Why did we help Saddam in 80's when all the newspapers back then were reporting he was using chemical weapons?

Answer 1

The Reagan administration backed Iraq in the Iran/Iraq War. The fall of the Shah, another U.S. backed dictator, saw the return of Ayatollah Khomeini. This ushered in the current Iranian theocracy, a reaction to the people's hatred for the Shah and his U.S. backed regime. [Ironically, the Reagan administration, also, sold arms to Iran; in order to fund their Central American policy. ]

The administration sold weapons to both sides, including the chemical weapons used against the Kurds. Unfortunately, Saddam's trial did NOT cover the crimes against the Kurds or the Shias from Southern Iraq, who rose up against Saddam, at the end of the first Gulf War. The administration of G.H.W. Bush promised to support the uprising, but did not. As a result of the failure of the U.S. to stand by their word, Saddam was left to slaughter the rebels.

Answer 2

He was in a war with Iran and the US wanted Iran defeated no matter what it took including giving Saddam some technology (Germany gave him some chemical weapon techology too) on how to make chemical weapons in which he used against Iran during the war (wonder why Iranian leaders don't like the US all that much). The US wanted Saddam to use the chemical weapons to turn the tide of the war that he was losing and defeat the radical Muslims in Iran who had just recently released the US hostages.

Answer 3

Because we felt that Iran was a greater threat. Actually we didn't like Iran and they were at war with Iraq and by providing Saddam weapons and stuff, the government felt that they were getting Iran back for taking our people hostage and kicking us out of their country.
The U.S. Government has done this many times and it has come back to bite us in the *** just as many.

Answer 4

Iran had just given back the hostages, American Embassy workers that they held captive for almost 2 years. No civilized country would invade an embassy--it is an Act of War.

President Carter was too much of a wimp to make them pay for it.

After they started fighting Iraq, most Americans wanted to see Iraq win. Many policy-makers included. At the time, we felt that Iraq could keep Iran "in check" as it were.

Iraq, at the time, seemed a more friendly government. It had allowed religious freedom to shia and sunni and even christians, and opposed Iran, which was good enough for us.

Remember-- Hindsight is 20/20, and no one had any idea that supporting Iraq would lead Saddam to believe he was untouchable and could gas his own people, torture and murder thousands..

We can't roll back time and unmake mistakes. If we had taken Iran out when we had the chance, we might have none of the mess we have now. Then again, we might have something even worse.

Answer 5

Saddam was tight with the soviet union. We had a grudge against Iran. A political calculation was made that it would be in the best interest of the U.S. to try to pry Saddam away from the soviet union's sphere of influence, and to get back at Iran for the hostage debacle. So we met with him and sent a few helicopters, etc. We weren't his "friend." We were temporary associates with a relationship of convenience. Every country on earth makes political decisions like this, every day. So what's your point???

What's the big deal? People can't change their mind about someone 20 years later? Saddam fcuked up by invading Kuwait, so he squandered any good will with us that he might have built up.

Answer 6

Ok, if you have to ask that question, you have to go back to ask why we helped Osama bin Laden back then too. Because, at the time, the Communist were yesterday's terrorist. We wanted to get rid of them at all cost. Especially the Soviets, which both of them were fighting at the time. Was it the right thing to do? In retrospect, no. But you gotta look at it this way, we gave them a chance and the way that they thanked us was to screw with us and stab us in the back so to speak. Osama trained people to blow up the WTC, and Saddam invaded Kuwait. They screwed themselves, and now they deserve to pay. One down, one to go I say.

Answer 7

Iran we were focused on the Aytollah back then. Don't you recall the old joke? Send a rollah to the aytollah with Mickey Mouse holding a wad of toilet paper? We just changed enemies when he invaded Kuwait. But the whole mess in the mid-east started with the Shah's fall.

Answer 8

Saddam is a good example what arrives at those which accept the assistance of the USA...

handling, then elimination.

Answer 9

Iran was the bad guys back in those days. The USA was terribly concerned Iran would side with the Soviet Union if Iran won the battle with Iraq. So we backed Iraq to counter the Soviet influence in the region.

Answer 10

Because it was Americas best interest at the time. Yes we know-Amerikanner hypocrites!-but the world is not as simple as the good and evil. Sometimes good people have to help bad people to help everyone else way doesn't give a damn. most International "Politics" is a cruel game that balances your families life over another. Neither deserves it-but would you rather it be yours?