The Spy Who Loved Me

Posted by KATHY KATTENBURG in Arts & Entertainment.
Mar 19th, 2010 | 5 responses

5 Responses to “The Spy Who Loved Me”

1. Don Quijote says:

   March 19, 2010 at 7:44 am

   Kathy,

   The Soviet Union and the Iran–Iraq War

   The policy of the Soviet Union towards the Iran–Iraq War of 1980 to 1988 varied, beginning with a stance of “strict neutrality” and moving towards massive military support for Iraq in the final phase of the war. The war was inconvenient for the USSR, which had aimed to ally itself with both Iran and Iraq. In the first period of the war, the Soviets declared a policy of “strict neutrality” towards the two countries, at the same time urging a negotiated peace. Iraq had been an ally for decades and the Soviets now tried to win over Iran as well, but their offers of friendship were rebuffed by the Iranian leadership, whose slogan was “neither East nor West”. In 1982, the war turned in Iran's favour and the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini pledged not to stop the conflict until he had overthrown the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. Such a prospect was unacceptable to the Soviet Union which now resumed arms sales to Iraq while still maintaining an official policy of neutrality. The Soviets also feared losing Saddam's friendship to the West. After further Iranian gains in 1986, the Soviet Union massively increased its military aid to Iraq. The Soviets were now afraid of the Iranians encouraging Islamic revolution in Central Asia. Soviet aid allowed the Iraqis to mount a counteroffensive which brought the war to an end in August, 1988.

   The USSR was never on the Iranian side during the Iran-Iraq War…

   Feel free to correct Jefferson Davis' history…
2. JeffersonDavis says:

   March 19, 2010 at 10:09 am

   “The USSR was never on the Iranian side during the Iran-Iraq War…Feel free to correct Jefferson Davis' history…”

   That's OK, DQ…. I'll just correct your history:

   “While countries in the region consistently sided with either Iran or Iraq during the eight years of war, the Soviet Union and the West supported both sides supposedly to maintain the balance of power in the region.”
   – “The Iran-Iraq War: The Politics of Aggression” – by Farhang Rajaee – 1993
3. Don Quijote says:

   March 19, 2010 at 11:48 am

   “The Iran-Iraq War: The Politics of Aggression” – by Farhang Rajaee – 1993

   The Iran-Iraq war: the politics of aggression – Page 74
   

   This policy went through three roughly overlapping yet distinctive periods. The first, between 1980 and 1982, was when Moscow pursued a policy of “strict neutrality.” The second, a policy of “active neutrality,” witnessed a gradual but definiteshift toward Iraq between 192 and early 1986. And the third stage of Soviet policy, coinciding with the ascendancy of Mikhail Gorbachev to power, saw a dramatic shift in Soviet Policy of support for Iraq and “active containment” of Iran. This period started in mid-1986 and lasted until the acceptance of the August 1988 cease-fire by Iran.

   Quoted from the book you picked…
4. GreenDreams says:

   March 19, 2010 at 1:52 pm

   Let's see, 1980. That was when Ronald Reagan was committing treason by arming our sworn enemy Iran, right? Then illegally using the proceeds to fund a terrorist insurgency against a democratically elected government? Oh yeah. And intentionally delaying the release of American hostages held by Iran, so he could defeat Carter. Of course, in his “defense”, he WAS also selling weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein, so maybe the “balance of power” suggestion is right. .
5. kathykattenburg says:

   March 19, 2010 at 5:34 pm

   OH, BY THE WAY! WHAT DOES EVERYONE THINK OF THE SONG CARLY SIMON WROTE?