*cough*Kurdistan*cough*

The Kurds were welcoming but didn't they already control their area with the support of American airpower?

Hussein attempted full-scale genocide on them.

Of course, at that time, we didn't realize that he was a good man, merely misunderstood, taking the necessary and important steps to control his population.

LOL

Earlier timeframe.

Irrelevant.

Got it. Even though he was no longer a threat we still needed to ruin our army.

Next problem. Since the Reagan administration was supporting him while he was gassing Kurds and time is irrelevent should we hang some top Reagan officials?

When he was "no longer a threat" due to American airpower, were you in favor of continuing the American airpower? I mean, if he kills a few hundred thousand people, that's their business isn't it?

Isn't it time to whip out that Rumsfeld shaking hands picture? That always seems to convince people an actual point was made, or something.

Meaning fertile ground for a conflict with Turkey...

Genocide only when it was convenient or necessary to make a point. Remember the 'oil for food' corruption? Who did Saddam contract with to run that operation? Various factions of Kurds. Saddam even played one off on the other to get better deals for his smuggling operations into Turkey.

Kurds were not a people to massacre. They were people to use. Saddam played the three Kurdish factions against each other for great profit and with great skill. Massacres were only part of a larger program to keep the country subservient.

Meanwhile, fact remains. Americans were not welcome as the liberators so promoted by myths in America. Some sections welcomed those Americans. Others did not. And after 6 months - when it became obvious George Jr had not planned for the peace - even disbanded the Army, police and Baath party members - then Iraqis were attacking Americans daily.

Some numbers that would not be possible if Iraqis wanted to be liberated: August 2004- 3000 attacks on Americans every day. September 2004 - 2500 attacks per day. January 2005 - 3000 attacks per day. May 2005 - 2000 attacks per day. Clearly Iraqis love Americans? Clearly we have made the country better now that 90 Iraqis are known to be killed daily this past year - in a country so full of missing people with maybe one million having left as refugees. Did they leave - or are their bodies elsewhere?

This is a country that welcomes Americans?

You even contradict yourself in the same post.

Yes, if my world was only 'black and white', then I contradicted myself. But welcome to a world of reality - with many shades of gray. To appreciate what was posted, learn the many shades that match what was posted. If thinking in 'black and white', then nothing in that post will make sense. If thinking in 'black and white', then you will never appreciate the genius of Saddam to so dominate and control his country. Good or evil - makes no difference. How he manipulated the so many people (rather than massacre them) is an example of poltiical genius. Genius come good or bad. But I should not have to explain that part again either.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, genius of saddam?

Now, I can see where you would call Mussolini, or even Hitler a genius (a crazy, murderous, evil genius), but saddam?

You have got to be kidding... Hitler was an idiot.

Nobody else in history could manipulate, persuade, and rule people quite like he could. He was crazy and terrible and awful, but he was a political mastermind.

'Course, he was still a terrible shaver...