>>Iraq's ties with the United States developed more slowly, primarily because the Baathists were antagonistic to the close United States-Israeli relationship. Relations had been severed following the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War, before the Baath came to power, but after 1968 the government became interested in acquiring American technology for its development programs. State organizations were therefore permitted to negotiate economic contracts, primarily with private American firms. In discussing the United States during the 1970s, the government emphasized, however, that its ties were economic, not political, and that these economic relations involving the United States were with "companies," not between the two countries.
Concern about the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan prompted Iraq to reexamine seriously the nature of its relationship with the United States...in 1983 the Baathist government hosted a United States special Middle East envoy, the highest-ranking American official to visit Baghdad in more than sixteen years..
...In early 1988, Iraq's relations with the United States were generally cordial...Although lingering suspicions about the United States remained, Iraq welcomed greater, even if indirect, American diplomatic and military pressure in trying to end the war with Iran.<<
Those damn Yanks again, Eric. Can't live with'em, can't live without'em. So this is your example of "exporting supression and dictatorship"?
>>The problem with Kuwait since 1890 is it was always a province of Iraq, called Basra.<<
Oh, I think I get it now. You were just trying to tell us that Sadaam had the right to take Kuwait. |
