Photo: AP
Posted on 10/06/2004 9:18:36 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041007/ap/d85ibcbg0.html
Thursday October 7, 11:21 AM
|
Photo: AP |
Saddam Hussein was obsessed with his status in the Arab world, dreaming of weapons of mass destruction to pump up his prestige. And even as the United States fixated on him, he was fixated on his neighboring enemy, Iran.
That is the picture that emerges from interrogations of the former Iraqi leader since his capture last December, according to the final report of the chief U.S. arms inspector, which gives a first glimpse into what the United States has gleaned about Saddam's hopes, dreams and insecurities.
The report suggests that Saddam tried to improve relations with the United States in the 1990s, yet basked in his standing as the only leader to stand up to the world's superpower.
It says Saddam was determined that if Iran was to acquire nuclear weapons, so was Iraq.
And it says he was a narcissist who cared deeply about his legacy, making sure bricks were molded with his name in hopes people would admire them for centuries to come.
Weapons hunter Charles Duelfer had access to information from U.S. interrogations of Saddam over several months. The former Iraqi dictator apparently talked not because he wanted to help the United States, but because he was concerned with his legacy, the report says.
Much of his motivation in the quest for weapons of mass destruction came from neighboring Iran and the two countries' "long-standing rivalry over the centuries," including the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
"From Saddam's viewpoint, the Persian menace loomed large and was a challenge to his place in history," the report says.
"This was an important motivation in his views on WMD _ especially as it became obvious that Iran was pursuing the very capabilities he was denied," said the report, which found no evidence that Iraq had produced any such weapons after 1991.
Saddam has been out of sight since his capture from a spider hole near Tikrit last December, except for an appearance in July at a preliminary hearing in Baghdad. Then, he defiantly scoffed at charges of war crimes and mass killings and said the charges had been engineered by President Bush "to help him with his campaign."
Officials have said that interrogations of Saddam, first by the CIA and then by the FBI, have yielded little helpful information about weapons programs and the insurgency in Iraq. But Tuesday's report shows they have provided new insight into his thinking.
Saddam was angry that other Persian Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, enjoyed good standing in the West.
"His regime views the Gulf Arabs as undeserving," the report said. "They did not earn respect; the West simply wanted their oil."
Iran, as much if not more than the United States, motivated his interest in nuclear weapons.
"Nuclear programs were seen by Saddam as both a powerful lever and symbol of prestige," the report. "He also did not want to be second to the Persians."
Despite years of hostility with the United States, Saddam had mixed feelings about the Americans and through the 1990s tested U.S. willingness to open a dialogue, the report said. He sent "very senior Iraqis" to make various proposals, such as assistance with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, working through intermediaries including Duelfer _ the report's author.
At the same time, Saddam got a boost from America's hostility.
"He accrued power and prestige far beyond his inherent weight by positioning himself as the only leader to stand up to the last superpower," the report said.
At a Senate hearing, Duelfer was asked why _ if Saddam did not have weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion _ he did not simply comply with U.S. and U.N. demands in an attempt to avert the war. Duelfer said Saddam's instincts were always to negotiate _ to seek something in return before giving something up.
"He had not realized the nature of the ground shift in the international community," after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Duelfer said.
Until the end, Saddam saw himself as a great leader of a great nation, the report says. With an eye to history, he had bricks made for use in the historic city of Babylon molded with the phrase, "Made in the era of Saddam Hussein," mimicking the ancient bricks there.
"This narcissism characterizes his actions," the report says. "And while it is not always visible, it is always there."
Saddam was the dictator of a corrupt, 3rd world Muslim shitehole.
If WMD's weren't such a threat, he would have been laughable.
Good enough reason for me go into Iraq and dispel this dude.
Don't expect to see that in any MSM reports however. You could see the DemonicRats picking away at the Report for tomorrow's talking points to be given to the national media and for the debate Friday...
Am going to look for an online copy of his report.
He was and is a crazy man and the world is a better place without him in charge. He could've easily started WWIII if had a nuclear weapon.
This is very interesting...
I've always felt that Saddam secretly wanted to be our friend. That's why -- and I think even supporters of the war have to admit this -- he never went out of his way to attack US interests or launch terrorism in the United States. I also think this is why he let himself get caught and almost seemed relieved.
To be honest, I think if we wanted after 9/11, we could have worked with him to crack down on terrorism, if we were truly vicious in the old Cold War mold. The fact we didn't shows that ironically we are on the same side as the Arab people. But we don't get any credit for it.
This is not a troll post. I support the war, but I think we have to recognize that Saddam is a very puzzling figure and the new WMD info supports this.
What form will the Iraqi people execute him in? Lethal injection, doubtful. Hanging, probable.
Absolute garbage -- SH was fixated on Israel, and the capability to blackmail the entire Arab world -- that is why he and his bed-partner, Chirac, built a reactor to produce weapons-grade plutonium. God knows what else he would have done with nuclear capability. GWB was smart enough to stand up against a threat that was growing, and knew it was time, after the horrors of 9/11, to deliver a message to the Arab world that the USA would not tolerate terror from anyone.
Thank God for a real President and pray the limo-rat socialists never get control of this country again -- in my worst dreams, I can't imagine the consequences.
Saddam Hussein was obsessed with his status in the Arab world, dreaming of weapons of mass destruction to pump up his prestige. And even as the United States fixated on him, he was fixated on his neighboring enemy, Iran.
.............better:.....[...he was fixated on his neighboring enemy, Saudi Arabia.]
FWIW
Of course, to lefties, this all just means we should have left this delusional megalomaniac in autocratic power over the 25 million people of Iraq. They can take no other lesson away.
neighboring Iran and the two countries' "long-standing rivalry over the centuries,"
Of course, neither of these "countries" has existed for anything like "centuries". Weird.
"His regime views the Gulf Arabs as undeserving," the report said. "They did not earn respect; the West simply wanted their oil."
Interesting; Western lefties seem to share this view with Saddam.
Despite years of hostility with the United States, Saddam had mixed feelings about the Americans and through the 1990s tested U.S. willingness to open a dialogue
Sure he did. He was also testing OBL's willingness to open a dialogue.
"He accrued power and prestige far beyond his inherent weight by positioning himself as the only leader to stand up to the last superpower," the report said.
And to lefties, this just means we should have let him keep on getting away with "standing up to" the US. Nevermind the consequences for Saddam keeping and gaining power.
Duelfer said Saddam's instincts were always to negotiate _ to seek something in return before giving something up. "He had not realized the nature of the ground shift in the international community," after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Duelfer said.
Colossal miscalculation on his part, I'd say.
The SA comment is interesting as well.
It says he was basically jealous of Saudi Arabia. He launched the first Gulf War assuming that he was a quasi-ally of the US so he could get away with it, somehow missing the signals that we were publically distancing ourselves from him and were never really that close in the first place.
He was delusional--but probably would have been our best friend if we had wanted. But we could no longer afford to be associated with a butcher, and of course after he invaded Kuwait it was unthinkable.
With all due respect, this statement is ridiculous. It implies that the US military caught Saddam in part because he let us. Any sense of relief he felt was more likely due to the fact that we didn't blow his brains out like we did to his sons when we captured him.
But it is weird that did think a lot about his neighbors... He doesn't seem to have a real hatred of the US--that's what is so puzzling.
I think he may have thought he had more in common with us than some of his neighbors. At least our obsession with him made him feel important, as if he was playing a grand historical game with us.
Iran or SA, on the other hand, could easily destroy him in a conventional war and didn't even seem to worry about him.
But he didn't commit suicide... And his protection was ultimately less secure and sophisticated than we thought...
Remember how he asked to talk to Bush after he got caught. And there were rumors about the CIA interrogations that he tried to reach out to Bush and the US.
True, he didn't turn himself, but he may have had delusional, confused and mixed feelings about the issue.
...........'could easily'......? ?..............no way!
They could have ( and did/do ).....give him 'headaches'.
/sarcasm
Bump
is it so suprising that his immediate neighbours were of more relevance to him than a distant superpower? it seems he didnt really take our threats seriously, or he may have acted differently.
theres a big truth in the story of his meglomania and wanting to become a historical figure... and the people he imagines remembering him arent westerners, they are arabs. his history, his world is different to ours - and its in this frame we have to imagine his actions. we cant assume everything he did was about us.
i was totally in support of the war and was totally behind the idea that he had wmd's. but what we have fouind so far isnt exactly massive stockpiles of the stuff. just some random items really. if the game he was playing was all bluff, then he definitely lost that game when we called that bluff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.