For the allied soldiers locked in combat with Iraq's huge and well-equipped military, the question of who armed Saddam Hussein is hardly academic. They know that France sold Iraq the Mirage F-1 jet fighter as well as its armament, the Exocet missile, which could be launched with deadly effect against allied ships. Egypt provided many of the artillery pieces and secondhand, Soviet- built tanks that imperil allied soldiers on the ground. And the U.S. encouraged other nations to supply the sophisticated aircraft, advanced armored vehicles and other weaponry that threaten coalition soldiers. "It angers me," says 1st Lieut. Alan Leclerc, a...
The Arsenal: Who Armed Baghdad
Almost every nation with weaponry to sell did, including America's allies. Even worse, the purchases were funded by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
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