be a fool like usual.

Wha dya think chemical weapons are? "Saddam gassed his own people.." Ring a bell?

 

[BillyP]

Iraq had zero WMD. Don't be a fool like usual.

Wha dya think chemical weapons are? "Saddam gassed his own people.." Ring a bell?

UN found nothing. US army found nothing. No WMD in Iraq.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

"

Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein:
The U.S. Tilts toward Iraq, 1980-1984

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 82

Edited by Joyce Battle

February 25, 2003

By mid-1982, Iraq was on the defensive against Iranian human-wave attacks. The U.S., having decided that an Iranian victory would not serve its interests, began supporting Iraq: measures already underway to upgrade U.S.-Iraq relations were accelerated, high-level officials exchanged visits, and in February 1982 the State Department removed Iraq from its list of states supporting international terrorism...

The U.S., which followed developments in the Iran-Iraq war with extraordinary intensity, had intelligence confirming Iran's accusations, and describing Iraq's "almost daily" use of chemical weapons, concurrent with its policy review and decision to support Iraq in the war [Document 24]. The intelligence indicated that Iraq used chemical weapons against Iranian forces, and, according to a November 1983 memo, against "Kurdish insurgents" as well [Document 25].

Rumsfeld met with Saddam, and the two discussed regional issues of mutual interest, shared enmity toward Iran and Syria, and the U.S.'s efforts to find alternative routes to transport Iraq's oil; its facilities in the Persian Gulf had been shut down by Iran, and Iran's ally, Syria, had cut off a pipeline that transported Iraqi oil through its territory. Rumsfeld made no reference to chemical weapons, according to detailed notes on the meeting [Document 31].

Rumsfeld returned to Baghdad in late March 1984. By this time, the U.S. had publicly condemned Iraq's chemical weapons use, stating, "The United States has concluded that the available evidence substantiates Iran's charges that Iraq used chemical weapons" [Document 47].

During the spring of 1984 the U.S. reconsidered policy for the sale of dual-use equipment to Iraq's nuclear program, and its "preliminary results favor[ed] expanding such trade to include Iraqi nuclear entities" [Document 57]. Several months later, a Defense Intelligence Agency analysis said that even after the war ended, Iraq was likely to "continue to develop its formidable conventional and chemical capability, and probably pursue nuclear weapons" [Document 58].

 

[Delta4Embassy]

The sooner people recognize if I make a declarative statement, unlike many I can back it up, the sooner you'll stop embarassing your parents.

 

[Mr Natural]

Saddam kept the religious fanatics under control but he scared the crap out of the Saudis so he had to go.