Document from the archives
While organizing my archives a few days ago, my attention was drawn to an old report published by MSNBC News Agency on December 12, 2003, which discussed declassified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the National Security Archive. These documents detail the secret communications between the U.S. government and the Iraqi government during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), aimed at persuading Iraq to resume diplomatic relations with the United States. They also highlight Donald Rumsfeld’s visit to Iraq in March 1984 as a special envoy for President Ronald Reagan, intended to reassure the Iraqi side that America’s public criticism of Iraq’s use of chemical weapons stemmed solely from its official general stance on the issue, wherever it occurred, and should not be interpreted as a change in U.S. policy aimed at improving bilateral relations at a pace determined by Iraq.
The report further indicates that, despite the United States’ public commitment to neutrality in the Iran-Iraq War, it viewed Saddam Hussein’s government as a crucial ally and a bulwark against Iranian extremism, which emerged from the 1979 Iranian Revolution and posed the greatest strategic threat to U.S. interests in the region. Consequently, the U.S. secretly sold Iraq various types of weapons, including chemical weapons, during the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, while making concerted efforts to prevent the flow of arms to Iran.
In summary, although the United States officially declared neutrality throughout the Iran-Iraq War, it secretly pursued a policy of supporting Iraq to prevent an Iranian victory. This support included resuming diplomatic relations, exchanging intelligence, expanding political cooperation, and supplying weapons and equipment. This reflects the reality of policy: what is seen and heard publicly does not necessarily align with what is managed and plotted behind closed doors. The current developments in the region serve as a prime example of this.
Faisal Mohammad bin Sabt
