CIA LINK TO IRAQ REPORTED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000807560002-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 16, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807560002-7
PIT!PLFAPP RED' CHICAGO TRIBUNE
ON PAGE AA_ , 16 December 1986
CIA link
to Iraq
reported
From Chicago Tribune wiry
WASHINGTON-The" CIA se-
cretly has given Iraq detailed in-
formation to assist Iraqi bombing
raids on Iran's oil terminals and
power plants in the Persian Gulf
war, a published report-says.
The Washington Post, in Mon-
day's editions, quoted unidentified
sources as saying the United States
has supplied the intelligence, in-
cluding data from U.S. satellite re-
connaissance photography, to Iraq
for nearly two years.
During the same period, the
Reagan administration was covert-
ly selling arms to Iran in hopes of
freeing the American hostages in
Lebanon and gaining influence
with moderate factions in the
Iranian government.
One source told the Post the in-
telligence is "vital" to Iraq's con-
duct of the war.
White House spokesman Pete
Roussel said Sunday night he
would have no comment on the
report. "We don't comment on in-
telligence matters," he said.
The Post reported that the CIA
stepped
August pby the establishing a direct
link between Washington and
Baghdad to provide the Iraqis with
better and more timely satellite in-
formation. With the link, the Ira-
qis could receive the data from
satellite photos "several hours"
after a bombing raid to assess the
damage and plan the next attack,
the newspaper quoted one source
as saying.
The Post also quoted sources as
saying CIA Director William
Casey met in October and No-
vember with Iraqi officials to
make sure the new link was func-
tioning and to encourage more at-
tacks on Iranian installations.
Since summer, Iraq has flown
raids against Iran almost daily,
bombing refineries, oil fields,
petrochemical plants, factories,
power stations, railroads, bridges
and military bases.
The Iraqi raids have been devas-
tating to Iran, which until a few
months ago appeared dominant in
the 6-year-old Persian Gulf war.
The Iranians, who rely on oil
revenues to pay for the war, have
not been able to combat the offen-
sive because they have few opera-
tional planes and have lacked
spare parts for their largely U.S.-
made air defenses.
Without air cover, they cannot
launch their much-vaunted "final
offensive," despite having massed
an estimated 650,000 soldiers
along the front.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807560002-7