the receipts for WMD

Here's an excerpt from a news article published in an international daily during the early days of the invasion of Iraq that I thought patriotic Americans here would be interested in.

"The part about disarming Saddam is all very nice, but who in God's, or Satan's, name armed him in the first place?

Iraq listed the countries and companies that helped it do so in a document it submitted to the UN. British officials confirmed it was accurate. The Security Council agreed to US requests to censor 8,000 pages, particularly the US companies mentioned there. The document was leaked to the press however. Quoting a German source, Britain's Independent reported that the countries that armed Saddam were the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Sweden. The 24 American companies were (Legend: A: nuclear program; B: biological weapons; C: chemical weapons; R: rockets; K: conventional weapons, military logistics, military plants):

Honeywell (R, K), Spectra Physics (K), Semetex (rocket), TI Coating (A, K), Unisys (R, K), Sperry Corp. (R), Tektronix (R, A), Rockwell (K), Leybold Vacuum Systems (A), Finnigan-MAT-US (A), Hewlett-Packard (A, R, K), Dupont (A), Eastman Kodak (R), American Type Culture Collection (B), Alcolac International (C), Consarc (nuclear), Carl Zeiss-US (K), Cerberus (A), Electronic Associates (R), International Computer Systems (A, R, K), Bechtel (K), EZ Logic Data Systems (R), Canberra Industries (A), Axel Electronics (A).

Seventeen British firms also provided the same range of products, except for biological weapons.

"From about 1975 onwards, these companies supplied entire complexes, building elements, basic materials and technical know-how for Saddam's program to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction."

As to Bush running out of patience with the Security Council, and France being unreasonable for threatening to veto Bush's war, here is how the United States has voted on Security Council resolutions against Israel on the issue of Palestine alone.

1. July 24, 1973: UN deplores Israel's occupation of Arab territories since 1967: 13 favor, 1 abstention, 1 veto (US). 2. Jan 23, 1976: UN calls for Israel to withdraw from Arab territories. Vote: 9 favor, 3 abstentions, 1 veto (US). 3. March 24, 1976: UN expresses deep concern over establishment of Israeli settlements in occupied territories, in particular Jerusalem. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 4. June 29, 1976: UN affirms Palestinian people right to self-determination. Vote: 10 favor, 4 abstentions, 1 veto (US). 5. April 30, 1980: UN affirms right of Palestinians to create an independent state. Vote: 10 favor, 4 abstentions, 1 veto (US).

6. April 1, 1982: UN denounces Israeli interference in West Bank. Vote: 13 favor, 1 abstention, 1 veto (US). 7. April 20, 1982: UN condemns Israeli shooting of worshippers at Haram Al-Sharif. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 8. June 8, 1982: UN condemns Israeli non-compliance with former resolutions. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 9. June 25, 1982: UN demands Israeli and Palestinian forces withdraw from Beirut. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 10. Aug. 6, 1982: UN condemns Israel for not implementing former resolutions. Vote: 11 favor, 3 abstentions, 1 veto (US).

11. Aug. 1, 1983: UN calls on Israel not to build new settlements in the Arab territories. Vote: 13 favor, 1 abstention, 1 veto (US). 12. Sept. 12, 1985: UN deplores repressive measures by Israeli authorities against Palestinians in occupied territories. Vote: 10 favor, 4 abstentions, 1 veto (US). 13. Jan. 29, 1986: UN deplores Israeli refusal to abide by former resolutions. Vote: 13 favor, 1 abstention, 1 veto (US). 14. Jan. 29, 1988: UN calls on Israel to accept de jure applicability of Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Times of War. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 15. April 1988: UN expresses grave concern about Israeli use of collective punishment, including house demolitions. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US).

16. Feb. 17, 1989: UN deplores Israeli persistence in violating human rights of Palestinians. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 17. June 9, 1989: UN demand that Israel comply with Fourth Geneva Convention. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 18. Nov. 6, 1989: UN deplores Israeli siege of towns, ransacking of homes and confiscation of property. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 19. May 30, 1990: UN calls for a commission to examine Israeli policies and practices in occupied territories. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 20. May 17, 1995: UN confirms Israeli expropriation of Palestinian land in Jerusalem was invalid. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US).

21. March 7, 1997: UN expresses deep concern for Israeli plans to build new settlements in Jerusalem. Vote: 14 favor, 1 veto (US). 22. March 21 1997: UN demands end to the Israeli construction of the Jabal Abu Ghneim settlement in East Jerusalem. Vote: 13 favor, 1 abstention, 1 veto (US). 23. March 26, 2001: UN demands complete halt to Israeli settlement activities. Vote: 9 favor, 4 abstentions, 1 veto (US). 24. Dec. 14, 2001: UN calls for the monitoring of acts of terrorism and extrajudicial executions in occupied territories. Vote: 12 favor, 2 abstentions, 1 veto (US).

And we thought the conspiracy theories/iluminati crap was all bs? Damned if I know.