And I thought USA armed Iraq (1975-1992)

[CrONoS]

I always thought (maybe because of the our local leftism media) that USA armed Iraq before the first Iraq War.

But the data collected from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute show that USA was a very minor exporter to Iraq.

I included the excel files which show that the main military exporter to Iraq were: China, USSR, France, Brazil. But not USA. Even Austria had more trade with Iraq than USA.

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that info.

http://armstrade.sipri.org/arms_trade/values.php

[BeBMan]

I bet today they wish they had done more against Iranian agressors

[SlowwHand]

Thanks, CrONoS.

[Kontiki]

Re: And I thought USA armed Iraq (1975-1992)

Originally posted by CrONoS
I always thought (maybe because of the our local leftism media) that USA armed Iraq before the first Iraq War.

Is the Quebec City media really that bad? I thought it was A) common knowledge and B) obvious that the US was never the main supplier of weapons to Iraq.

[Lancer]

I think if it was my call I would have sold Iraq alot more stuff. Better the insane dictator than the insane moslem dictator, but I grant its a tough call. Also Iraq is the smaller country, they needed to be better armed. It would have been better if Iraq took a piece of Iran just to keep them pissed at each other after the war and that would have required more stuff also.

[CrONoS]

Re: Re: And I thought USA armed Iraq (1975-1992)

Originally posted by Kontiki


Is the Quebec City media really that bad? I thought it was A) common knowledge and B) obvious that the US was never the main supplier of weapons to Iraq.

I lived until I was 24 y old near Montreal

Seriously; I heard on several occasion that the USA was the a supplier of weapons to Iraq. (from press, or from leftist activism)

[Ramo]

The main way we supported Saddam wasn't through direct arm sales, but credit (which we guaranteed). We funneled a few billion dollars to them through a Dept. of Agriculture program intended to support American exports.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Lancer
I think if it was my call I would have sold Iraq alot more stuff. Better the insane dictator than the insane moslem dictator, but I grant its a tough call. Also Iraq is the smaller country, they needed to be better armed. It would have been better if Iraq took a piece of Iran just to keep them pissed at each other after the war and that would have required more stuff also.

Iran is now and always has been a freer country than Iraq... and less inclined towards religious extremism, in general. The short period around 1980 is an exception to that rule.

[Lancer]

Interesting stuff.

[Ramo]

Incidentally, cool site.

[Kontiki]

Re: Re: Re: And I thought USA armed Iraq (1975-1992)

Originally posted by CrONoS


I lived until I was 24 y old near Montreal

Seriously; I heard on several occasion that the USA was the a supplier of weapons to Iraq. (from press, or from leftist activism)

Well, the US was a supplier, just not the main supplier (or even close). Plus, as Ramo said, the primary form of US support wasn't weaponry.

Maybe you're too young to remember, but during the first war against Iraq in '91, you never saw the Iraqis with US weapons. All their tanks, APCs, missiles, AAA, planes, helicopters, small arms - not US made.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by snoopy369


Iran is now and always has been a freer country than Iraq... and less inclined towards religious extremism, in general. The short period around 1980 is an exception to that rule.

I don't know how you can compare the two and say one was freer than then other. Indeed, people in Iran are not free.

[ramseya]

yeah, the news and activists always claim we were the main supplier... I just assumed it was true cause we did supply a lot of countries with weapons during the Cold War (like Iran has F-14's and Cobra helicopters, Pakistan has F-16's, etc.).

I guess in retrospect, considering that Iraq was or is filled with Soviet tanks, AK-47's, and RPG's, it makes sense that their military aid dwarfed ours.

It's amazing to think that probably 90% of the American public believe in this lie that we propped up Saddam militarily.

[Arrian]

I don't recall seeing media claims that the USA was the primary supplier of Saddam's weaponry. Ever.

We did support his regime at times, but obviously he had a bunch of Soviet tanks and other weapons.

The point being made is that we were cozy with Saddam in the past (and/or the CIA may have had a little something to do with his initial rise to power), and turned a blind eye to some of the nasty things he did (when we perhaps considered him "our bastard" or at least the enemy of our enemy - Iran). Not that we were the primary source of Iraqi weapons.

-Arrian

[Tattila the Hun]

I thought the stuff US provided was chemical in nature. Or maybe that was just from Conan O'Brien.

(No, I don't mean he supplied them with chemicals. )