Rumsfeld and his 'old friend' Saddam

[Octafish]

Those who doubt political conspiracies don't know what they're talking about. Wonder what I mean? GOOGLE "April Glaspie" and "Saddam Hussein." Those to lazy to type can check out this nice reminder of your US Government at work with your tax dollars. — Octafish

Rumsfeld and his 'old friend' Saddam

By Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON - At last in United States military captivity, ousted former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein will soon mark an important 20th anniversary, the kind of anniversary that brings with it an appreciation of the ironies of life, and politics.

His captor, Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld, might also recall long-forgotten memories - or memories best forgotten - of what he was doing exactly 20 years ago.

If so, he will remember that he was in Baghdad, as a special envoy from then-president Ronald Reagan, assuring his host that, to quote the secret National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) that served as his talking points: the US would regard "any major reversal of Iraq's fortunes as a strategic defeat for the West".

So began the effective resumption of close relations between Baghdad and Washington that had been cut off by Iraq during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Within a year, Washington would fully normalize ties with Saddam, and even suggest that the dictator had become a full-fledged "Arab moderate", ready to make peace with Israel.

CONTINUED...

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EL17Ak01.html



Found the earwig in Saddam's skull.

PS: Thanks to DU's Good Friends at BuzzFlash!

[Tim4319]

1. Yeah but...

...none of this is mentioned when discussing how much trouble Saddam caused while he was in power.

[Octafish]

2. The point: The USA put Saddam in power...

...then goaded him to act how he did. That's why I mentioned April Glaspie. Here's a (completely serious) reminder:

Jessica Lynch Captures Saddam

Ex-dictator Demands Back Pay from Baker

by Greg Palast
Sunday, December 14, 2003

Former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein was taken into custody yesterday at approximately 8:30pm Baghdad time. Various television executives, White House spin doctors and propaganda experts at the Pentagon are at this time wrestling with the question of whether to claim PFC Jessica Lynch seized the ex-potentate or that Saddam surrendered after close hand-to-hand combat with current Iraqi strongman Paul Bremer III.

Ex-President Hussein himself told US military interrogators that he had surfaced after hearing of the appointment of his long-time associate James Baker III to settle Iraq's debts. "Hey, my homeboy Jim owes me big time," Mr. Hussein stated. He asserted that Baker and the prior Bush regime, "owe me my back pay. After all I did for these guys you'd think they'd have the decency to pay up."

The Iraqi dictator then went on to list the "hits" he conducted on behalf of the Baker-Bush administrations, ending with the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, authorized by the former US secretary of state Baker.

Mr. Hussein cited the transcript of his meeting on July 25, 1990 in Baghdad with US Ambassador April Glaspie. When Saddam asked Glaspie if the US would object to an attack on Kuwait over the small emirate's theft of Iraqi oil, America's Ambassador told him, "We have no opinion…. Secretary Baker has directed me to emphasize the instruction ... that Kuwait is not associated with America."

CONTINUED...

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=303&row=0

PS: A hearty welcome to DU, Tim4319! Down with the BFEE!

[rman]

3. bless the independent press

-

[bobthedrummer]

4. I guess Rumsfeld's new friend in Iraq is Chalabi

:puke: