[RonF]

Actually, Saddam is reported to see himself as a modern-day successor to Saladin, the Arab chieftan who threw the Crusaders out of the Holy Land.

[Sabertooth]

Hussein is fond of both Saladin and Nebuchadnezzar. And....

	The Rise of Babylon, by Charles H. Dyer with Angela Elwell Hunt …Dyer points out Saddam Hussein's own plans to emulate King Nebuchadnezzar as evidenced in a commemorative medal he had cast with the ancient king's profile and his own side by side. In addition to the hanging gardens of Babylon and the unification of the surrounding nations, King Nebuchadnezzar is perhaps most noted for the sacking of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jewish people. The author reveals how Hussein's followers already recognize him as today's equivalent of that ancient king: The tour guide at a reconstructed palace in Babylon described with enthusiasm the restored monument of the ancient city...she got to the throne room and pointed to the empty platform. "This is where the Saddam Hussein had his throne. This is where Saddam Hussein sat," she said, voice rising in pride. The short, stout woman looked around at the quizzical faces, then caught herself with a nervous laugh. "I mean Nebuchadnezzar... Nebuchadnezzar had his throne here." LINK
Iraqi stamp issued on "Palestine Day," 1997 Saddam Hussein and Saladin, Islamic captor of Jerusalem Behind them, is the Dome of the Rock, al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem Born on April 28, 1937, in Tikrit, the seat of Saladdin Province.	Jerrold Post Author of Political Paranoia: the Psychopolitics of Hatred Statement of 12/1990, before the House Armed Services Committee Inspired by his uncle's tales of heroism in the service of the Arab nation, Saddam has been consumed by dreams of glory since his earliest days. He identifies himself with Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylonia who conquered Jerusalem (586 B.C.) and Saladin who regained Jerusalem in 1187 by defeating the Crusaders…. In pursuit of his messianic dreams, there is no evidence he is constrained by conscience; his only loyalty is to Saddam Hussein… LINK

[Verginius Rufus]

Actually, Saladin was a Kurd from Tikrit (Saddam's home town--he was born in a village near Tikrit). Saladin retook Jerusalem, but the Crusaders held some places in the Holy Land for about another 100 years (and even regained Jerusalem briefly).

The Kurdish language is written in the Arabic script, but it is an Indo-European language, more closely related to English than to Arabic.

[infowarrior]

Saladin wasn't an Arab, but a "despised" Kurd...

the infowarrior

[BlackVeil]

Saddam is reported to see himself as a modern-day successor to Saladin Yes, and I wonder how he dares. Saladin was very humane and merciful to his prisoners (they were sorry to leave him) and also to people under his rule. Other Islamic rulers, such as Suleiman the Magnificent, were very cruel to their prisoners, even forcing them to kill each other. Reading out verses of the Koran doesn't give the full picture - it is up to whoever has power to set his own standards.