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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jttmab who wrote (174701)	11/11/2005 12:20:19 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

What kind of assault rifle is the Iraqi Army being armed with today? American?? Ever think that NOW, given that this what they are used to firing, and the fact that there is so much SURPLUS Russian mades stuff in this country, it might be more cost effective to let them continue using AKs? (Aside from the fact that Russia is NO LONGER the Soviet Union). It's just plain F*king amazing to what extent you'll go to avoid admitting outright facts, including the BLATANT LIE that we were buying SOVIET Weapons and giving them to Saddam.. The whole subject of what support the Reagan Administration did, AND DID NOT, give to Saddam's regime has been extensively researched and documented. gwu.edu And certainly while much of this information, filtered through recent events, might seem controvesial, it FAILS to show ANYWHERE where the US was involved in the massive arming of Iraq. In fact, it goes to EXTREME LENGTH to demonstrate that the US was unwilling to sell military arms to Iraq, was even concerned about "dual use" civilian equipment, and that the major extent of US assistance was agricultural credits and economic aid.. Aid that permitted Iraq to spend more of its already sizeable oil revenue on weapons purchases from the Soviets, China, and S. Africa (in particular S. African artillery). If you want to see who did what with regard to arming and empowering Saddam, ONE NEED GO NO FURTHER than to observe who Iraq owed money to when the Coalition overthrew his regime. reference.allrefer.com In early 1988, Iraq owed the Soviet Union between US$8 billion and US$10 billion in military debts alone.* jubilee2000uk.org Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday Moscow was ready to consider Washington's call for it to forgive Baghdad some $8 billion in Soviet-era debt. "On the whole the proposal is understandable and legitimate. In any event, Russia has no objection to such a proposal," Putin told a news conference alongside German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac. "I believe that we could begin to discuss the principles of this issue at the G8 summit in Evian. In any case, we are ready to do so," he said, referring to a June meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations in France. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said Thursday Russia, France and Germany could contribute to rebuilding Iraq by writing off some or all of the loans they made to Iraq under President Saddam Hussein. Most estimates put Iraqi debts to Russia and France at about $8 billion each, mostly for contracts concluded in the 1980s, but some analysts say Moscow could be owed up to $12 billion. Germany's Finance Ministry said Friday Iraq owed Berlin a sum just short of $4.3 billion. Germany and France, members of the Paris Club of creditor nations alongside Russia, have said it is to early to discuss debt. "It is clear that a legitimate government must be in place and in contact with the Paris Club," Schroeder told reporters. "Then this issue can be discussed, but not before." Follow the money pal.. I'm not saying there was not some shady dealings in how policy makers attempted to use some $4 Billion in American loans to Iraq (now forgiven) to make it feasible for Iraq to divert resources to buying weapons.. But the facts SIMPLY DON'T SUBSTANTIATE your wild @ss claims.. Hawk