Saddam Hussein Polluted Habitat Of Thousands Of Marsh Arabs They were bigger than the everglades, older than the Bible -- until Saddam Hussein set out to decimate the cradle of civilization. Now wetland experts in Wisconsin are helping restore historic wetlands in Iraq, reports News 3's Joel DeSpain. Joy Zedler, who holds the Aldo Leopold chair in Restoration Ecology at the UW, and Dr. Rich Beilfuss, a hydrologist with Baraboo's International Crane Foundation, head the uncommon international restoration mission. "It's an amazing area," Beilfuss said. "The Mesopotamian wetlands are probably something we all know a little bit about from childhood....