A convenient narrative – and yes, Saddam was a brute – but Western interest in Iraq has always been about promoting the commercial interests of multinationals and private contractors.
This report on the arms trade in the UK Independent provides a telling insight into the true agenda behind the Iraq war. This extract explains all:
A spokesman for the Campaign Against the Arms Trade said: “The arms fair will include nearly all the main providers of the weapons used in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They will not be embarrassed about a conflict undertaken on a false premise that has cost tens of thousands of civilian lives, but will be revelling in the use of their weapons in the conflict and the promotional material that it provides.”
The spokesman [for the arms fair] said the invasion and occupation of Iraq had been “good news” for the major arms companies. “It has allowed them to label their arms as battle-tested and provided them with promotional material for their missiles, bombs, fighter aircraft, artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles. They will be marketing their weapons to countries from around the world with the full support of the UK Government and the perverse promotional assistance provided by the ongoing conflict in Iraq.”