“Even though Washington still had Iraq on its list of countries that sponsored terrorism and had not enjoyed full diplomatic relations since the 1967 Israeli-Arab Six Day War, from mid-1980 onward there was a distinct shift in the Carter administration, which began to regard Saddam as a potential counterweight both against the ayatollahs [of Iran] and as an ally that might provide a bulwark against Soviet expansionism in the Gulf.” [The 1st of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Con Coughlin, Saddam: His Rise and Fall, Page 192