>>>In summary, the U.S. basically strengthened Iraq, although they knew what was going on inside Iraq.
>>
>>Yes, but Iraq was their ally at that time...
>>
>>>This fits nicely into the "big picture", of the U.S. always watching out for their interests (or what they think is their interest), above all other considerations. I must think about the "Plan Cóndor" or "Operación Cóndor", of which you, as a Brazilian, have surely heard.
>>
>>North America had (has) the "Eagle of Freedom" and the South American had the "Condor of Dictatorships".
>
>That is an interesting comparison. I hadn't heard it previously. I did see the following graffiti though:
>
>"El cóndor pasa - la dictadura se queda". (The condor passes - the dictatorship continues.)
>
>"El cóndor pasa" is the title of a well-known music from Bolivia (according to Bolivians) or from Peru (according to Peruvians).

Hilmar;

The composer of “El Condor Passa” was Daniel Alomía Robles who is Peruvian and was written in 1913, according to one source.

Some people would say that Simon and Garfunkel wrote it. :) However in their version they did not play the ending which is called a “Huayno” According to one source the music is from an 18th Century Peruvian folk melody by Jorge Milchberg. I am glad that everyone agrees on the details.

My father-in –law played the piece on a kena, in the theater in Lima, Peru, before he was a mining engineer. He gave me his kena 30 years ago. I enjoy playing it as well as my guitar and piano.

Tom