U.S. DOCUMENTS SHOW EMBRACE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN IN EARLY 1980s 
DESPITE CHEMICAL WEAPONS, EXTERNAL AGGRESSION, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES  

Fear of Iraq Collapse in Iran-Iraq War Motivated Reagan Administration 
Support; U.S. Goals Were Access to Oil, Projection of Power, and 
Protection of Allies; Rumsfeld Failed to Raise Chemical Weapons Issue 
in Personal Meeting with Saddam  


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.  

National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 139 of April 5, 1984, 
"Measures to Improve U.S. Posture and Readiness to Respond to 
Developments in the Iran-Iraq War," focusing again on increased 
access for U.S. military forces in the Persian Gulf and enhanced 
intelligence-gathering capabilities. The directive calls for 
"unambiguous" condemnation of chemical weapons use, without naming 
Iraq, but places "equal stress" on protecting Iraq from Iran's 
"ruthless and inhumane tactics." The directive orders preparation 
of "a plan of action designed to avert an Iraqi collapse."  

U.S. and Iraqi consultations about Iran's 1984 draft resolution 
seeking United Nations Security Council condemnation of Iraq's 
chemical weapons use. Iraq conveyed several requests to the U.S. 
about the resolution, including its preference for a lower-level 
response and one that did not name any country in connection with 
chemical warfare; the final result complied with Iraq's requests.  

The 1984 public U.S. condemnation of chemical weapons use in the 
Iran-Iraq war, which said, referring to the Ayatollah Khomeini's 
refusal to agree to end hostilities until Saddam Hussein was ejected 
from power, "The United States finds the present Iranian regime's 
intransigent refusal to deviate from its avowed objective of eliminating 
the legitimate government of neighboring Iraq to be inconsistent with 
the accepted norms of behavior among nations and the moral and religious 
basis which it claims."   

                                 -==-

Source: George Washington University / National Security Archive 
release - http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/press.htm

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Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein:
The U.S. Tilts toward Iraq, 1980-1984

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 82

Edited by Joyce Battle

February 25, 2003

Full article at - http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/

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Cheers, Steve..

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