America did for Saddam what it did not do for its closest allies

Howard Teicher, a member of the American National Security Council during Reagan's time believes that America did something for Saddam that it had not done for any of its closest allies until that day.

News ID: 85069

Date: 27 September 2024 - 12:02

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The Sacred Defense is considered one of the biggest and longest wars of the 20th century, which started with the instigation of the West and the action of the Baath government and ended with the direct and indirect entry of big and small powers from both the Western and Eastern blocs.

The aforementioned war, which occurred in the bipolar structure of the international system, was played by global regional, and extra-regional powers. America was one of the trans-regional powers that played an active and aggressive interventionist role in this war. Due to the political and ideological differences with Iran, which started after the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the United States supported the Baath regime in different dimensions which used various methods and strategies to limit Iran politically and militarily.

The Baath government's invasion of Iran in 1980, caused an 8-year war between these two countries. The war started in the last months of Carter's presidency and continued during the Reagan era. The relations between Iran and the United States also had become critical after the Islamic revolution took place, and the political and economic sanctions on Iran by the United States, the blocking of Iranian assets abroad, the planning of an attack on Tabas, the support of anti-revolutionary groups and coup plotters, and showing green light to Saddam affected the turmoil in the relations between these two countries.

In the early months of the war, American politicians and government officials declared the official policy of the United States to be neutral and support the ceasefire, but they could not remain indifferent to this war because firstly, the war was going on in the Persian Gulf region, an area where the US government had major interests. Secondly; The result of the war was very important for the United States, considering the parties involved in it.

According to the annual report of the US Senate in October 1987, entitled "War in the Persian Gulf", the policy of the United States of America in response to the Iran-Baath regime war had been confused. Some observers believed that the best policy at this time was complete neutrality, but America was so involved in this conflict that complete neutrality could not be adopted at that time.

Five months after the start of the war, Ronald Reagan became the President of the United States of America. In the countries of the third world, America sought to create obstacles to national revolutions and prevent progressive developments in these countries. The solution to achieve this goal was to engage the revolutionary countries in their internal affairs by creating ethnic and religious conflicts and involving these countries with neighboring countries in wars without victory.

Victory in liberating the Faw in January 1986, during the Walfajr 8 operation, which was a turning point in the history of the war, sounded the alarm for America. The course of events of the war indicated Iran's success and the probability of Iran's victory was increasing, and this was in conflict with the Reagan administration's strategy of a war without a winner.

America encouraged regional and moderate Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan to provide aid to the Baath regime and tried to remove Saddam from international isolation. Also, by threatening the member countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council that their position would be jeopardized if Saddam lost the war, the United States enticed them to give free aid or grant facilities under easy conditions to Iraq.

The Reagan administration provided special financial facilities for the Baath regime within American society and in the Western world and while securing credit for Saddam from American companies, he encouraged major Western governments such as France, Italy, and Britain to agree to delay the repayment of Baath's regime debts.

By placing Iran's name in the list of countries that support terrorism, while stopping the sale and sending of weapons to Iran, it removed Saddam's government from this list and thus opened the way for the export of weapons to Iraq by itself and its European and Middle Eastern allies. Super ethane planes and Exocet missiles, from France and chemicals from Germany were provided to the Baath regime in coordination with the United States.

America has increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf to support the Iraqi Baath regime and to restrict Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and with its presence in this region, practically ignored the UN resolution that asked the major countries to show their maximum self-restraint in the war process and to refrain from any action that would lead to further escalation and expansion of the conflict.

A part of the US Senate report states: "After Iran expelled Baathist forces from its territory in 1982, US policy began to change. Concerned about the possible victory of Iran, the Reagan administration leaned towards the Baath regime. This tendency until 1984 included the following:

1.      Active diplomatic efforts to identify and prevent the sending of military equipment to Iran

2.      Providing necessary financial credit for Iraq from American companies to purchase agricultural and other items

3.      Verbal condemnation of Iran by the United Nations and other international organizations

4.      Providing military information for Saddam's government based on news and press reports.

The role of America in prolonging the imposed war in favor of the Baath regime and against Iran is undeniable. Wafiq al-Samarrai, head of Baath's military intelligence during the 8 years of war, said in an interview that if there was no support from the West, Saddam could not have started and continued the war against Iran. He considered the role of the United States in helping Saddam as follows:

1.      Providing complete information to Iraq about the military formation of Iranian forces

2.      Encourage European allies and regional countries to give financial aid to Saddam's government

3.      Sanctioning Iran and preventing it from acquiring modern weapons and equipment.

Howard Teicher, a member of the American National Security Council during Reagan's time also believes that America did something for Saddam that it had not done for any of its closest allies until that day.