Rumsfeld backed Saddam even after chemical attacks
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
24 December 2003
Fresh controversy about Donald Rumsfeld's personal dealings with Saddam
Hussein was provoked yesterday by new documents that reveal he went to Iraq
to show America's support for the regime despite its use of chemical
weapons.
The formerly secret documents reveal the Defence Secretary travelled to
Baghdad 20 years ago to assure Iraq that America's condemnation of its use
of chemical weapons was made "strictly" in principle.
The criticism in no way changed Washington's wish to support Iraq in its war
against Iran and "to improve bi-lateral relations ... at a pace of Iraq's
choosing".
Earlier this year, Mr Rumsfeld and other members of the Bush administration
regularly cited Saddam's willingness to use chemical weapons against his own
people as evidence of the threat presented to the rest of the world.
Senior officials presented the attacks against the Kurds - particularly the
notorious attack in Halabja in 1988 - as a justification for the invasion
and the ousting of Saddam.
But the newly declassified documents reveal that 20 years ago America's
position was different and that the administration of President Ronald
Reagan was concerned about maintaining good relations with Iraq despite
evidence of Saddam's "almost daily" use of chemical weapons against Iranian
troops and Kurdish rebels.
In March 1984, under international pressure, America condemned Iraq's use of
such chemical weapons. But realising that Baghdad had been upset, Secretary
of State George Schultz asked Mr Rumsfeld to travel to Iraq as a special
envoy to meet Saddam's Foreign Minister, Tariq Aziz, and smooth matters
over.
In a briefing memo to Mr Rumsfeld, Mr Shultz wrote that he had met Iraqi
officials in Washington to stress that America's interests remained "in (1)
preventing an Iranian victory and (2) continuing to improve bilateral
relations with Iraq".
The memo adds: "This message bears reinforcing during your discussions."
Exactly what Mr Rumsfeld, who at the time did not hold government office,
told Mr Aziz on 26 March 1984, remains unclear and minutes from the meeting
remain classified. No one from Mr Rumsfeld's office was available to comment
yesterday.
It was not Mr Rumsfeld's first visit to Iraq. Four months earlier, in
December 1983, he had visited Saddam and was photographed shaking hands with
the dictator. When news of this visit was revealed last year, Mr Rumsfeld
claimed he had "cautioned" Saddam to stop using chemical weapons.
When documents about the meeting disclosed he had said no such thing, a
spokesman for Mr Rumsfeld said he had raised the issue with Mr Aziz.
America's relationship with Iraq at a time when Saddam was using chemical
weapons is well-documented but rarely reported.
During the war with Iran, America provided combat assistance to Iraq that
included intelligence on Iranian deployments and bomb-damage assessments. In
1987-88 American warships destroyed Iranian oil platforms in the Gulf and
broke the blockade of Iraqi shipping lanes.
Tom Blanton, the director of the National Security Archive, a non-profit
group that obtained the documents, told The New York Times: "Saddam had
chemical weapons in the 1980s and it didn't make any difference to US
policy. The embrace of Saddam and what it emboldened him to do should
caution us as Americans that we have to look closely at all our murky
alliances."
Last night, Danny Muller, a spokesman for the anti-war group Voices in the
Wilderness, said the documents revealed America's "blatant hypocrisy". He
added: "This is not an isolated event. Continuing administrations have said
'we will do business'. I am surprised that Donald Rumsfeld does not resign
right now."
--
Spam bait:
tshabalala2@zwallet.com
Nicole_755_Williams_2@hotmail.com
bunmoscar@rt.nl
musa_bakuba01@zappo.com
euros_esp@yahoo.com
.
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| User: "Ex." |
|
| Title: Re: Rotten old Rumsy! |
24 Dec 2003 07:57:30 AM |
|
|
Yeah well, Saddam was different back then. He was one of the 'good'
dictators back then. Repression, torture, genocide and all the perks that go
with dictatorship were necessities for running a country friendly to U.S.
interests.
After reading the article, I think Saddam could've saved his ***** by
attacking Iran again and calling for U.S. military aid. Then it would've
been a win-win situation. The U.S. could have troops stationed in Iraq
without the high death toll and Saddam could've kept the palaces. It all
seems so simple now. And he could've likely gotten foreign aid to restart
his WMD's programs.
Pffffffftttt ... why no one consults me first on issues of international
policy and relations I'll never know!
Merry Xmas!
/ex
"WH" <bollogs@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bsc011$lpa$1@green.tninet.se...
: Rumsfeld backed Saddam even after chemical attacks
: By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
: 24 December 2003
:
:
: Fresh controversy about Donald Rumsfeld's personal dealings with Saddam
: Hussein was provoked yesterday by new documents that reveal he went to
Iraq
: to show America's support for the regime despite its use of chemical
: weapons.
:
: The formerly secret documents reveal the Defence Secretary travelled to
: Baghdad 20 years ago to assure Iraq that America's condemnation of its use
: of chemical weapons was made "strictly" in principle.
:
: The criticism in no way changed Washington's wish to support Iraq in its
war
: against Iran and "to improve bi-lateral relations ... at a pace of Iraq's
: choosing".
:
: Earlier this year, Mr Rumsfeld and other members of the Bush
administration
: regularly cited Saddam's willingness to use chemical weapons against his
own
: people as evidence of the threat presented to the rest of the world.
:
: Senior officials presented the attacks against the Kurds - particularly
the
: notorious attack in Halabja in 1988 - as a justification for the invasion
: and the ousting of Saddam.
:
: But the newly declassified documents reveal that 20 years ago America's
: position was different and that the administration of President Ronald
: Reagan was concerned about maintaining good relations with Iraq despite
: evidence of Saddam's "almost daily" use of chemical weapons against
Iranian
: troops and Kurdish rebels.
:
: In March 1984, under international pressure, America condemned Iraq's use
of
: such chemical weapons. But realising that Baghdad had been upset,
Secretary
: of State George Schultz asked Mr Rumsfeld to travel to Iraq as a special
: envoy to meet Saddam's Foreign Minister, Tariq Aziz, and smooth matters
: over.
:
: In a briefing memo to Mr Rumsfeld, Mr Shultz wrote that he had met Iraqi
: officials in Washington to stress that America's interests remained "in
(1)
: preventing an Iranian victory and (2) continuing to improve bilateral
: relations with Iraq".
:
: The memo adds: "This message bears reinforcing during your discussions."
:
: Exactly what Mr Rumsfeld, who at the time did not hold government office,
: told Mr Aziz on 26 March 1984, remains unclear and minutes from the
meeting
: remain classified. No one from Mr Rumsfeld's office was available to
comment
: yesterday.
:
: It was not Mr Rumsfeld's first visit to Iraq. Four months earlier, in
: December 1983, he had visited Saddam and was photographed shaking hands
with
: the dictator. When news of this visit was revealed last year, Mr Rumsfeld
: claimed he had "cautioned" Saddam to stop using chemical weapons.
:
: When documents about the meeting disclosed he had said no such thing, a
: spokesman for Mr Rumsfeld said he had raised the issue with Mr Aziz.
:
: America's relationship with Iraq at a time when Saddam was using chemical
: weapons is well-documented but rarely reported.
:
: During the war with Iran, America provided combat assistance to Iraq that
: included intelligence on Iranian deployments and bomb-damage assessments.
In
: 1987-88 American warships destroyed Iranian oil platforms in the Gulf and
: broke the blockade of Iraqi shipping lanes.
:
: Tom Blanton, the director of the National Security Archive, a non-profit
: group that obtained the documents, told The New York Times: "Saddam had
: chemical weapons in the 1980s and it didn't make any difference to US
: policy. The embrace of Saddam and what it emboldened him to do should
: caution us as Americans that we have to look closely at all our murky
: alliances."
:
: Last night, Danny Muller, a spokesman for the anti-war group Voices in the
: Wilderness, said the documents revealed America's "blatant hypocrisy". He
: added: "This is not an isolated event. Continuing administrations have
said
: 'we will do business'. I am surprised that Donald Rumsfeld does not resign
: right now."
:
:
: --
:
:
: Spam bait:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
.
|
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| User: "torque wrench" |
|
| Title: Re: Rotten old Rumsy! |
24 Dec 2003 08:58:41 AM |
|
|
"Ex." <Eat.Healthy@Turdmail.com> wrote in message
news:jXgGb.10000$d%1.2006535@news20.bellglobal.com...
Yeah well, Saddam was different back then. He was one of the 'good'
dictators back then. Repression, torture, genocide and all the perks that
go
with dictatorship were necessities for running a country friendly to U.S.
interests.
After reading the article, I think Saddam could've saved his ***** by
attacking Iran again and calling for U.S. military aid. Then it would've
been a win-win situation. The U.S. could have troops stationed in Iraq
without the high death toll and Saddam could've kept the palaces. It all
seems so simple now. And he could've likely gotten foreign aid to restart
his WMD's programs.
Pffffffftttt ... why no one consults me first on issues of international
policy and relations I'll never know!
Merry Xmas!
/ex
Thanks for that tidbit of incredible insight ex.
And Merry Christmas to all who recognize the event. If not have a Happy
Orange Alert and a prosperous Yellow One ;-)
Lugnut
--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety"
Benjamin Franklin
.
|
|
|
| User: "Ex." |
|
| Title: Re: Rotten old Rumsy! |
24 Dec 2003 10:09:25 AM |
|
|
"torque wrench" <lugnut@emailacounts.com> wrote in message
news:BQhGb.803148$pl3.7904@pd7tw3no...
: "Ex." <Eat.Healthy@Turdmail.com> wrote in message
: news:jXgGb.10000$d%1.2006535@news20.bellglobal.com...
: > Yeah well, Saddam was different back then. He was one of the 'good'
: > dictators back then. Repression, torture, genocide and all the perks
that
: go
: > with dictatorship were necessities for running a country friendly to
U.S.
: > interests.
: >
: > After reading the article, I think Saddam could've saved his ***** by
: > attacking Iran again and calling for U.S. military aid. Then it would've
: > been a win-win situation. The U.S. could have troops stationed in Iraq
: > without the high death toll and Saddam could've kept the palaces. It all
: > seems so simple now. And he could've likely gotten foreign aid to
restart
: > his WMD's programs.
: >
: > Pffffffftttt ... why no one consults me first on issues of international
: > policy and relations I'll never know!
: >
: > Merry Xmas!
: >
: > /ex
:
: Thanks for that tidbit of incredible insight ex.
[ ex walks out onto the stage in his Rhinestone jumpsuit. He bows, rips the
***** out of his pants and says...]
Thank yuh, Thank yuh, Thank yuh very much!
/ex
.
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