Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[joonhee8282]

Hi,

my name is joonhee-Lee.

I'm 17 years old and I live in Seoul. And I'm

interested in history and war.

Few days ago, I heard that America finally attacked

Iraq. For a long time, there was a bad relation

between two countries and at last, war broke out.

However I think it wrong for U.S. to attack Iraq.

I mean There is little social standing

U.S. says that Iraq has supported and trained

terrorists but in my opinion, their real purpose

about breaking war is not that. There are lots of

oils in Iraq. And I think U.S. is trying to obtain

them. I Think That's the reason America broke war

inspite of UN's disagreement.

What do you think? I want to share opinions with

you.
_________________
hi

[Diana]

I'm sure that America's leaders had already assumed and even expected that Saddam would set fire to Iraq's oil fields (just like he did in Kuwait) if they go to war. America's leaders also know that going to war is going to cost the taxpayers billions of dollars! With that in mind, it would have been cheaper to buy the oil from Saddam. After all, look at France and Germany. They benefit extremely well from the Iraqi trade.

[joonhee8282]

I think you are right. France and Germany had a great benefits from

Iraqi trade. And because of this Frence and Germany don't want America

to war with Iraq.

Now, everyone knows that America want oil from Iraq..

But, it takes lots of money to war and there will be a lot of sacrifice.

As you said,, Buying oil would be lot cheaper.

Then why Americans are attacking Iraq? If they want oil then they can

just buy it.

I think it is because of Anti-American force in Iraq. Like terrorist and,,

something like that. What do you think?

please reply
_________________
hi

[ecc]

america appeared to have forgotten the korean war and the vietname war and the resulting lessons ,during the two wars america lost about 50000 soldiers respectively.since the demise of the soviet union,america begin to think itslef invincible and can do anything it wants .

[joonhee8282]

I think so too.

America should have taught a lesson from

Korean war and Vietname war.

Americans now want to finish war as fast as possible

but I don't think it will be that easy.

America VS Iraq

What is this war mean.

I want to hear your think
_________________
hi

[Diana]

If you remember, America was attacked on September 11th. They are now attacking Iraq because of national security. The Americans are more concerned about those weapons of mass destruction hidden by Saddam Hussein. Why? Because the terrorists who attacked them is from the Middle East - not Africa, not Europe, and not even Asia. They want Saddam to get rid of the chemical and biological weapons because if he doesn't, there is a good possibility that these weapons could fall into terrorists hands and be used against the American public.

As for the anti-American among Iraqis, the following article is how the Iraqis living in the United States feel about the US-led war. Many Iraqis want Saddam gone. However, the United States is more concern about the weapons of mass destruction.
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Thursday, February 06, 2003
Life in Iraq has been a prison for its citizens, says one of the refugees
Iraqis living in Roanoke share experiences of homeland

A. Alrafi said he is not convinced by rallies that show Iraqi people supporting Saddam. "You see the people on TV?" he asked. "They have no choice to say no."

By JEN McCAFFERY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Iraq is a place where the walls have ears. It is a place where, when a young girl asks her mother who God is, her mother will tell her " Saddam Hussein." The mother knows that her little girl might get asked at school what her family thinks of Saddam Hussein, and in her innocence, she might give a wrong answer.

It is a place where secret police will shoot and kill a man, then charge his family for the bullet.

And it is a place where some citizens would welcome a U.S. war on their own country because even the prospect of invasion is better than living any longer under Saddam's rule.

These are the recollections of three Iraqi refugees living in Roanoke.

Their stories don't come easily, and they asked not to be photographed or to be fully identified.

Even from across the globe, they fear Saddam and for their families who remain in Iraq. They grew up in a land where the eyes of the leader are on everyone. Literally, in the pictures of the Iraqi leader that must be hung in people's homes. And figuratively, through his secret police, who rape the wives and daughters of prisoners to coerce confessions and who torture and kill perceived enemies of the state.

"We wish and we hope for President Bush to kill him or take him off," one of the refugees, A. Aljizani, said of Saddam. "We wait. Day by day. Minute by minute."

About 1 million Iraqis have been killed through wars and terrorism in Iraq, a country with 22 million people, the New York Times has reported.

Aljizani, A. Alrafi and Saadi Al-Asadi, who each escaped from Iraq during the Gulf War, now live in the 2600 block of Westover Avenue, with a small community of about 30 Iraqi exiles. About 150 Iraqi natives live in Roanoke and Roanoke County, according to census figures.

"If the government of the United States needs us to fight Saddam Hussein, myself, I am ready," Alrafi, 30, said.

"Me too," Al-Asadi, 44, echoed.

Their thoughts remain with their families back in Iraq. All three men grew up in large families in southern Iraq, where the majority of the population are Shiite Muslims.

Saddam, who is a Sunni Muslim, does not like the Shiites, said Aljizani, 30. Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980 was partially motivated by Saddam's motivation to curtail the influence of Iranian Shiite leaders in southern Iraq. Al-Asadi lost two of his brothers in the war against Iran, he said. Another brother was later killed by Saddam's secret police, he said.

Life in Iraq has been a prison for its citizens, Al-Asadi said. The government will not issue passports to people who want to leave.

In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait and news of a potential offensive by the United States reached Iraqi citizens, Aljizani said people were waiting for the invasion.

When his family heard that the United States had launched airstrikes in 1991, they said to each other, "Congratulations, we're going to live a new life," Aljizani said. "It was like someone married. We celebrated."

All three men, who did not know one another until they came to Roanoke, had heard that they could escape Iraq if they reached the U.S. Army, which by then had troops on the ground.

Neither Al-Asadi nor Aljizani told their families they were leaving. They realized that anything their families knew about their defections could only pose a danger to their lives. Alrafi hid a note in his bedroom, telling his family he was going to join the U.S. Army. They joined the thousands of men, women and children who followed the rumor that they would be saved by American forces in southern Iraq. Many didn't make it.
All three men eventually made it to U.S. forces in the south. They were transferred along with thousands of other refugees to a camp in Saudi Arabia. All three remained in the camp until they got clearance after several years to come to the United States as political refugees.

Al-Asadi first went to Ohio. Aljizani went to Maryland and Alrafi went to Florida. Once they arrived in the United States, all three contacted their families in Iraq for the first time in more than five years. Aljizani's mother could not stop crying when she heard from her son. "My mom think I went into the Army for Saddam Hussein," Aljizani said. Each man said the first time they called home to Iraq they each were on the phone for two or three hours. Their phone bills totaled between $700 and $800 because of the calls.

Some things had changed for their loved ones; others hadn't. Aljizani found out his brother had married and had children since he had left. He also found out his father had died. Aljizani cried when he heard that his father had spoken of him every day, and of how his father said he wanted to hear his son's voice one more time before he died.

By 1999, all three men had come to Roanoke, on the advice of friends. Aljizani and Alrafi are both truck drivers; Al-Asadi works at the cosmetics manufacturer Elizabeth Arden in Roanoke. Now, they talk to their families every few months, they said. All three men were happy to hear last year that President Bush had targeted Saddam Hussein once again. Alrafi is outraged to see Saddam's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majeed, acting as a diplomat on television. Al-Majeed directed the release of poison gas on the Kurds in northern Iraq in 1988. As many as 200,000 people were killed during that operation, Reuters has reported.

Alrafi said he is not convinced by the rallies on TV that show the Iraqi people supporting Saddam. "You see the people on TV?" Alrafi asked. "They have no choice to say no."

Alrafi's family is waiting for the invasion, just like they did in 1991, Alrafi said. He can't talk freely with his family, but an unspoken code has developed, he said.

[Diana]

Now, as for your so-called peacemakers - France, Germany, Russia, and China - these are the real reasons why they don't want war with Iraq. Now, as you can see below, France, Germany, Russia, and China are guilty of selling weapons to Saddam DURING THE SANCTIONS!!!!!!! The United States only sold weapons to Iraq in the 1980s. America stopped selling weapons to Saddam after the sanctions were in place in 1991.

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Facts on Who Benefits From Keeping Saddam Hussein in Power

By The Heritage Foundation

February 28, 2003

France

� According to the CIA World Factbook, France controls over 22.5 percent of Iraq�s imports.[1] French total trade with Iraq under the oil-for-food program is the third largest, totaling $3.1 billion since 1996, according to the United Nations.[2] In 2001 France became Iraq�s largest European trading partner.

� Roughly 60 French companies do an estimated $1.5 billion in trade with Baghdad annually under the U.N. oil-for-food program.[3]

� France�s largest oil company, Total Fina Elf, has negotiated a deal to develop the Majnoon field in western Iraq. The Majnoon field purportedly contains up to 30 billion barrels of oil.[4]

� Total Fina Elf also negotiated a deal for future oil exploration in Iraq�s Nahr Umar field. Both the Majnoon and Nahr Umar fields are estimated to contain as much as 25 percent of the country�s reserves.[5]

� France�s Alcatel company, a major telecom firm, is negotiating a $76 million contract to rehabilitate Iraq�s telephone system.[6]

� From 1981 to 2001, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France was responsible for over 13 percent of Iraq�s arms imports.[7]

Germany

� Direct trade between Germanyand Iraq amounts to about $350 million annually, and another $1 billion is reportedly sold through third parties.[8]

� It has recently been reported that Saddam Hussein has ordered Iraqi domestic businesses to show preference to German companies as a reward for Germany�s �firm positive stand in rejecting the launching of a military attack against Iraq.� It was also reported that over 101 German companies were present at the Baghdad Annual exposition.[9]

� During the 35th Annual Baghdad International Fair in November 2002, a German company signed a contract for $80 million for 5,000 cars and spare parts.[10]

� In 2002, DaimlerChrysler was awarded over $13 million in contracts for German trucks and spare parts.[11]

� German officials are investigating a German corporation accused of illegally channeling weapons to Iraq via Jordan. The equipment in question is used for boring the barrels of large cannons and is allegedly intended for Saddam Hussein�s Al Fao Supercannon project.[12]

Russia

� According to the CIA World Factbook, Russia controls roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq�s annual imports.[13] Under the U.N. oil-for-food program, Russia�s total trade with Iraq was somewhere between $530 million and $1 billion for the six months ending in December of 2001.[14]

� According to the Russian Ambassador to Iraq, Vladimir Titorenko, new contracts worth another $200 million under the U.N. oil-for-food program are to be signed over the next three months.[15]

� Soviet-era debt of $7 billion through $8 billion was generated by arms sales to Iraq during the 1980�1988 Iran�Iraq war.

� Russia�s LUKoil negotiated a $4 billion, 23-year contract in 1997 to rehabilitate the 15 billion-barrel West Qurna field in southern Iraq. Work on the oil field was expected to commence upon cancellation of U.N. sanctions on Iraq. The deal is currently on hold.[16]

� In October 2001, Salvneft, a Russian�Belarus company, negotiated a $52 million service contract to drill at the Tuba field in Southern Iraq.[17]

� In April 2001, Russia�s Zaruezhneft company received a service contract to drill in the Saddam, Kirkuk, and Bai Hassan fields to rehabilitate the fields and reduce water incursion.

� A future $40 billion Iraqi�Russian economic agreement, reportedly signed in 2002, would allow for extensive oil exploration opportunities throughout western Iraq.[18] The proposal calls for 67 new projects, over a 10-year time frame, to explore and further develop fields in southern Iraq and the Western Desert, including the Suba, Luhais, West Qurna, and Rumaila projects. Additional projects added to the deal include second-phase construction of a pipeline running from southern to northern Iraq, and extensive drilling and gas projects. Work on these projects would commence upon cancellation of sanctions.[19]

� Russia�s Gazprom company over the past few years has signed contracts worth $18 million to repair gas stations in Iraq.[20]

� The former Soviet Unionwas the premier supplier of Iraqi arms. From 1981 to 2001, Russia supplied Iraq with 50 percent of its arms.[21]

China

� According to the CIA World Factbook, Chinacontrols roughly 5.8 percent of Iraq�s annual imports.[22]

� China National Oil Company, partnered with China North Industries Corp., negotiated a 22-year-long deal for future oil exploration in the Al Ahdab field in southern Iraq.[23]

� In recent years, the Chinese Aero-Technology Import�Export Company (CATIC) has been contracted to sell �meteorological satellite� and �surface observation� equipment to Iraq. This contract was approved by the U.N. oil-for-food program.[24]

� CATIC also won approval from the U.N. in July 2000 to sell $2 million worth of fiber optic cables. This and similar contracts approved were disguised as telecommunications gear. These cables can be used for secure data and communications links between national command and control centers and long-range search radar, targeting radar, and missile-launch units, according to U.S. officials. In addition, China National Electric Wire & Cable and China National Technical Import Telecommunications Equipment Company are believed to have sold Iraq $6 million and $15.5 million worth of communications equipment and other unspecified supplies, respectively.[25]

� According to a report from SIPRI, from 1981 to 2001, China was the second largest supplier of weapons and arms to Iraq, supplying over 18 percent of Iraq�s weapons imports.[26]


[1]Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 2002, at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook.

[2]Jon Talton, �French Ideals and Profits in the Iraqi Triangle�, The Arizona Republic, February 23, 2003.

[3]Jon Talton, �French Ideals and Profits in the Iraqi Triangle,� The Arizona Republic, February 23, 2003.

[4]Kenneth Katzman, Iraq: Oil-for-Food Program, International Sanctions, and Illicit Trade, Congressional Research Service, September 26, 2002.

[5]Kenneth Katzman, Iraq: Oil-for-Food Program, International Sanctions, and Illicit Trade, Congressional Research Service, September 26, 2002.

[6]Evelyn Iritani, �Hussein�s Government Signs Lucrative Contracts, Especially with Nations that Oppose the U.S. Led Effort to Oust the Regime,� The Los Angeles Verdana,Arial,Helvetica, November 11, 2002.

[7]Information from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), �Arms Transfers to Iraq, 1981�2001,� at http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/IRQ_IMPORTS_1982-2001.pdf.

[8]David R. Sands, �France, GermanyProtect Iraq Ties,� The Washington Verdana,Arial,Helvetica, February 20, 2003.

[9]David R. Sands, �France, GermanyProtect Iraq Ties,� The Washington Verdana,Arial,Helvetica, February 20, 2003.

[10]�Africa Analysis�Trade Points Way to Peace�, The Financial Verdana,Arial,Helvetica: Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, November 19, 2002.

[11]Faye Bowers, �Driving Forces in War-Wary Nations: The Stances of France, Germany, Russia and ChinaAre Colored by Economic and National Interests,� Christian Science Monitor, February 25, 2003.

[12]�Helping Saddam Rearm,� The Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2002.

[13]Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 2002, at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook.

[14]Testimony provided by Ariel Cohen to the House International Relations Committee, �Russia and the Axis of Evil: Money, Ambition and U.S. Interests,� February 26, 2003.

[15]Nelli Sharushkina, �Russia Plays the Field in Iraq�Mixed Signals Worry Baghdad,� Energy Intelligence Briefing, February 5, 2003.

[16]Dan Morgan and David B. Ottaway, �In Iraqi War Scenario, Oil Is Key Issue,� The Washington Post, September 15, 2002.

[17]Dan Morgan and David B. Ottaway, �In Iraqi War Scenario, Oil Is Key Issue,� The Washington Post, September 15, 2002.

[18]Scott Peterson, �Russia�s Newest Tie to Iraq: Moscow Is Set to Sign a $40 billion Economic Pact with Baghdad Next Month,� Christian Science Monitor, August 20, 2002.

[19]�Mideast Tensions to Delay Iraq Iraqi�Russian Signing,� Energy Compass, April 19, 2002.

[20]Dmitry Zhdannikov, �Russian�s Grim About Working Under Saddam,� The Houston Chronicle, April 14, 2002.

[21]Information from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), �Arms Transfers to Iraq, 1981�2001,� at http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/IRQ_IMPORTS_1982-2001.pdf.

[22]Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 2002, at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook.

[23]Trish Saywell, �Oil: The Danger of Deals with Iraq,� Far Eastern Economic Review, March 6, 2003.

[24]Kenneth R. Timmerman, �Rogues Lending Hand to Saddam,� Insight on the News, March 4, 2003.

[25]Kenneth R. Timmerman, �Rogues Lending Hand to Saddam,� Insight on the News, March 4, 2003.

[26]Information from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), �Arms Transfers to Iraq, 1981�2001,� at http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/IRQ_IMPORTS_1982-2001.pdf.









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[ecc]

thanks for your information .according to you ,the main cause america wages the war is to eliminate the so-called massive destruction weapons hidden in iraq to guarantee the safety of your homeland.but it is unbelievable.so far there is no sign that saddam hussein has used or will use those weapons .and according to ur previous post ,he is a man who can use every means to stay in power .now that he is on the eve of being toppled ,why donot he use those weapons if he owns them?the possibility is that he hasnot possessed such weapons .it seems that american leaders just take advantage of unexistent weapons to remove those rigimes wich are not so obedient or hostile to america .another possible excuse is americans get a little bit paranoid after the sep.11th attack.

[ecc]

as to the article written by an iraqi dissident,i believe his words .so what?as jefferson said ,a government couldnot please all, when a government policy comes out ,people could possibly be divided into two :the proponents and oppoents.it is the case with the current iraqi government .naturally ,some for it and some against it .not surpringly ,those iraqis living abroad welcome the america -launched war,for the bombs dropped from the warplanes cannot do the least harm to them .

[ecc]

by the way,i cannot see why france ,russia and china need to be guilty of doing business with iraq .all these contracts are legal and under the" oil for food" program.and the programme is approved by the united nations .but that america invaded iraq cannot get the authorization of the u.n.

[Diana]

Of course the contracts were legal. The problem is - the contracts that were approved were DISGUISED as telecommunication gear. Here is the source of where I got this information on China.

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Special Report
Rogues Lending Hand to Saddam


Posted Jan. 28, 2002


By Kenneth R. Timmerman

Media Credit: Norinco
Iraq is doing big-time business in arms with the People�s Liberation Army.

On the surface the contracts sounded innocent enough. It was the suppliers who first caught the attention of U.S. intelligence officials. Some of China's top arms producers have won approval from the U.N. Sanctions Committee in New York City to sell products worth tens of millions of dollars to Saddam Hussein's Iraq. With winks and nods from the Chinese government and from complacent U.N. members such as France and Russia, the Chinese have taken advantage of an enormous loophole in the international effort to prevent Saddam from rebuilding his weapons industry.

The "oil-for-food" (OFF) program initially was devised to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi population by allowing the sale of "humanitarian" goods using money from Iraqi oil sales. Since then, as a result of international pressure, many restrictions on the type of equipment that can be sold have been lifted. Under Saddam's control since 1997, and with witting foreign partners, this U.N. program has become a blatant tool of rearmament that some have compared to the League of Nations sanctions that were supposed to prevent Adolf Hitler from reopening German war factories in the Ruhr valley in the 1930s.

U.N. member nations are supposed to present contracts by national companies to a special committee for approval, which in theory vets the contracts to ensure they contain no military goods. But close observers say the obvious escapes them.

Take China North Industries Corp. (NORINCO). Typical deals with Iraq by this state-owned giant include a $2 million shipment of chlorine gas (ostensibly for water purification), a $1.1 million contract to sell polyester fibers and dozens of smaller shipments of assorted chemicals, according to a six-page, single-spaced list of U.N.-approved Chinese contracts with Iraq obtained by Insight. Why would the company described by U.S. China experts as "the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) arms manufacturer" be selected by Iraq as the privileged supplier of "adult milk" worth $7,293,362.34 in December 2000? And why would this contract fall under Phase VIII of Iraq's U.N.-approved program to rebuild its oil industry?

The United Nations wouldn't say. "We don't disclose lists of contracts by country or by supplier," a spokesperson for the Office of the Iraq Program tells Insight. But the track record of Iraq's suppliers is not reassuring.

NORINCO manufactures main battle tanks, field guns and rocket launchers, among other military hardware. Perhaps to confuse the extent of its involvement with Saddam, it designated a regional subsidiary, China North Industries Dalian Corp., to handle a separate shipment of "adult milk" to Iraq worth $4,625,009.40.

"We're aware of the problem of these Chinese sales, and we constantly work on it," a U.S. diplomat at U.N. headquarters in New York City tells Insight. "Under the oil-for-food program, the selling countries are required to inspect cargo to determine that the shipment corresponds to what it was declared to be."

But officials say that rarely happens with Communist China.

"We are constantly sending diplomatic protests � d�marches � to the Chinese," a White House official tells Insight. "The Chinese response is typical. First, they come back to us and claim they know nothing about the company involved, even though it was the Chinese government that had to apply for permission for the export with the U.N. Then, if we persist, they say they do know the company but that they are not state-owned, so the government cannot control what they do. If we object again, they say they've checked and the goods are purely civilian."

NORINCO is not the only major Chinese state-owned arms manufacturer currently making large U.N.-approved sales to Saddam. The Chinese Aero-Technology Import-Export Company (CATIC) is selling Iraq everything from detergent, ceiling fans and water pumps to electric generating sets, industrial cranes and medical equipment. CATIC is best known as the designer and manufacturer of Communist China's fighter jets. In October 1999 the company was fined in the United States for illegally diverting sophisticated machine-tools purchased from McDonnell Douglas to a military facility in China.

CATIC has contracted, with U.N. approval, to sell a "meteorological satellite" and "surface-observation" equipment to Iraq. The Iraqi military imported similar equipment, designed to track weather patterns, to help plot accurate trajectories for its ballistic missiles in the late 1980s. "If a contract is approved, we probably feel comfortable with the information we received that it is not to be used for military purposes," the U.S. official at the United Nations tells Insight. But that statement may not reassure everyone.

Even with help from the U.S. intelligence community, outside consultants and the national nuclear laboratories, which employ dozens of skilled analysts of strategic trade, the task of monitoring Iraqi trade is a massive undertaking. The United States and Britain currently have "holds" on 1,892 contracts worth nearly $5 billion, according to the U.N. Office of the Iraq Program (www.un.org/Depts/oip/latest/wu15Jan02.html). "You object to contracts as often as necessary to get the information that you need," the U.S. official in New York City tells Insight.

Most troubling to U.S. officials has been a series of contracts during the last four years for fiber-optics equipment that Iraq and its Chinese suppliers have billed as telecommunications gear. "We know this equipment has been used to reinforce and upgrade Iraq's national air-defense grid," a White House official says. "These shipments have allowed Iraq to threaten U.S. flight crews. This is a clear-cut case of a violation by China. These sales put U.S. lives at risk."

CATIC won approval from the United Nations in July 2000 to sell $2 million worth of "cables." U.S. officials believe they were strategic fiber-optic cables used for secure data and communications links between national command and control centers, long-range search radar, targeting radar and missile-launch units.

Documents obtained by Insight show that China National Electric Wire & Cable sold Iraq $6,104,000 worth of unspecified "communications equipment/supplies," while another $15.5 million worth of goods came from the China National Technical Import Telecommunications Equipment company.

Intelligence officers working for the opposition Iraqi National Congress (INC) based in northern Iraq penetrated government-controlled areas of the country in 1998 to acquire samples of earlier shipments of cables at the request of the CIA, Insight has learned. "Our guys brought back a three-foot section of the fiber-optic cable," a top INC official said. "Later, we went back and obtained a copy of one of the contracts."

This damning information led the Clinton administration in December 1998 to carry out a four-day bombing campaign in Iraq, known as Desert Fox, that attempted to destroy some of these upgraded air-defense sites. Just weeks after his inauguration, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. fighter-bombers again to strike Iraqi air-defense sites that had been enhanced with Chinese fiber-optics gear. To try to avoid killing Chinese technicians, the February 2001 strikes took place on a weekend, a move that Bush conservatives criticized.

At his first solo press conference as president on Feb. 22, Bush said that evidence of Chinese aid to Iraq's efforts to upgrade its air-defense network had "risen to the level where we are going to send a message to the Chinese." Those messages have been almost constant ever since, officials tell Insight.

Jordan led the pack, winning 663 contracts worth $1,678,556,733, including contracts of concern for direct application to Iraq's chemical-weapons programs. The United Arab Emirates was next, with 503 contracts worth $1,430,100,703. Egypt was third, with 184 contracts worth $1,396,085,582. France was the only other supplier nation to top $1 billion in sales, with China ($884 million) and Russia ($831 million) close behind.

The LLNL study noted that most contracts went to ministries involved in industry or infrastructure: Industry and Minerals (20 percent), Oil (19 percent), Transportation (9 percent) and Interior (5 percent). Iraq used its Ministry of Industry and Minerals during the 1980s as a major conduit for military-technology purchases from overseas, when it was more aptly known as the Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialization.

Is Iraq becoming a threat once again? Most experts point out that constant bombardment and the difficulty in acquiring spare parts seriously has degraded Iraq's military. But the real threat remains Iraq's unconventional weapons. "If Iraq were to acquire nuclear weapons, Saddam could be-come unassailable," says former Pentagon official Stephen Bryen. "So far, no one in the administration is suggesting that Iraq has reached that point." Not yet.

Kenneth R. Timmerman is a senior writer for Insight.

[Diana]

[dc1212]

I hope the war comes to the end very soon. US also has lots of injuries.What a shame.Life is more important than any other thing in the world.

[joonhee8282]

I don't think Iraqi trade to France and Germany is wrong.

Iraqi goverment just don't like America at all.

That's why Iraqi didn't trade with America.

I can't say France and Germany is right but, There's nothing to be

wrong either.

How about you?

please reply
_________________
hi

[Diana]

The United States and Iraq did trade. It was in 1997 when the Americans participated in Iraq's oil-for-food program just like France and Germany - only the US made a few million dollars.