The link to StategyPage.com is not working, here's the URL for the article,

http://www.strategypage.com/fyeo/qndguide/default.asp?target=topten

Thanks, fixed now.

To give readers of Strategy Page some context: I read them regularly as the best source of military info I've found.

They are, however, extremely pro-military and pro-war. I'd take their top 10 list with a grain of salt.

For examples look around their site for other editorial content; for example:
http://www.strategypage.com/humor/default.asp?target=3.htm&source=warprotest
http://www.strategypage.com/messageboards/messages/93-2099.asp

I was wondering if anybody could help me out. On the strategypage linked to, the final "myth exploded" is on the questions of sanctions and their affect on Iraqis. Dunnigan notes that the Kurds get a proportionate share of oil revenues and make due quite nicely. When I raised a similar claim with an anti-war (actually violently anti-American) speaker at my school, he sneeringly averred that the Kurds receive a disproportionately large share. He was a mirthless, repulsive sort and I am disinclined to accpet anything he says. Does anybody have any info?

Also on the chem/bio, I've seen sources citing many numerous chem and bio weapons, per a 1994 Senate report. The figure of $1.5B in sales is frequently used. The Senate report is a bit old, so I can't find any rebuttals, but it's being used constantly as a trump card on this subject.

Any comments on whether it's accurate or misleading would be welcome.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/The_Kurds/Story/0,2763,854794,00.html indicates 13% of the revenue goes to the Kurds (I've seen that number elsewhere). The CIA World Factbook indicates that 15-20% of the Iraqi population is Kurdish, so they're apparently underrewarded.

This isn't the best article, but I can't track down the good ones right now, check back tomorrow, sorry
http://www.pewfellowships.org/stories/iraq/kurds.html
The three Kurdish provinces contain 13 percent of Iraq's population and therefore get 13 percent of the supplies under the UN oil-for-food program.But the rest of the Iraq's population gets only 53 percent form the oil sales, since the UN deducts money for war reparations and its own operational expenses.(including millions for the inspections, during the time that the inspectors were kicked out, food for oil is big business for the UN, and many of the countries that oppose the war, surprise, surprise)

Thank you Mike and Dick.

Re : $1.5Billion figure. Supposedly this is in the
"U.S. Chemical and Biological Warfare-Related Dual Use Exports to Iraq and their Possible Impact on the Health Consequences of the Persian Gulf War," Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with Respect to Export Administration, reports of May 25, 1994 and October 7, 1994.

(according to http://www.counterpunch.org/blum0820.html)

The report is available at http://www.gulfweb.org/bigdoc/report/riegle1.html

See also
http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/medsearch/FocusAreas/riegle_report/riegle_report_main.html

I've had a (quick) look through both documents, and I can't see any mention of the $1.5 Billion figure in either.

The evidence and prepared statements used are at http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/medsearch/FocusAreas/riegle_report/hearing/hearing_toc.htm

I had an even quicker look through these reams of documents, and still couldn't find anything. Now I may well have missed it: but the URLs are there, so the evidence is available for analysis if I'm wrong. But to me, this looks like a Furphy.

These claims about the US having supplied chemical/biological weapons to Iraq are mendacious. Saddam was using such weapons long before the U.S. even re-opened diplomatic relations with him in 1984.

Read the reports (most of which are from rabidly left-wing sources) carefully and you'll see that they are insinuating that pesticides and the like (which have legitimate uses, as say in agriculture) which Iraq was legitimately importing, could have been "weaponized'. Whether true or not (I am inclinded to doubt it) that's a far cry from our selling chemical weapons to them.

Since Iraq got most of its conventional weapons from Russia, China, North Korea, and France, my guess that's also where they got the chemical/biological stuff.