Nos. 33 & 34, December 2002

SPECIAL ISSUE:
BEHIND THE INVASION
OF IRAQ

Why this Special Issue: India as a Pillar of US Hegemony

Behind the Invasion of Iraq (a summary)

Western Imperialism and Iraq:

From Colony to Semi-Colony

Towards Nationalisation

The Iran-Iraq War: Serving American Interests

The Torment of Iraq

Return of Imperialist Occupation

The Real Reasons for the Invasion of Iraq—and Beyond:

The Current Strategic Agenda of the United States

Home Front in Shambles

Military Solution to an Economic Crisis

Rehabilitating Colonialism

Appendices:

US Declares India a Strategic Pillar

The Pages Ripped out by the US from the Weapons Report

Appendix II: The Pages Ripped out by the US

Leaked Report Says German and US Firms Supplied Arms to Saddam
— Tony Paterson, The Independent (UK), 18/12/02

Baghdad’s uncensored report to UN names Western companies alleged to have developed its weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s 11,000-page report to the UN Security Council lists 150 foreign companies, including some from America, Britain, Germany and France, that supported Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction programme, a German newspaper said yesterday. Berlin’s left-wing Die Tageszeitung newspaper said it had seen a copy of the original Iraqi dossier which was vetted for sensitive information by US officials before being handed to the five permanent Security Council members two weeks ago. An edited version was passed to the remaining 10 members of the Security Council last night. British officials said the list of companies appeared to be accurate. Eighty German firms and 24 US companies are reported to have supplied Iraq with equipment and know-how for its weapons programmes from 1975 onwards and in some cases support for Baghdad’s conventional arms programme had continued until last year.

It is not known who leaked the report, but it could have come from Iraq. Baghdad is keen to embarrass the US and its allies by showing the close involvement of US, German, British and French firms in helping Iraq develop its weapons of mass destruction when the country was a bulwark against the much feared spread of Iranian revolutionary fervour to the Arab world.

“From about 1975 onwards, these companies are shown to have supplied entire complexes, building elements, basic materials and technical know-how for Saddam Hussein’s programme to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction,” the newspaper said. “They also supplied rockets and complete conventional weapons systems,” it added. The five permanent members of the Security Council—the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China—have repeatedly opposed revealing the extent of foreign companies’ involvement, although a mass of relevant information was collected by UN weapons inspectors who visited the country between 1991 and 1998. The UN claims that publishing the extent of the companies’ involvement in Iraq would jeopardise necessary co-operation with such firms.

List of American firms that assisted Iraq’s WMD programme
[A - nuclear; K - chemical; B - biological; R - rockets (missiles)]

1. Honeywell (R,K)
2. Spektra Physics (K)
3. Semetex (R)
4. TI Coating (A,K)
5. UNISYS (A,K)
6. Sperry Corp. (R,K)
7. Tektronix (R,A)
8. Rockwell )(K)
9. Leybold Vacuum Systems (A)
10. Finnigan-MAT-US (A)
11. Hewlett Packard (A.R,K)
12. Dupont (A)
13. Eastman Kodak (R)
14. American Type Culture Collection (B)
15. Alcolac International (C)
16. Consarc (A)
17. Carl Zeis -U.Ss (K)
18. Cerberus (LTD) (A)
19. Electronic Assiciates (R)
20. International Computer Systems
21. Bechtel (K)
22. EZ Logic Data Systems,Inc. (R)
23. Canberra Industries Inc. (A)
24. Axel Electronics Inc. (A)
    

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