It's as well to remember that it wasn't just a matter of providing help to Saddam in his war against Iran. In July 1988 the USS Vincennes shot down a civilian airbus, Iran Air Flight 655 which was making a scheduled journey, and killed everyone on board, 290 passengers, 66 of them children.

And there wasn't even a gesture of apology such as flying a flag at half-mast the next day, which was 4th July.