Down Memory Lane
Stan G. Kain
12 November 2003
Time has a way of dimming memories. We've all experienced this and politicians depend upon it. I don't know whether we fail to hear specific details or whether we misinterpret them. We certainly see enough proof of this, reading poll results. Despite all the news to the contrary, many Americans still believe we've found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Likewise, many still believe Iraqis were among the 9/11 airplane hijackers.
Whether or not you believe Saddam Hussein had chemical, biological and other deadly weapons is not significant. In fact, he did. Although the weapons haven't been found, American soldiers are dying daily in Iraq. The Bush Administration plays seesaw as to their premise for war. Facts and direct quotes from the White House prove that the basis of invasion was to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Where did Saddam Hussein obtain the material for his deadly weapons program? How did he acquire the technology to create these weapons? Would it not be reasonable to believe we should punish the suppliers, as well as Saddam Hussein? After all, without the suppliers, Saddam would not have had such a program in the first place. Let's go back about eight years in the news and take a trip down memory lane.
How many Americans know that the United States supplied Iraq with a large part of the raw materials necessary to create a chemical and biological weapons program? In fact, American corporations sold Iraq more than $1 billion worth the components needed to build nuclear weapons and missiles, including the Scud missile.
Way back in 1980, Iran and Iraq were at war with each other. We weren't too keen on Iran, at that time. In fact, the U.S. provided military aid and intelligence information to both sides, hoping the effort would inflict significant damage to both nations. At that time, Iraq was the primary recipient of U.S. aid, since Iran was believed to be the greater risk to American interests.
During the years 1985 through 1989, American suppliers, licensed through the U.S. Department of Commerce sold some rather interesting supplies to Saddam Hussein. Here's a sample of the shopping list:
Bacillus Anthracis - the cause of anthrax
Clostridium Botulinum - a source of botulinum toxin
Histoplasma Capsulatam - causes a disease attacking the lungs, brain, spinal cord and heart.
Brucella Melitensis - a bacteria that damages major organs
Clostridium Perfingens - toxic bacteria causing systemic illnesses
Clostridium tetani - highly toxigenic substance
Escherichia coli - E. coli bacteria
Many other pathogenic biological agents were also shipped to Iraq from U.S. suppliers. According to a U.S. Senate report, "These biological materials were not attenuated or weakened and were capable of reproduction." The Senate report further stated, "It was later learned that these microorganisms exported by the United States were identical to those the United Nations inspectors found and removed from the Iraqi biological warfare program."
The American Type Culture Collection sent more than seventy shipments of these biological elements to Iraq during the 1980's. At the same time, Alcolac International and Nu Kraft Mercantile Corporation (affiliated with United Steel and Strip Corporation) supplied Iraq with large quantities of thiodiglycol. Thiodiglycol is a primary ingredient for making deadly mustard gas.
In the 1992 Senate hearings, the following American corporations were named as chemical and biological material suppliers to Iraq:
Mouse Master of Lilburn, GA
Sullaire Corporation of Charlotte, NC
Pure Aire of Charlotte, NC
Posi Seal, Incorporated of Stonington, CT
Union Carbide of Danbury, CT
Evapco of Taneytown, MD
Gorman-Rupp of Mansfield, OH
These companies are not the only responsible parties. Similar materials were also supplied by subsidiaries of Fisher Controls International, Inc., Rhone-Poulenc, Inc, Bechtel Group, Inc., and Lummus Crest, Inc. Lummus Crest, Inc. even built one chemical facility in Iraq.
American corporations did not stop with shipments of chemical and biological agents to Saddam's regime. A larger number of American corporations supplied Iraq with specialized computers, lasers, testing and analyzing equipment and other hardware vital to the manufacture of nuclear weapons, missiles and weapons delivery systems. Here are a few of the equipment suppliers named in the Senate hearings:
Kennametal
Hewlett-Packard
International Computer Systems
Perkins-Elmer
BDM Corporation
Leybold Vacuum Systems Export
Spectra Physics
Unisys Corporation
Finnigan MAT
Scientific Atlanta
Spectral Data Corporation
Tektronix
Veeco Instruments, Inc.
Wiltron Company
TI Coating, Inc.
Axel Electronics
Data General Corporation
Gerber Systems
Honeywell, Inc.
Digital Equipment Corporation
Sackman Associates
Rockwell Collins, International
Wild Magnavox Satellite Survey
Zeta Laboratories
Carl Schenck
EZ Logic Data
International Imaging Systems
Semetex Corporation
Thermo Jarrell Ash Corporation
Today, no red-blooded American corporation would admit responsibility for Saddam's weapons program. Several corporation representatives pleas ignorance. Robert Finney, president of Electronics Associates, Inc. offered a classic defense. Mr. Finney said, "Every once in awhile you kind of wonder when you sell something to a certain country. But it's not up to us to make foreign policy." According to the Wall Street Journal, Electronic Associates sold Iraq a Saad 16 computer. The Wall Street Journal described the Saad 16 as, "a heavily fortified, state-of-the-art complex for aircraft construction, missile design and, almost certainly, nuclear weapons research."
American corporations are focused on making a profit. That's the free enterprise system. The American government grants export licenses and must share responsibility. In 1982, the Reagan Administration removed Iraq from a list of countries sponsoring terrorism. This action opened the door to shipments of high technology and military sales. During the years 1985 through 1990, the U.S. government approved 771 licenses for the export to Iraq of $1.5 billion worth of biological agents and high-tech equipment with military application.
When government errs, government will attempt to fix the problem. During the 1992 Senate hearings, testimony was given in regard to U.S. Department of Commerce staff. According to hearing documents, Department of Commerce staff, "changed information on sixty-eight (export) licenses, that references to military end uses were deleted and the designation "military truck" was changed. This was done on licenses having a total value of over $1 billion." Testimony made clear that the White House was "involved" in "a deliberate effort...to alter these documents and mislead the Congress."
Must the United States government and American corporations accept responsibility for Saddam's weapons program? Yes. At the same time, there were similar export sales made to Iraq by Great Britain, France, Germany and other European nations. All must share responsibility.
Don't blame the Democrats. Don't blame the Republicans. Administrations from both parties participated in creating the Iraqi weapons fiasco. Don't blame profit-driven corporations, unable to provide tools of destruction without the consent of the U.S. government. Don't blame the "liberal media." The facts and figures provided are from a United States Senate investigation, not from a media leak.
Whether or not you support the invasion and occupation of Iraq, you certainly can't support the loss of American soldiers in that country. It's time to demand corporate responsibility. It's time to demand that developed nations stop their program of being powerbrokers in lesser-developed nations. It's time to stop selling weapons that will eventually be used to kill Americans at home and abroad. America, it's time to focus our technology into peaceful production.
© 2003 Stan G. Kain
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