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<p>Right. But the reason the Oil for Food program did not produce results before 1996 is because Sadaam Hussein refused to participate in the program. The program was authorized in 1991 immediately following Gulf War I, but Hussein refused. The program did not start until December 1996, when Sadaam finally agreed to participate.</p>
<p>There were only 23 Tomahawk cruise missles successfully launched in the 1993 attacks. 13 hit their targets at the Iraq Intelligence HQ. 3 were misprogrammed and hit nearby residential areas. Four were unaccounted for.</p>
<p>While it is possible that a water treatment plant was hit, that was certainly not the intent of the attack. This was an attack on the Iraqi Intelligence headquarters.</p>
<p>The water treatment plants and electricity infrastructure were heavily bombed in during Gulf War I.</p>
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<p>Correct. Just as there was a sleight of hand after Afghanistan when the US people were led to believe the primary mission was Afghanistan when the government had actually shifted its attention to Iraq, there is a sleight of hand going on today.</p>
<p>The US government and its primary allies in the middle east (Israel and the Sunni states) have shifted their attention to combating the rise of Shia power in the region and Iran. This is the absolute top priority of Israel and, therefore, the priority for their the Israeli representative in the US Senate.</p>
<p>I’m not picking on Israel. There are other Senators and government officials who represent Saudi interests in Washington, etc.</p>
<p>The only reason that Iraq matters one iota to the administration is the concern that an American “failure” would benefit Iran and the Shia interests in the region.</p>