Ah well
gnadenburg , seeing as how you asked so nicely...
BTW it would help your cause enormously if you were able to spell and use correct grammar.
More to the point, I never suggested that Harriers had the advantage of delivering weapons from the hover, that isn't a normal weapons delivery method. The advantage that the Harrier has is the ability to operate from unprepared forward air bases.
Anyway... for you and your mate Mr Hanky...
--------------------------------------------------------
Mr Hanky
No, I don't think I will, as you are both wrong.
Unlike you two, I'll give you the links to the information and quote a few selected bits.
http://www.jonathanpollard.org/1992/012692.htm
U.S. Secretly Aided Iraq Against Iran Early In War
The New York Times - January 26, 1992
Secret Is Kept At Gates Hearings
During Senate Intelligence Committee hearings last October on Mr. Gates's nomination as C.I.A. chief, neither Mr., Gates nor any of the other C.I.A. witnesses let on that the U.S.-Iraq intelligence-sharing thought to have begun in December 1984 had actually begun more than two years earlier. Nor did any witness reveal that the Reagan Administration had permitted Iraq's allies in the Middle East to ship American-made arms to Baghdad.
...Washington also "looked the other way." As a former American Ambassador in the region put it, as American-made arms began to flow into Baghdad from Iraq's allies in the Middle East, starting in 1982.
...Jordan and Saudi Arabia sent Iraq small arms and mortars, among other weapons, and Kuwait sold the Iraqis thousands of TOW anti-tank missiles. A former C.I.A .official who worked closely with Mr. Casey recalled that "the Kuwaitis sent lots of money and lots of arms to Iraq, and it was all done with our knowledge." He also acknowledged that by 1982 the Jordanian military was routinely diverting American-made Huey helicopters to Iraq.
...The Reagan Administration had secretly changed policy toward Iran shortly after taking office in 1981, allowing the Israelis, bitter foes of Mr. Hussein, to ship American arms worth several billion dollars to Teheran.
...Since last spring, at least two Congressional subcommittees have been investigating American policy toward the arming of Iraq. They are asking why both the Reagan and Bush Administrations continued military support for Iraq even after the war with Iran.
...It was "U.S. foreign policy to assist the regime of Saddam Hussein," he added.
...Even though the stated United States policy toward the Iran-Iraq War remained one of neutrality, and Congress would never have approved such arms transfers, that year the Reagan Administration began secretly allowing Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt to transfer United States weapons, including Howitzers, Huey helicopters, and bombs, to Iraq. These shipments may very well have violated the Arms Export Control Act.
...The memo read, in part:
Liberalizing export controls on Iraq: We are considering revising present policy to permit virtually all sales of non-munitions list dual use equipment to Iraq... Egyptian tank sales: In the context of recommending ways to improve our relations with Iraq, Egypt has suggested that we provide it additional M-60 tanks beyond those we are now providing under FMS [Foreign Military Sales]. Egypt would use the additional M-60s to replace used Soviet T-63s, which it would sell to Iraq.... EXIM financing: U/S [Under-Secretary of State] Eagleburger has written EXIM director Draper to urge EXIM financing of US exports to and projects in Iraq... Such major EXIM financing could boost Iraq's credit rating, leading to increased commercial financing for Iraq. However, EXIM does not favor involvement in Iraq.
...In February, to induce Iraq to carry out more bombing operations, the Reagan Administration had secretly authorized Saudi Arabia to transfer United States-origin bombs to Iraq and encouraged the Saudis to provide Saddam with British fighter planes as well. Later that month, according to classified reports, Saudi Arabia transferred fifteen hundred MK-84 bombs to Iraq. But, to the dismay of United States officials, Saddam had failed to make full use of the bombs.
...In September, the Defense Department discovered that an Iraqi front company in Cleveland was funneling United States technology to Iraq's nuclear-weapons program, but the Bush Administration allowed the company to continue operations -even after the invasion of Kuwait.
...and so on and so forth...
Gnadenburg
An RNZAF A4 could have done the same job.
A 206 with a hardpoint could have done the same job.
Argentinian A4's found themselves in a total war situation against the Royal Navy.
Oh, please. They found themselves at war with a very small expeditionary force, thousands of miles from home, with very limited maintenance and munitions supplies. The Argies were operating from their home bases.
Harriers - including American examples operated off helicopter carriers in 2001/2002- were never used at remote staging bases.
They still have the capability - the only reason it isn't used is that a) it isn't necessary in that theatre and b) the Americans are being ultra-cautious in Afghanistan.
Those Kiwi A4's would have been handy, as a defence aid assistance programme or gift to the PAF, in their offensive in the Southern Phillipines 18 months ago.
We don't want, need, or desire involvement in the Philippines. The Americans would be the natural allies for that task.
I don't understand why you just can't seem to understand that a) the Phillippines are not local to us, and b) we do not consider activities there to be a significant risk to us. If you lot do, by all means go and sort it out, but leave us out of it.