Osama Bin Laden DEAD- Killed By U.S. Forces

[cappuccina]

Thank you, Archaic and Limehouse, excellent and thoughtful posts...

[Red Zeppelin]

And the UK - who sold him guns and tanks.

Funny that.

I didn't see Saddam's army equipped with British Challenger and Chieftain tanks.

Saddam's armoured forces were equipped almost entirely with Soviet built T-55s, T-62s, T-72s etc etc.

You know why not a single British Challenger 2 tank was lost in combat in Gulf War 1 and the invasions of Iraq? Because they only came up against second rate old Soviet tanks no match for the Challenger.

[Limehouse]

Killed by Governments going to war surely? Military spending is not always for aggressive purposes. Its just as much defensive posturing.

If we had refused to arm to certain countries during the cold war it would have given the USSR freedom to have whatever countries it wished as regional powers throughout the globe. With all the ensuing human rights benefits that would have brought about.

I assume you were also against lend-lease during WW2?

My point was that the UK and USA etc sold arms to Saddam and then expressed surprise - horror and outrage when he used them to invade Kuwait.

[Limehouse]

Funny that.

I didn't see Saddam's army equipped with British Challenger and Chieftain tanks.

Saddam's armoured forces were equipped almost entirely with Soviet built T-55s, T-62s, T-72s etc etc.

You know why not a single British Challenger 2 tank was lost in combat in Gulf War 1 and the invasions of Iraq? Because they only came up against second rate old Soviet tanks no match for the Challenger.

There's this for starters - and plenty more where that came from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms-to-Iraq

[Bob Hinton]

Really?

And the UK - who sold him guns and tanks.

What guns and tanks did we sell him? I'm only asking because I have yet to see a picture of an Iraqi armed with a SA80 or driving a Challenger. They all seemed to be armed with AK's and driving T73's!

[Bob Hinton]

Not good enough!

There's this for starters - and plenty more where that came from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms-to-Iraq

You made a statement that we sold him guns and tanks. Can you provide any evidence at all that we did that?

I'm not talking about convoluted stings by MI6, but Iraqis armed with British guns and British tanks. If you cannot then please withdraw your statement.

[Jasper]

I live in Australia and we are happy he's gone but there haven't been parties like in America I am not going to pretend I am in any way sad hes gone.

[Red Zeppelin]

LimehouseThere's this for starters - and plenty more where that came from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms-to-Iraq

Again, what tanks and guns did the British sell to Saddam?

Even his air force was armed mostly with Soviet built Migs and French built Mirages.

[Red Zeppelin]

You made a statement that we sold him guns and tanks. Can you provide any evidence at all that we did that?
I'm not talking about convoluted stings by MI6, but Iraqis armed with British guns and British tanks. If you cannot then please withdraw your statement.

Exactly. I never saw any in all the news footage. Partly the reason why it was so one sided against the Iraqi army.

[jason_c]

Red, Bob, thanks for the back up. I thought I was to be a lone voice here.

Your welcome to share my foxhole any time you wish.

[cappuccina]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/oct/13/military.iraq

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7156645.stm

"Foreign Office papers, just released by the National Archives in London, show that defence sales to Iraq in 1976 amounted to an estimated £70m..."

[jason_c]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002.../military.iraq

[u its only wikipedia but
"Foreign Office papers, just released by the National Archives in London, show that defence sales to Iraq in 1976 amounted to an estimated £70m..."

Which was nothing in comparison to USSR arm sales to Iraq.

I know its only wikipedia but heres the good stuff.

Between 1986 and 1988, the Soviets delivered to Iraq arms valued at roughly $8.8 to $9.2 billion, comprising more than 2,000 tanks (including 800 T-72s), 300 fighter aircraft"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran-Iraq_war

[cappuccina]

ummmm....Jason.....you misquoted me...

Also, I am not arguing who sold more....you people were saying Britain didn't sell anything....not true, obviously...

[jason_c]

ummmm....Jason.....you misquoted me...

Also, I am not arguing who sold more....you people were saying Britain didn't sell anything....not true, obviously...

Now who is misquoting.

I dont think anyone has said we sold him nothing. I certainly didnt.


Sorry, where have I misquoted you? Apologies if i did.

[cappuccina]

I didn't say anything about Wikipedia....and you are clearly in the "camp" of the people who are saying that Britain did not sell arms, etc...

Hinton, et. al. are saying that Britian didn't sell anything to them...

Mainstream news sources and Britain's own releases/governmental reports/papers are saying they did...

Not only did Britain sell arms and other related equipment, e.g., mortar locaters and such), but they trained Iraqi pilots and provided troop uniforms (army shirts) to the tune/cost of 830,000 pounds; that's a sh*tload of shirts!