Israel Matzav

Iran goes to the Charles Johnson school of flushing things down the memory hole

Taking a page from the @Lizardoid book of scrubbing clean an inconvenient past, the Iranian embassy in Lebanon issued a statement on Wednesday claiming that “The Islamic republic of Iran, throughout eight years of imposed war, had not benefited from any weapons from the Zionist regime whatsoever in defending its territories.” Right... (Hat Tip: Daled Amos).

The statement is a response to Phalange party MP Nadim Gemayel, who asked on Tuesday if the Iranians were traitors when they defended Iran during their war with Iraq in the eighties using Israeli weapons.

Gemayel was talking about historical facts.

Gemayel was actually referring to the secret arms deal between the US and Iran that started in in 1985 and evolved into a big scandal that became known as the Iran – Contra affair. The deal involved supplying US made arms by Israel to Iran against releasing 7 US hostages held by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The proceeds of the sale were used to support the Nicaragua Contras who were fighting the communists …the Cuban-backed Sandinistas. The Contras were, according to Reagan, the moral equivalent of US “Founding Fathers.”

2,008 TOW missiles and 235 parts kits for Hawk missiles were reportedly sent to Iran via Israel according to the report of the U.S. Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair issued in November 1987.

The British newspaper Observer estimated that Israel’s arms sales to Iran during the Iran-Iraq war totaled US$ 500 million annually , and Time Magazine reported that throughout 1981 and 1982, “the Israelis reportedly set up Swiss bank accounts to handle the financial end of the deals.

The embassy denied that the Iranians were dealing with the Israelis.

At least in the '80's, our government was smart enough not to sell the Iranians any of our technology. Unfortunately, the recent technology sales to Turkey, in contrast, may yet come back to haunt us.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:47 PM