“President [George H.W.] Bush had signed a Persian Gulf policy directive, NSD [National Security Directive]-26, on October 2, 1989. It declared that normal relations between the countries [U.S. and Iraq] would serve long-term U.S. interests. The United States would propose economic and political incentives for Iraq to moderate its behavior. The directive also mentioned that illegal use (not possession) of chemical or biological weapons would lead to economic and political sanctions. Sanctions would also result if Iraq breached International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. NSD-26 went on to say the United States should look for opportunities to participate in Iraqi reconstruction, especially in the energy sector. Finally, the U.S. government should consider sales of nonlethal military assistance.”
– Charles Duelfer, Hide and Seek, Page 60