The Gorbachev Files
Pavel Stroilov has a fascinating piece out in the Spectator about the Gorbachev files:
Later, Gorbachev took the western side against one of his Red Arab clients — Saddam Hussein — in the first Gulf war. Yet the documents show his loyalty to western allies to be less than absolute. A memo from his advisers Anatoly Chernyaev and Yevgeny Primakov, dated 23 October 1990, reads:
It would be expedient to share the data we have about Iraq’s military preparations with the US government, in strictest confidence. The data includes information about Iraq’s preparedness to use chemical and bacteriological weapons in case of a military attack against it.
Chernyaev’s handwritten note on the margins states that Gorbachev disagreed.
In her talks with Gorbachev the next month, Margaret Thatcher raised the issue:
Thatcher: Of course, [the military action] is an equation with many unknowns. One is whether Iraq will use chemical and biological weapons, which we know it has. As for nuclear weapons, I believe Iraq still doesn’t have any.
Gorbachev: We have no information to suggest that Iraq has nuclear or biological weapons. It does have chemical weapons.
In fact, Iraq did have biological weapons at the time. Furthermore, Gorbachev apparently knew that Saddam had plans to use such weapons in some circumstances.
So, as we laud some former dictators for being less bloody than others, we should remember that they still did things the worst western politicians would never contemplate. True, Gorby is no Gaddafi; he is not mad. His place is not in an asylum; but nor it is in Royal Albert Hall. His place is in a courtroom — where perhaps he would be able to clear his name. Until then, people should think twice about celebrating him.
I've written about Stroilov and these files in City Journal. The relevance of these documents to contemporary events in the Middle East is enormous. A tree of malice, as I wrote, bears fruit long after the gardener's demise.
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Comments :
Jun '10
Re: The Gorbachev Files
One of my favorite memories of Rush Limbaugh in his early days is when he used to talk about "Gorbasms". It is a kind of thrilling feeling that overcomes you when you just think about all the great things that Gorbachev was doing and could do.
Also, William F. Buckley Jr. used to opine that, though Gorbachev was a welcome change, we mustn't get so carried away. For example, just because a person stops beating you doesn't make him a hero. The MSM of that era always liked Gobrachev better than Reagan. This is truly despicable.
The Cold War is responsible, I am convinced, for the baseless anti-Americanism in the world today amongst many of the ruling elites and all the world's leftists, foreign and domestic. This anti-Americanism is an unhealed scar that we suffered during that heroic time when we were left standing (almost) alone on the battlefield. When you have the Soviets going all over the world talking us down (tree of malice) -- what else can we expect but that we will have to continue to deal with this (fruit) for years to come. Nicely said, Claire.