Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation

Articles Business Environment Health Politics Arts & Culture Society

Special Series Hope You’re Well For the Love of the Game Living Rooms In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration Terra Cognita More special series >

For the Love of the Game

In Other Worlds: A Space Exploration

More special series >

Events The Walrus Talks The Walrus Video Room The Walrus Leadership Roundtables The Walrus Leadership Forums Article Club

The Walrus Video Room

The Walrus Leadership Roundtables

The Walrus Leadership Forums

Subscribe Renew your subscription Change your address Magazine Issues Newsletters Podcasts

Renew your subscription

The Walrus Lab Hire The Walrus Lab Amazon First Novel Award

Amazon First Novel Award

Weekly Quiz: Calculated Complicity, Colonial Coats, and Continental Deterrence

How closely have you been reading our online stories this week? Take The Walrus Weekly Quiz to find out—released every Saturday

Go regional, national, and beyond with The Walrus. Don’t miss a roundup of Canada’s best writing. Sign up for The Walrus newsletter and get trusted Canadian journalism straight in your inbox.

const title = "Calculated Complicity, Colonial Coats, and Continental Deterrence"; const date = "March 07, 2026"; const data = [ { image: "https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/Ghamari-Iran-1800-1536x1024.jpg", title: "I Was a Prisoner in Iran. I’ve Seen the US Meddle in the Region for Decades", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/i-was-a-prisoner-in-iran-ive-seen-the-us-meddle-in-the-region-for-decades/", question: "Western powers saw Saddam Hussein’s aggression as a strategic opportunity during the Iran–Iraq War, with Germany, France, and the US each playing distinct roles in supporting Iraq’s military campaign. How did German companies help sustain Hussein’s efforts?", options: [ "They provided satellite intelligence to Iraqi generals", "They transferred materials used to produce chemical weapons", "They built communications infrastructure for Iraqi command centres", "They supplied armoured vehicle components to Iraqi defence contractors", ], answer: "They transferred materials used to produce chemical weapons", correct: "Although the Cold War was still at its height, the United States and other NATO members saw in the Iraqi aggression an opportunity to contain the Iranian revolution and a chance for lucrative arms deals. The French offered Saddam Hussein their Mirage-F1 fighter jets to combat Iranian F-14 Tomcats. German companies transferred tons of material for use in chemical weapons that Saddam deployed against civilians using American-made Bell helicopters. In addition to intelligence sharing, the Ronald Reagan administration provided the Iraqi regime with billions of dollars of economic aid, preventing the total collapse of their economy.", incorrect: "Although the Cold War was still at its height, the United States and other NATO members saw in the Iraqi aggression an opportunity to contain the Iranian........

© The Walrus