Dude, Where's My Country_ - Michael Moore [94]
For more on the export of chemical and biological agents by U.S. corporations to Iraq, including a list of the companies, see William Blum’s cover story in the April 1998 issue of The Progressive, “Anthrax for Export,” and Jim Crogan’s April 25—May 1, 2003 report in the LA Weekly, “Made in the USA, Part III: The Dishonor Roll,” LA Weekly.
The information about the export from the U.S. to Iraq of dual-use technologies comes from the government’s own watchdog in a report: “Iraq: U.S. military items exported or transferred to Iraq in the 1980s,” United States General Accounting Office, released February 7, 1994, though published in 1992.
The Reagan administration’s commitment to ensuring an Iraqi victory over Iran is well-documented in the following sources: Seymour M. Hersh, “U.S. secretly gave aid to Iraq early in its war against Iran,” New York Times, January 26, 1992; sworn court declaration of former National Security Council official Howard Teicher, January 31, 1995; and Michael Dobbs, “U.S. had key role in Iraq buildup; trade in chemical arms allowed despite their use on Iranians and Kurds,” Washington Post, December 30, 2002.
The information about the Saudi arms transfers to Iraq in the 1980s comes from the February 1994 GAO report cited above.
An excellent resource for the classified history of U.S. policy in Iraq is the National Security Archive, a non-profit research institute and library of declassified U.S. documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The Archive obtained documents showing the White House opposed Congressional efforts to sanction Iraq for its chemical weapons use, in part to protect potential postwar reconstruction contracts: “Iraqgate: Saddam Hussein, U.S. policy and the prelude to the Persian Gulf War, 1980-1994,” The National Security Archive, 2003. Many of the Archive’s document collections are online at www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv.
Rumsfeld’s efforts to connect the September 11 attacks to Saddam Hussein was reported by CBS News on September 4 , 2002: “Plans for Iraq attack began on 9/11.” General Wesley Clark spoke about the pressure he received to connect September 11 to Saddam in an appearance on NBC News: Meet the Press, on June 15, 2003.
The BBC first reported on February 5, 2003 that British intelligence had concluded there was no current relationship between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda: “Leaked report rejects Iraqi al-Qaeda link,” BBC News.
The background about the alleged al Qaeda base in northern Iraq comes from Jeffrey Fleishman, “Iraqi terror camp cracks its doors,” Los Angeles Times, February 9, 2003; and Jonathan S. Landay, “Alleged weapons site found deserted,” Philadelphia Inquirer, February 9, 2003.
Among the many polls showing Americans believing Saddam Hussein was involved in the September 11th attacks: Newsweek poll, July 24-25, 2003; Program on International Policy Attitudes/Knowledge Networks Poll, July 2003; Harris Interactive Poll, June 18, 2003; CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll, June 9, 2003 and another on February 9, 2003; Christian Science Monitor Poll, April 9, 2003; CBS News/New York Times Poll, February 10, 2003; Knight-Ridder Poll, January 12, 2003.
Saddam’s alienation of fundamentalists (like Osama bin Laden) with the creation of a secular state has been widely reported by, among others: John J. Mearsheimer & Stephen M. Walt, “An unnecessary war; U.S.-Iraq conflict,” Foreign Policy, January 1, 2003; Warren P. Strobel, “Analysts: No evidence of Iraq, al-Qaida cooperation,” Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, January 29, 2003; Paul Haven, “Saddam, al-Qaida would be unusual allies,” Associated Press, January 29, 2003; Patrick Comerford, “Will Christians of Iraq be denied the promise of peace?” Irish Times, January 6, 2003; Daniel Trotta, “Safe under Saddam, Iraqi Jews fear for their future,” Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, July 4, 2003; Matthew