Brian Stewart CBC News Online December 16, 2003
Saddam Hussein was one of America's most wanted, a man now expected to go on trial for war crimes. But what could come back to haunt the United States and other countries is their relationship with Saddam in the past when they offered support to the man who now faces prosecution. From the beginning of Saddam Hussein's presidency in 1979, there could be few illusions about the brutal nature of his regime. Other governments knew this extreme megalomaniac tortured and murdered political enemies without qualm. Within a year, he launched an unprovoked war on his neighbor, Iran. Yet over the coming decade, he steadily consolidated his frightening power with much help from the outside world. Through the '80s, one of the best friends Saddam ever had was the United States.
Reagan and Bush Sr. advised Saddam on how to fight his war and, most importantly, persuaded other Arab nations to rally behind him with arms supplies.
The massive files on Saddam's crimes show he was already using poison gas in the early '80s when Reagan twice sent Donald Rumsfeld as special envoy to reassure Saddam of America's interest in better relations. Washington not only ignored abuses, it vetoed United Nations moves to condemn Iraq for using chemical weapons.
Excerpts from article from CBS on Line click on title to link
Wonder why:
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