Why had the Reagan and Bush administrations not objected to Iraq's acquisition of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons during the 1980s?

A) They knew that American firms needed the sales.
B) They considered Iraq a useful counterweight to Iran.
C) They considered Iraq a useful counterweight to Israel.
D) They needed to curry Iraq's favor for cheap oil exports.

Chemical Weapons

Weapons that utilize toxic chemicals to inflict harm or death upon enemy forces or civilians, banned under various international laws and treaties due to their brutal nature.

Biological Weapons

Weapons that use bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens as a means of warfare, intended to cause disease or death in humans, animals, or plants.

Nuclear Weapons

Explosive devices that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion, capable of causing massive destruction.