NY Times: US Acquiesces in Use of Poison Gas During Iran-Iraq War

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, August 20, 2002

NY Times: US Acquiesces in Use of Poison Gas During Iran-Iraq War

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New York Times headline news revealed on August 18 that in order to find a legal excuse for US decision to fight against Iraq, Bush and the US National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice reiterated for many times that Iraq used poison gas in the Iraq-Iran war.

While senior officials of Reagan government revealed lately that although US intelligence institution knew clearly that Iraq would use chemical weapons, it still passed a secret program to aid Iraq.

The New York Times reporters got the news from former US officials when investigating the war's truth during 1981 to 1988. Most of the officials declined to give names.

Anonymous former officials said that Reagan's assistants on the one hand condemned Iraq's behavior while on the other launched the secret program actively.

When the Iran-Iraq war broke out, the US decided to support Iraq, for it wanted to prevent Iran from damaging the important oil-producing countries in the Persian Gulf.

The satellite photos and information provided by the US helped Iraq get Iran's military strength and deployment information, although this was no longer a secret. It's the first time that the press got the truth from US former officials.

Secretary of State Powell expressed that those former officials' statement was "dead wrong". US government did not consent to Iraq's use of poison gas in the war, but Powell declined to have a further discussion about the matter.

Although senior officials of the Reagan government denounced Iraq's use of poison gas yet President Reagan, vice president and security officials had never given up the support to the program. Some 60 officials had provided Iraq with detailed information about Iran's military deployment, fighting and air raid.

By PD Online Staff Li Yan

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