Editor's Note: The United States’ relationship with Saddam Hussein has an ugly secret history. www.iraqwarnews.org editor Joseph Trento was an eyewitness to a 500 billion dollar military deal that involved former President Richard Nixon, his marine aide, Jack Brennan, former Attorney General John Mitchell, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and others. Trento, then a CNN correspondent, traveled to Iraq on the plane with the arms dealer who facilitated the deal with Saddam's government. Trento witnessed the deal unravel and relations with Saddam sour as promised new uniforms for the Iraqi Army turned out to be a Nixon-arranged bait and switch. 

Vice President George H.W. Bush, as the former Chairman of the Republican Party and friend of former President Richard Nixon had remained close to Nixon over the years, and the two men had met secretly during the 1980 presidential campaign when Nixon tried to broker a deal to get the U.S. hostages in Iran back. Nixon earned the loyalty of the Reagan team during this bizarre episode in which he had a starring role.