Knowledge Tree
Relations (1)
related 4.58 — strongly supporting 19 facts
Saddam Hussein was the long-standing President of Iraq, whose leadership and eventual removal by the 2003 U.S. invasion are central to the political history of the nation as described in [1], [2], and [3]. His actions, including the invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent international response, defined Iraq's foreign policy and internal stability throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, as detailed in [4], [5], and [6].
Facts (19)
Sources
The Persian Gulf TV War by Douglas Kellner (http://www.gseis.ucla ... pages.gseis.ucla.edu 18 facts
claimChristopher Hitchens noted in Harper's (January 1991) that the New York Times characterized Iraq as 'pragmatic' and 'cooperative,' attributing these virtues to Saddam Hussein's 'personal strength.'
accountSaddam Hussein communicated to U.S. chargé d'affaires Joseph Wilson that Iraq was interested in establishing normal relations with the United States and denied reports of Iraqi military deployments along the Saudi border, characterizing them as fabrications intended to justify aggression against Iraq.
perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the U.S. State Department's justification for refusing to negotiate with Iraq was questionable because the Bush administration continued to refuse negotiations even after Saddam Hussein agreed to release all hostages.
accountFollowing the end of the Iran-Iraq war in August 1988, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein continued to build up his military machine with assistance from the West.
accountOn August 3, 1990, George Will attacked Saddam Hussein as the 'Wolf of Babylon,' while Washington Post Op-Ed writers discussed Iraq's 'Nuclear Specter,' Charles Krauthammer criticized a 'festival of appeasement,' and a Washington Post editorial condemned the 'Aggression in the Gulf' and Saddam Hussein.
accountThe London-based Mideast Mirror reported that King Hussein of Jordan brought a peace proposal from Iraq to President George H.W. Bush, in which Saddam Hussein expressed willingness to negotiate a withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait, provided that U.N. sanctions were lifted and the U.S. military buildup in Saudi Arabia ended, with the exception of the restoration of the al-Sabah clan in Kuwait.
claimThe Bush administration continued to provide aid and favored treatment to Iraq despite Saddam Hussein's atrocious human rights record and the brutal suppression of Kurds in northern Iraq.
quotePatrick Tyler reported in the Washington Post: "Saddam called in the ranking U.S. diplomat in Baghdad, and told him categorically that Kuwait now belongs to Iraq and there was no going back, according to Administration officials. 'It's a done deal,' one U.S. official said, characterizing Saddam's message. Another official said Saddam appended a specific warning that if Saudi Arabia shuts down the Iraqi crude oil pipelines that cross the Saudi desert to the Red Sea, Iraq will attack the kingdom. The warning further stated that if American forces intervene in the region, Iraq will 'embarrass' the United States, the official said."
quoteA National Security Council White Paper prepared in May 1990 asserted: "Iraq and Saddam Hussein are described as 'the optimum contenders to replace the Warsaw Pact' as the rationale for continuing cold war military spending and for putting an end to the 'peace dividend'."
claimSaddam Hussein miscalculated the international response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, believing that Western powers would allow the seizure because they had previously provided military support, technology, and economic arrangements to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War.
claimU.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie told Saddam Hussein that the United States had 'no opinion' on the border dispute and other disputes between Iraq and Kuwait.
claimBy 1990, the U.S. State Department had compiled a report on human rights abuses in Iraq, though the report did not significantly influence U.S. policy toward Saddam Hussein and Iraq.
accountIn 1990, U.S. senators visited Iraq for Saddam Hussein's birthday and advised him that his negative international image was merely a product of Western media that could be corrected with a better public-relations policy.
claimThe Bush administration compared Saddam Hussein to Hitler and accused Iraq of lying regarding its intentions.
accountOn July 25, 1990, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie met with Saddam Hussein and expressed sympathy for his desire to raise oil prices to rebuild Iraq after the war with Iran.
claimJim Hoagland believed that Saddam Hussein was so hated at home that his defeat by foreign forces would be greeted as deliverance by the Iraqi nation and much of the Arab world.
claimThe New York Times published several articles on August 5, 1990, critical of Iraq and Saddam Hussein, including headlines such as 'Arab of Vast Ambition--Saddam Hussein,' 'Iraq Makes Its Bid to Run the Show in the Middle East,' 'Stopping Saddam's Drive for Dominance,' and 'Stop Hussein with Force if Necessary.'
accountThe Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran/Contra Affair documents that Oliver North told Iranian officials that the United States would help promote the overthrow of the Iraqi government led by Saddam Hussein.
After Khamenei: Regional Reckoning and the Future of Iran's Proxy ... stimson.org 1 fact
accountThe 'Axis of Resistance' proxy network was initially strengthened by the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which resulted in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.