Monsieur mtfester@netscape.net wrote:
> Monsieur Brett Robson <jet_boy@deja.com> wrote:
>>On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 12:31:42 -0400, Monsieur Kevin Gowen  ...

>>>From 1973 to 2002, the warmongering USA sold $200 million in arms to Iraq,
>>>accounting for 1% of Iraqi arms imports for that period. During the same
>>>period, peace-loving UN Security Council members Russia, France, and China
>>>sold $25.145 billion (57%), $5.595 billion (13%), and $5.192 billion (12%)
>>>in arms to Iraq, respectively.
>>>Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
>>>(Figures are trend-indicator values expressed in US dollars at constant
>>>(1990) prices)
> 
>>URL please.

That would be

http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/Trnd_Ind_IRQ_Imps_73-02.pdf

with the background data at

http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/atirq_data.html

For some reason Denmark sold more by value, but when you dig around it 
turns out to be one (landing) ship. Apart from the Danes and the French, 
all weapons sales of a value higher than the US were from communist bloc 
and satellites with the exception of Brazil - exports of light armoured 
vehicles. All of the US sales (aviation) took place during a 5 year 
period during the Reagan admin.

What Kevin didn't mention was that the figures from 1991-2002 are zero 
(for all countries) hence neither the French nor Russians were losing 
any contracts, though the French and Germans were in a position where 
they would lose exchange rate risk free oil import contracts since 
Iraq's INOC priced its oil in Euros.

> Actually, that sounds about right. Most Iraqi weapons were either French
> or of Soviet design. 

I think it might be more accurate to say that "Most Iraqi weapons were" 
of Soviet/Chinese design, since the combined sales of the communist bloc 
account for 82.77% of sales according to the SIPRI table. Of the 
remainder though, the bulk are French of course. Also interesting is 
that the French armaments industry has zero sales to the USA/UK & Australia.

http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/at_coalition03_data.html

 > And, of course, they were the ones holding most of
> the rights to the oil fields. 

Why do you claim that Mike? The Soviet Union (and the Russian Federation 
have) never even imported oil from Iraq, and the French were customers, 
not extractors. Until a few months ago, the rights to Iraqi oil fields 
were held by the Iraq National Oil Company (INOC). Prior to 
nationalisation, the fields were exploited by the Mosul Oil Company and 
Basrah Oil Company - the concession holders being Royal Dutch/Shell, 
Anglo-Persian, CFP, Exxon, Mobil, Atlantic Richfield, Gulf Oil 
Corporation, Standard Oil of Indiana [Amoco], and Participations and 
Explorations Corp. Exactly which of these corporations are registered in 
France or Russia or are dominated by French or Russian interests?

 > During the Iran-Iraq conflict, the US
> gave (or sold) a large number of trucks to the Iraqis, but this was not TOO
> long after the Iranis had effectively kidnapped a large diplomatic contigent,
> so we might be forgiven for that little gift.

Iranis? Youse blokes don' call 'em Iranians then?

The US may have also given trucks, but according to the documentation

http://projects.sipri.se/armstrade/IRQ_IMPRTS_73-02.pdf

the US sales were helicopters. Perhaps trucks and transport 
equipment/machinery is not classed by SIPRI researchers as military - 
hence no Japan on their list.




-- 
"As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying 
to kill me. They do not feel any enmity against me as an individual, nor 
I against them. They are "only doing their duty", as the saying goes. 
Most of them, I have no doubt, are kind-hearted law-abiding men who 
would never dream of committing murder in private life. On the other 
hand, if one of them succeeds in blowing me to pieces with a well-placed 
bomb, he will never sleep any the worse for it. He is serving his 
country, which has the power to absolve him from evil"  - George Orwell, 
England Your England, 1941