Sources of Iraqi Weaponry between 1973-2002

Suppliers in Billions (1985 $US) % of total
Soviet Union 19.2 61
France 5.5 18
People s Republic of China 1.7 5
Brazil 1.1 4
Egypt 1.1 4
Other countries 2.9 6
Total 31.5 98.0
Dear AN Listmembers,
For those who kept repeating the empty claims that the US Government armed Iraq during the Iraq-Iran War in the Eighties, please check the facts and figures below showing clearly how Iran imported several billion dollars worth of weaponry from "Israel" during the war, and how Iraq got its weaponry from the former Soviet Union, China, and France. Please, before repeating once more these hollow charges against Iraq under Saddam Hussein, do yourself a favor by examing the facts and figures below.

Later
Ibrahim Alloush

there are specific statistics about the sources of Iraqi weaponry between 1973 and 2002 available on the net, mainly from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, but also from other sources. For example, read through the arabic reference in Wikepedia below:

http://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AC%D8%A9



And you can check the following links in English if you like:

To see how Iran got several billion dollars worth of weapons during the Iran-Iraq War from "israel" and the US, and where Iraq got its weapons from, please check the following link:
Armament and support
[edit] Iran
[edit] Military armaments/technology
During the early years of the war, Iran s arsenal was almost entirely American-made, left over from the Imperial Armed Forces of the dethroned Shah. Iran s foreign supporters gradually came to include Syria, Libya & Soviet Union (Only during Brezhnev era). It purchased weaponry from North Korea and the People s Republic of China, notably the Silkworm anti-ship missile. Iran acquired weapons and parts for its Shah-era U.S. systems through covert arms transactions from officials in the Reagan Administration, first indirectly through Israel and then directly. It was hoped Iran would, in exchange, persuade several radical groups to release Western hostages, though this did not result; proceeds from the sales were diverted to the Nicaraguan Contras in what became known as the Iran-Contra Affair.
According to the report of the U.S. Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair issued in November 1987, "the sale of U.S. arms to Iran through Israel began in the summer of 1985, after receiving the approval of President Reagan."[23] These sales included "2,008 BGM-71 TOW anti-Tank missiles, and 235 parts kits for MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missiles had been sent to Iran via Israel." Further shipments of up to US$2 billion of American weapons from Israel to Iran, consisting of 18 F-4 fighter-bombers, 46 A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bombers, and nearly 4,000 missiles were foiled by the U.S. Department of Justice, and "unverified reports alleged that Israel agreed to sell Iran AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, radar equipment, mortar and machinegun ammunition, field telephones, M-60 tank engines and artillery shells, and spare parts for C-130 transport planes."[24] The London Observer also estimated that Israel s arms sales to Iran during the war totalled US$ 500 million annually,[25] and Time Magazine reported that throughout 1981 and 1982, "the Israelis reportedly set up Swiss bank accounts to handle the financial end of the deals."[26] For more on Israeli Hawk missile sales to Iran see.[27]
[edit] Aircraft
During war, Iran operated U.S.-manufactured F-4 Phantom and F-5 fighters, as well as AH-1 Cobra light attack helicopters. It also operated a number of F-14 Tomcat fighters, which, according to a few sources, proved devastating to the Iraqis in the early phases of the war. However, due to the Iranian government s estrangement, spare parts were difficult to obtain. Despite this the Iranians managed to maintain a constant presence with their Tomcats during the entire conflict, mostly due to a combination of spare parts acquired on the black market and parts made in Iran. These were supported by KC-135s, a refueling tanker based on the Boeing 367-80.[28]
[edit] Iraq
See also: Arms sales to Iraq 1973-1990
[edit] Military armaments/technology
Iraq s army was primarily armed with weaponry it had purchased from the Soviet Union and its satellites in the preceding decade. During the war, it purchased billions of dollars worth of advanced equipment from the Soviet Union, France,[29] as well as from the People s Republic of China, Egypt, Germany, and other sources (including Europe and facilities for making and/or enhancing chemical weapons). Germany[30] along with other Western countries (among them United Kingdom, France, Spain (Explosivos Alaveses), Canada, Italy and the United States) provided Iraq with biological and chemical weapons technology and the precursors to nuclear capabilities (see below).
The sources of Iraqi arms purchases between 1970 and 1990 (10% of the world market during this period) are estimated to be:
Suppliers in Billions (1985 $US) % of total
Soviet Union 19.2 61
France 5.5 18
People s Republic of China 1.7 5
Brazil 1.1 4
Egypt 1.1 4
Other countries 2.9 6
Total 31.5 98.0

Power of Iranian and Iraqi armies were unbalanced. The strength of Iraq and Iran is seen on the table by The Economist estimates:[31]
Imbalance of Power (1980-1987) Iraq Iran
Tanks in 1980 2700 1740
Tanks in 1987 4500 1000
Fighter Aircraft in 1980 332 445
Fighter Aircraft in 1987 500+ 65*
Helicopters in 1980 40 500
Helicopters in 1987 150 60
Artillery in 1980 1000 1000+
Artillery in 1987 4000+ 1000+

The U.S. sold Iraq $200 million in helicopters, which were used by the Iraqi military in the war. These were the only direct U.S.-Iraqi military sales and were valued to be about 0.6% of Iraq s conventional weapons imports during the war.[32]
Ted Koppel of ABC Nightline reported the following, however, on June 9, 1992: "It is becoming increasingly clear that George Bush Sr., operating largely behind the scenes throughout the 1980s, initiated and supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military help that built Saddam s Iraq into [an aggressive power]" and “Reagan/Bush administrations permitted — and frequently encouraged — the flow of money, agricultural credits, dual-use technology, chemicals, and weapons to Iraq.”
According to New Yorker, the Reagan Administration began to allow Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt to transfer to Iraq American howitzers, helicopters, bombs and other weapons. [33] Reagan personally asked Italy’s Prime Minister Guilio Andreotti to channel arms to Iraq.[34]
The United States, United Kingdom, and Germany also provided "dual use" technology (computers, engines, etc.) that allowed Iraq to expand its missile program and radar defenses. The U.S. Commerce Department, in violation of procedure, gave out licenses to companies for $1.5 billion in dual-use items to be sent to Iraq. The State Department was not informed of this. Over 1 billion of these authorized items were trucks that were never delivered. The rest consisted of advanced technology. Iraq s Soviet-made Scuds had their ranges expanded as a result.[35]
Yugoslavia sold weapons to both countries for the entire duration of the conflict. Portugal helped both countries: it was not unusual seeing Iranian- and Iraqi-flagged ships side-by-side in Sines (a town with a deep-sea port).[citation needed]
http://www.parapundit.com/archives/001853.html

2003 December 18 Thursday
Where Iraq Purchased Weapons 1973-2002
The purpose of this post is to address one of the many mythical claims about the United States popularized by some Leftists who would have us believe that the United States is the cause of most of what is wrong with the world. The myth under examination here is the claim that the United States played an important role in arming Saddam Hussein. The data comes from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in the form of a table of the value of arms imported by Iraq from 1973 through 2002. (PDF format)
Figures are trend-indicator values expressed in US $m. at constant (1990) prices.
Note: The SIPRI data on arms transfers refer to actual deliveries of major conventional weapons. To permit comparison between the data on such deliveries of different weapons and identification of general trends, SIPRI uses a trend-indicator value. The SIPRI values are therefore only an indicator of the volume of international arms transfers and not of the actual financial values of such transfers. Thus they are not comparable to economic statistics such as gross domestic product or export/import figures.
...
Imported weapons to Iraq (IRQ) in 1973-2002

Country $MM USD 1990 % Total
USSR 25145 57.26
France 5595 12.74
China 5192 11.82
Czechoslovakia 2880 6.56
Poland 1681 3.83
Brazil 724 1.65
Egypt 568 1.29
Romania 524 1.19
Denmark 226 0.51
Libya 200 0.46
USA 200 0.46
South Africa 192 0.44
Austria 190 0.43
Switzerland 151 0.34
Yugoslavia 107 0.24
Germany (FRG) 84 0.19
Italy 84 0.19
UK 79 0.18
Hungary 30 0.07
Spain 29 0.07
East Germany (GDR) 25 0.06
Canada 7 0.02
Jordan 2 0.005
Total 43915 100.0


I made my own percentage calculations. Also, the original PDF document has the amounts by year but I extracted out only the final total column. Note that post-1990 sales listed under "USSR" probably refers to Russia or perhaps Russia plus former USSR states.
Given the US s position as largest arms merchant in the world the fact that it ties Libya for 9th place with only 0.46% of Iraq s total arms imports makes it obvious that the United States was not an important source of arms for Saddam s regime, that the US didn t even seriously try to be, and that US arms sales gave the US little or no leverage over Saddam.
In a report published in 1998 Anthony Cordesman places an even lower estimate on US arms exports to Iraq. See page 22 of this PDF which shows the US selling Iraq $5 million in arms in the late 1980s. Cordesman s report has many charts which also show just how far Iraq s economy fell during the war with Iran and afterward.
Iraq seemed to be on the edge of sustained economic development in 1979. It was a nation of 12.8 million people with a per capita income well in excess of $10,000 in constant $US 1994. However, its economy was dependent on oil wealth and construction and infrastructure oriented with massive distortions in the state and agricultural sector.
By 1986, the worst year of the Iran-Iraq War in economic terms, Iraq’s per capita income was down to $2,174, and its population was up to 16.2 million.
By 1991, the last year for which we have hard data on the Iraqi economy in market terms, Iraq’s per capita income was down to $705, and its population was up to 17.9 million. Iraq’s GNP in constant $1994 had dropped from $48.3 billion in 1984 to $16.3 billion.
Iraq’s current per capita income is probably under $1,000. The World Bank estimates that its population will climb from 21.0 million in 1995 to 24.5 million in 2000, 28.4 million in 2005, and 32.5 million in 2010.
US policy in the 1980s favored a stalemate in the Iran-Iraq war. But the US role in ensuring that outcome was very small as compared to the roles played by the USSR, France, China, and other countries in making sure Saddam s regime was not overrun. What intelligence and other assistance the US provided to prevent Iranian victory pales in comparison to the roles played by several other countries.

Sales of Weapons to Iraq between 1973 - 1990:
http://www.answers.com/topic/arms-sales-to-iraq-1973-1990
Library > Reference > Wikipedia
Arms sales to Iraq 1973-1990
Imports of conventional arms by Iraq 1973-1990, by source
Values are shown in millions of US dollars at constant (1990) estimated values. "Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact" includes Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The majority of these transfers came from the Soviet Union, followed by Czechoslovakia.
Year Soviet Union
and Warsaw Pact France China (PRC) United
States Egypt Others Total
1973 1,321 5 0 0 0 0 1,326
1974 1,471 5 0 0 0 0 1,476
1975 1,087 35 0 0 0 0 1,122
1976 1,161 119 0 0 0 0 1,280
1977 1,062 106 0 0 0 0 1,168
1978 1,827 26 0 0 0 20 1,873
1979 1,108 78 0 0 0 17 1,203
1973-79 9,037 374 0 0 0 37 9,448
1973-79 95.7% 4.0% 0 0 0 0.4% 100%
1980 1,665 241 0 0 12 114 2,032
1981 1,780 731 0 0 46 182 2,739
1982 2,023 673 217 0 71 227 3,211
1980-82 5,468 1,645 217 0 129 523 7,982
1980-82 68.5% 20.6% 2.7% 0 1.6% 6.6% 100%
1983 1,898 779 745 21 58 773 4,274
1984 2,857 883 1,065 6 0 116 4,927
1985 2,601 700 1,036 9 32 116 4,494
1986 2,663 251 918 9 70 86 3,997
1987 2,719 214 887 30 114 157 4,121
1988 1,202 355 301 125 118 196 2,297
1983-88 13,940 3,182 4,952 200 392 1,444 24,110
1983-88 57.8% 13.2% 20.5% 0.8 1.6% 6.0% 100%
1989 1,319 113 23 0 47 67 1569
1990 537 281 0 0 0 33 851
Total $ s 30,301 5,595 5,192 200 568 2,104 43,960
Total % s 68.9% 12.7% 11.8% 0.5% 1.3% 4.8% 100%



Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
SIPRI makes the following comment of the methodology of this table: "The SIPRI data on arms transfers refer to actual deliveries of major conventional weapons. To permit comparison between the data on such deliveries of different weapons and identification of general trends, SIPRI uses a trend-indicator value. The SIPRI values are therefore only an indicator of the volume of international arms transfers and not of the actual financial values of such transfers."
As a comment on these statistics, SIPRI s data are founded on open sources which would tend to overestimate Western deliveries. On the other hand some shipments from the West were allegedly shipped through minor countries which might balance these figures.
Arms suppliers to Iraq
The table shows the majority of conventional (non-WMD) arms imported by Iraq during the 1970s, when the regime was building up the armies which were to attack Iran in 1980, were supplied by the Soviet Union and its satellites, principally Czechoslovakia. The only substantial western arms supplier to Iraq was France, which continued to be a major supplier until 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait and all legal arms transfers to Iraq ended.
The United States did not supply any arms to Iraq until 1982, when Iran s growing military success alarmed American policymakers. It then did so every year until 1988. Although most other countries never hesitated to sell military hardware directly to Saddam Hussein s regime, the United States, equally keen to protect its interests in the region, adopted a more subtle approach. Howard Teicher served on the National Security Council as director of Political-Military Affairs. According to his 1995 affidavit and other interviews with former Regan and Bush administration officials, the Central Intelligence Agency secretly directed armaments and high-tech components to Iraq through false fronts and friendly third parties such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait, and they quietly encouraged rogue arms dealers and other Private military companies to do the same:
"The CIA, including both CIA Director Casey and Deputy Director Gates, knew of, approved of, and assisted in the sale of non-U.S. origin military weapons, ammunition and vehicles to Iraq. My notes, memoranda and other documents in my NSC files show or tend to show that the CIA knew of, approved of, and assisted in the sale of non-U.S. origin military weapons, munitions and vehicles to Iraq."
The full extent of these hidden transfers is not yet known. Teicher s files on the subject are held securely at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and many other Reagan era documents that could help shine new light on the subject remain classified.
In 1996 the Scott Report in the UK investigated arms sales to Iraq in the 1980s by Matrix Churchill in what became known as the Arms-to-Iraq scandal.
Political implications
The Soviet Union and her satellites were the main suppliers of arms to Iraq following the 1972 signing of the Soviet-Iraqi Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. France was another important supplier of weapons to Iraq during the 1970s. The United States, the world s leading arms exporter, did not have normal relations with Iraq from 1967 (due to the Six-Day War) until 1984.
Soviet-Iraqi relations suffered strains in the late 1970s. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, the Soviet Union cut off weapons sales to Iraq and did not resume them until 1982. During the war, the People s Republic of China became a major new source of weapons for Iraq, with increasing sales from France, and to a lesser extent the United States, the United Kingdom, and Egypt. It was at this time the United States began assisting Iraq through its secret CIA maintained Bear Spares military aid program, which arranged for Soviet-made spare parts and ammunition to be sent to Baghdad. "If the Bear Spares were manufactured outside the United States, then the United States could arrange for the provision of these weapons to a third country without direct involvement," Howard Teacher recalled.
After the fall of the Soviet Union and of the communist regimes in its former satellites, and with the alienation of many western and Arab countries from Iraq following the invasion of Kuwait, Iraq became increasingly isolated internationally during the early 1990s. As years of inspection regimes and the aggressive enforcement of established no fly zones wore on, Iraq began to rely on the diplomatic support of France, Russia, and China.
During the controversy over the April 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, the issue of US arms exports to Iraq became important politically; opponents of military action frequently mentioned US support for Iraq during the Iraq-Iran War (despite its official neutrality) as an argument that US motivations for invading Iraq were not humanitarian, whereas supporters were quick to recall French, Soviet (and by extension, Russian), Chinese, as well as German sales of conventional and unconventional weapons to the regime.
Sources and References
Despite the fact that the U.S. overtly supplied a negligible amount of arms to Iraq during this period, they have ignited considerable controversy due to later U.S. hostility to the Saddam regime:
Kenneth R. Timmerman, The Death Lobby: How the West Armed Iraq. New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991.
Friedman Alan, Spider s Web: The Secret History of how the White House Illegally Armed Iraq. New York, Bantam Books, 1993.
Jentleson Bruce, With friends like these: Reagan, Bush, and Saddam, 1982-1990. New York, W. W. Norton, 1994.
Phythian Mark, Arming Iraq: How the U.S. and Britain Secretly Built Saddam s War Machine. Boston, Northeastern University Press, 1997.
See also
Arms trade
British Arms-to-Iraq affair
The Riegle Report
U.S. support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war
Iraq-gate (Gulf War)
External links
Arms transfers to Iraq, 1973-2002 from SIPRI.
Soviet Union country guide
A timeline of U.S. support for Saddam against Iran.
Statement by former NSC official Howard Teicher dated 1/31/95, to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. Plain text version
Statement of Henry B. Gonzalez, Chairman, House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs on Iraq-gate
U.S. Senate Riegle Report - details U.S. shipments of bioweapons material to Iraq
University of Sussex report
A Global Policy Forum Report
A full list of those companies and their involvements in Iraq[1] [2].
Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein: The U.S. Tilts toward Iraq, 1980-1984 from the "National Security Archive".

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed b

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Iraq_War

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