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The words of Scott Ritter, former Iraq weapons Inspector. "The
U.S. had a track record of putting pressure on the weapons
inspectors program during my entire seven years there. It's ironic
that everyone has focused on the struggle of the inspectors vs. Iraq. Not too many
people speak of the struggle between the weapons inspectors and the
U.S. to beat back the forces of U.S. intelligence which were seeking to infiltrate
the weapons inspectors program and use the unique access the
inspectors enjoyed in Iraq for purposes other than disarmament. Iraq has a clear
case that under this past inspection regime unfortunately it was
misused for purposes other than set out by the Security Council resolution." *********** Footnote: During the run-up to the war with Iraq Scott Ritter was accused of molesting two thirteen year old girls in order to deliberately discredit him. Those charges have now been dropped. Scott Ritter was specifically mentioned by name by Lord Butler in his speech. *********** Senator
LaRouche
on Cleveland Radio: A must read. **************** How the document was 'Sexed up'. http://middleeastreference.org.uk/fac030616.html ******** "One of the things we would like to do is that we would like to become actively engaged in ending the [Iran/Iraq] war in such a way that it becomes very evident to everybody that the guy who is causing the problem is Saddam Hussein. If I were to talk to any other Muslim leader, they wouldn’t say Saddam Hussein is the problem. They’d say Iran is the problem……What we’re talking about is a process by which all of the rest of the Arab world comes quickly to realise that Iran is not a threat to them, Iran is not going to overrun Kuwait. Iran is not going to overthrow the government of Saudi Arabia. That the real problem in preventing peace in the region is Saddam Hussein. And we’ll have to take care of that". - Colonel Oliver North, US Congressional Iran/Contra Hearings - 1987, North's personal tape of a conversation with Iran/Contra players Richard Secord, Albert Hakim and an Iranian government official in Frankfurt, 1985. North claimed in the hearings that he was lying to the Iranians.****** "Baghdad should not be expected to deliberately provoke military confrontations with anyone. Its’ interests are best served now and in the immediate future by peace. Revenues from oil sales could put it in the front ranks of nations economically. A stable Middle East is conducive to selling oil; disruption has a long-range adverse effect on the oil market which would hurt Iraq. Force is only likely if the Iraqis feel seriously threatened. It is our belief that Iraq is basically committed to a non aggressive strategy, and that it will, over the course of the next few years, considerably reduce the size of its’ military. Economic conditions practically mandate such action. There seems no doubt that Iraq would like to demobilise now that the war [with Iran] has ended. The Ba’ath Party argue that they should be allowed to invest in economic recovery and industrialisation so that they can become productive again and pay off their debts." - ‘Iraqi Power and US Security in the Middle East’, a study issued in February 1990 by the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College****** "President Bush is an intelligent man. He is not going to declare an economic war against Iraq. […] I admire your extraordinary efforts to rebuild your country. I know you need funds. We understand that, and our opinion is that you should have the opportunity to rebuild your country. But we have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts like your border disagreement with Kuwait. James Baker [US Secretary of State] has directed our official spokesmen to emphasise this instruction […] when we see the Iraqi point of view that the measures taken by the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are, in the final analysis, tantamount to military aggression against Iraq, then it is reasonable for me to be concerned." - April Glaspie, US Ambassador to Iraq, in conversation with Saddam Hussein, US State Department transcripts, 25th July 1990, eight days before the invasion****** "One of our few remaining hopes is that democrats and those who cherish values of justice, peace and freedom will voice their concern for the plight of the Kurds." - Kurdish Leaders in a letter to Margaret Thatcher following the gassing of Kurds at Halabja, 16th August 1988. A British Ł340 million export credit deal with Iraq went through on September 5th 1988 ******. "It was an operation where all the "t"s were really crossed. It was a great victory." - James Critchfield, former head of the CIA's Middle East Desk, describing their involvement in the Ba'athist coup, 1963, quoted in 'Out of the Ashes' by Andrew and Patrick Cockburn****** "Neither the foreign head of state (the Shah) nor the President nor Dr. Kissinger desired a victory for our clients (the Kurds). They merely hoped to ensure a level of hostilities high enough to sap the resources of the neighbouring state (Iraq). Even in the context of covert action, ours was a cynical enterprise." - US Congressional Pike Report, describing President Nixon and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s policy of arming the Kurds, 1972***** "Covert operations should not be confused with missionary work." - Kissinger describing why US withdrew aid to the Kurds, 1975 ***** "A US commitment to the defence of the oil resources of the gulf, and to political stability in the region constitutes one of the most vital and enduring interests of the United States."- Conclusion of US Senator Henry Jackson's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 1977 ***** "We must become the owners, or at any rate the controllers at the source, of at least a proportion of the oil which we require." -- British Royal Commission, agreeing with Winston Churchill's policy towards Iraq, 1913 ****** "What we want to have in existence, what we ought to have been creating in this time is some administration with Arab institutions which we can safely leave while pulling the strings ourselves; something that won't cost very much, which the Labour government can swallow consistent with its' principles, but under which our economic and political interests will be secure. [.....] If the French remain in Syria we shall have to avoid giving them the excuse of setting up a protectorate. If they go, or if we appear to be reactionary in Mesopotamia, there is always the risk that [King] Faisal will encourage the Americans to take over both, and it should be borne in mind that the Standard Oil company is very anxious to take over Iraq." -- Sir Arthur Hirtzel, Head of the British government's 'India Office Political Department.' 1919 ****** "Our strategic and security interests throughout the world will be best safeguarded by the establishment in suitable spots of 'Police Stations', fully equipped to deal with emergencies within a large radius. Kuwait is one such spot from which Iraq, South Persia, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf could be controlled. It will be worthwhile to go to considerable trouble and expense to establish and man a 'Police Station' there." -- British Foreign Office, policy memo, 1947 ****** "I advocate using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes and against recalcitrant Arabs as an experiment. I do not understand the squeamishness about the use of gas [...] We cannot in any circumstances acquiesce in the non-utilisation of any weapons which are available to procure a speedy termination of the disorder which prevails on the frontier." - Winston Churchill, then Secretary of State at the British War Office, authorising RAF Middle East Command to attack rebelling Iraqis with chemical weapons, 1919 ****** "Give responsibility for the control of Iraq to the Royal Air Force, thus recognising the ability of air power to maintain effective control of a mandated territory with the maximum economy in the deployment of forces."- Winston Churchill, Colonial Secretary of the British 'Middle East Department of the Colonial Office', speaking at the Cairo Conference, 1921
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