DOWNING STREET: THE MONSTER SADDAM

 

THE MONSTER WE CALL SADDAM HUSSEIN WASN’T MADE IN A LABORATORY. The Monster Was Made in Washington DC by People Like Ronald and Donald.  Reagan and Rumsfeld.  When you think about poor planning for the post war and the Downing Street Memos, what Bush planned to do about Hussein has got to top the list. Why they didn’t just kill him when they had him first is anybody’s guess.  A good guess would be Hussein’s promotional value for the U.S. war effort.  But if Saddam ever gets his time in open court, you can be sure the monster will have words to say about his maker.

Washington, D.C., 25 February 2003 - The [National Security Archive] at George Washington University today published on the Web a series of declassified U.S. documents detailing the U.S. embrace of Saddam Hussein in the early 1980's, including the renewal of diplomatic relations that had been suspended since 1967. The documents show that during this period of renewed U.S. support for Saddam, he had invaded his neighbor (Iran), had long-range nuclear aspirations that would "probably" include "an eventual nuclear weapon capability," harbored known terrorists in Baghdad, abused the human rights of his citizens, and possessed and used chemical weapons on Iranians and his own people. The U.S. response was to renew ties, to provide intelligence and aid to ensure Iraq would not be defeated by Iran, and to send a high-level presidential envoy named Donald Rumsfeld to shake hands with Saddam (20 December 1983)

 

The declassified documents posted today include the briefing materials and diplomatic reporting on two Rumsfeld trips to Baghdad, reports on Iraqi chemical weapons use concurrent with the Reagan administration's decision to support Iraq, and decision directives signed by President Reagan that reveal the specific U.S. priorities for the region: preserving access to oil, expanding U.S. ability to project military power in the region, and protecting local allies from internal and external threats. The documents include:

A U.S. cable recording the December 20, 1983 conversation between Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein. Although Rumsfeld said during a September 21, 2002 CNN interview, "In that visit, I cautioned him about the use of chemical weapons, as a matter of fact, and discussed a host of other things," the document indicates there was no mention of chemical weapons. Rumsfeld did raise the issue in his subsequent meeting with Iraqi official Tariq Aziz.

National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 114 of November 26, 1983, "U.S. Policy toward the Iran-Iraq War," delineating U.S. priorities: the ability to project military force in the Persian Gulf and to protect oil supplies, without reference to chemical weapons or human rights concerns.

[Greg Palast] originated the Saddam as Frankenstein model in an interview with [Liberal Oasis]

LiberalOasis: In your view, what is the real motivation for the Bush Administration to start a war with Iraq?
Greg Palast: You don’t seem to buy the notion that Saddam is the Butcher of Baghdad. He’s Bush’s Butcher of Baghdad. The most important phrase from Condi Rice was when she said it’s immoral to leave Saddam in power for 12 years.
Of course, it’s been 24 years. He was their favorite dictator. They kept him in power because he was against the Unicycle of Evil, Iran. Saddam is a killer, a murderer and a berzerker. A Frankenstein created by Bush. He hired him, so I guess he has the right to fire him.
LiberalOasis:  What’s changed?
Greg Palast: One, Saddam’s gone renegade. Two, the war on Iraq is the weapon of mass distraction. When you say attack Osama, he says attack Iraq. It’s bait and switch. Don’t watch that man behind the curtain.

THE HERETIK SADLY NOTES: Saddam Hussein has plenty to talk about.  Whether he gets to do that at a trial that would be a trial for Rumsfeld remains to be seen. Old men have been known to die in their sleep with lesser nightmares held in their heads.

MORE ON THIS:  [REALITIQUE] [TALK LEFT] [AGITPROP] [BLOGENLUST]

Comments

[Agitprop]

Sweet job on the Saddam pic! Forget Michael Jackson, the Saddam trial will be the real trial of the century...

[denisdekat]

Goes to show how important it is to understand history - It provides context...

[Karen]

I sure hope he gets his days in court! Not convinced they'll let him - seems they're setting him up to have gone "insane" and therefore too incompetent to stand trial. It'll be interesting to see. OF COURSE we made him what he is! We've been using him for decades! NOT that the guy gets sympathy, just should get a chance to spill the beans of his co-conspirators!!

[Pepper]

Amazing work, Heretik. I read all the way through just to give myself a refresher course on Rummy's bungling. I must admit that the person I want out of the administration most, even beyond Bush, even beyond Cheney, is Rummy. Because for some mysterious reason he has bungled everything he's touched ... and he hasn't been fired.