In Defense of Saddam Hussein

                   To: Barbara Crossette, New York Times
                   From: Jude Wanniski
                   Re: The Gassing of Iraq’s Kurds

                   We may have had this discussion before, Barbara, but perhaps not, so I’ll do it
                   now. You report in your article ( "Iraq Is Forcing Kurds From Their Homes, the
                   U.N. Reports", 12-11-00) that "[i]n 1987 and 1988, 50,000 to 100,000 Kurds
                   were gassed to death with chemical agent by Mr. [Saddam] Hussein’s
                   government." You attribute the claim to "American officials" but provide no further
                   details. I’m fairly certain the claim that Saddam Hussein used chemical warfare
                   against Iraqi Kurds was part of the demonization campaign against Iraq in
                   preparation for the war against that country by the U.S. and its allies. What a
                   monster! If he would slaughter his own people, he must be some kind of bad guy.

                   Let’s go back to 1988, when the patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdish
                   Democratic Party had united and had joined in Iran’s war efforts against Iraq.
                   Iraq was accused by Teheran of using mustard gas and cyanide against the Kurds
                   in the Halabjeh region, but even the Iranians put the number of casualties at 3,000
                   to 5,000 -- never at the figures you cite. Although both Iran and Iraq had
                   engaged in chemical warfare during their conflict, the deaths of civilians in
                   Halabjeh provoked condemnation from throughout the world. Iraq denied the
                   charges, but the campaign to attribute the atrocities to Iraq was already in full
                   swing. Consequently, the disclosure by U.S. officials that Iran also had used
                   chemical weapons at Halabjeh received little circulation in the media. This, despite
                   the fact that the case against Iran, in fact, was very strong. For example, in
                   reviewing classified information, U.S. analysts determined that the Kurds had
                   been killed by cyanide, and that only the Iranians possessed cyanide gas at the
                   time.

                   Not only was the evidence weak against Iraq and strong that Iran had carried out
                   the chemical warfare attacks in Halabjeh, but subsequent charges that Iraq was
                   carrying out further gas attacks on the Kurds were found to be without evidence.
                   Turkish doctors treating ailing Kurds could not verify the use of poison gas on
                   them, and the U.S. Army War College study in early 1990 also found it
                   impossible to determine if gas had been used by the Iraqis in further attacks.

                   In the Spring of 1988, an anti-Iraq campaign was heating up, with various officials
                   resurrecting the allegation that Saddam Hussein had gassed his own people. I am
                   concerned such a campaign may be underway again, now that the U.S.-imposed
                   sanctions on Iraq are beginning to break down. As a respected journalist, I think
                   you have an obligation to provide the evidence to back up allegations such as the
                   claim that 50,000 to 100,000 Kurds were gassed by Saddam Hussein. Check as
                   much as you wish, but you will find no evidence for that charge. I enclose here
                   memos I sent to National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and Senate Foreign
                   Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms in which I pointed out how recklessly
                   U.S. policy toward Baghdad was being manipulated by the circulation of such
                   charges. Please do some digging, lest you become a mere instrument of those in
                   pursuit of a new offensive against Iraq.