admice

After I posted this I started researching the history of it all. I highly recommend it. For instance I had been wondering why he invaded Kuwait when he did. Evidently there was a long standing boundary dispute. (don't think that fully explains why or why THEN, but more research). I'm also going to research how much of the 'madman', 'dictator' stuff is propaganda; what evidence there is to support it. But your comments here have been helpful too. Thanks. Any others appreciated

Happy Wonderer

Iraq's viewpoint of the reason for invading Kuwait: Iraq was badly damaged in the Iran-Iraq war (which Saddam started, possibly with encouragement from the US as a way to keep Iran in check.) They had to repay loans to other Middle East nations (including Kuwait) in addition to rebuilding.
IRAQ: in the eye of the storm by Dilip Hiro; Nation Books; 2003; pp. 34

In my opinion -- Kuwait was confident that Iraq wouldn't invade them because of US support, so they took a hard line in the negotiations. However, Saddam got signaled that we didn't care. Kuwait was a soft target for him (he thought) and also happens to be extracting oil from an oil field that lies mostly under Iraq. Adding miles to Iraq's coastline was another bonus. The US hadn't cared when he invaded Iran -- and had even supplied intelligence help that saved his butt when the Iranians proved to be tougher opponents than he expected. He calculated that a quick little grab would present the world with a fait accompli that the US might just secretly be in favor of. After all, Iraq was a modern secular state just like us.

Such is the corrosive effect of superpower meddling. You help your kid beat up on the neighborhood bully, you can't be surprised when he kicks the stuffing out of the neighborhood wimp...

HW

Saddam is a ruthless dictator. I'm not sure either if he really is mad or of the lurid tales that we hear from defectors are just propaganda.

According to Newsweek Libyan leader M. Quadiffi thinks that Saddam is "not rational" and if Quadiffi thinks you are nuts you had better keep away from squirrels....

Happy Wonderer

Oh no, the Bush administration would be perfectly happy with an Islamic Republic, just like Iran...

HW

An Islamist regime is exactly what you would get if the US didn't explicitly control the country, and probably what we will end up with anyway. The US and Britian were not well-loved in Iraq before the gulf war, which is why Iraq developed its oil reserves with help from the Soviet Union (after nationalizing the original monopoly set up by the British.) After almost a decade of sanctions, I don't think many of the Iraqi people will be sending us Christmas cards.

admice

Posted this for another thread, too, but think it applies here. thanks Happy for some good research and info.

Here are some links to study the history of Iraq. I recommend doing so. Obviously many of us don't have enough infomation.
Also read a good paper by a coupkle poli scientists demonstrating how Hussein isn't a madman. I didn't think so either. Granted they could have been biased, but some of the facts speak for themselves. tha arab states have a long history of conflict amongst them. Hussein's actions seem logical, tho not successful. (Do not interpret this as support for his regime on my part. Just analysis)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iqtoc.html

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CIA reports

http://www.arab.net/iraq/

arab net history of Iraq- seems good, neutral

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpa...=761567303&pn=6

encarta -i recommend

Mr. Superbad

If you go to www.frontline.org and search for Iraq or Saddam, you can find transcripts to a few shows they've done about the Iraq situation, interviews, and relavent links about Iraq and Saddam. It's a pretty good source of information.