Saddam Hussein ↔ The Washington Post

Relations (1)

related 4.52 — strongly supporting 22 facts

The Washington Post extensively covered Saddam Hussein during the Gulf crisis, with columnists and reporters such as Jim Hoagland, Mary McGrory, and Patrick Tyler publishing numerous articles, editorials, and claims regarding his actions, threats, and character {fact:1, fact:2, fact:8, fact:13, fact:18}. The newspaper's reporting, which included accounts of his meetings and intentions, was frequently cited by officials and critics to shape public perception and U.S. policy {fact:4, fact:12, fact:16, fact:22}.

Facts (22)

Sources

The Persian Gulf TV War by Douglas Kellner (http://www.gseis.ucla ... pages.gseis.ucla.edu Douglas Kellner · UCLA 22 facts

claimJim Hoagland claimed in his Washington Post column that Saddam Hussein 'respects only force and will respond to nothing else.'

claimThe August 7, 1990, edition of the Washington Post aggressively promoted a military solution to the Gulf crisis while demonizing Saddam Hussein.

claimA front-page story in the Washington Post concerning a meeting between Saddam Hussein and Joe Wilson, which alleged Iraq's refusal to negotiate or leave Kuwait, was used to legitimate U.S. policy.

claimMary McGrory referred to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as a 'beast' in her Washington Post column, which the author Douglas Kellner characterizes as a dehumanizing epithet.

claimJim Hoagland stated in his Washington Post column that the United States must use military force against Saddam Hussein to save oil fields and preserve American influence in the Middle East.

claimThe Washington Post's August 7, 1990, edition featured a banner headline stating 'Saddam says Seizure of Kuwait Is Permanent.'

accountWashington Post columnist Jim Hoagland criticized Saddam Hussein's claim that dispossessed Arabs would profit from the seizure of Kuwait's oil in an August 9, 1990, article.

claimMary McGrory claimed in her Washington Post column that Saudi Arabia was in imminent danger of being invaded by Saddam Hussein.

claimA Washington Post story indicated that Saddam Hussein was not prepared to negotiate a settlement to the Gulf crisis.

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.

accountFormer national security adviser Robert McFarlane cited a Washington Post story as evidence that Saddam Hussein was not going to leave Kuwait and that U.S. military intervention in Saudi Arabia was necessary.

claimThe transcript of the August 6, 1990, conversation between Joseph Wilson and Saddam Hussein supports the Iraqi version of events and suggests that the Washington Post version of the conversation was fabricated by the Bush administration and transmitted by the Post.

claimA business article in the Washington Post claimed that Saddam Hussein had become 'OPEC's Most Important Member' and controlled world oil prices.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner characterizes the Washington Post's reporting on Saddam Hussein's threats as 'sheer disinformation' and argues the newspaper merely repeated Bush administration claims as fact.

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."

quotePatrick Tyler wrote in a Washington Post summary article: "The initial move to seize Kuwait was relatively painless. But the next step that Saddam reportedly threatened yesterday--a possible invasion of Saudi Arabia--would pose immense difficulties for the Iraqi leader, forcing his army to operate far from home, at the end of long supply lines, in the intense summer heat of the desert" (p. A9).

accountPatrick Tyler, a writer for the Washington Post, shifted his characterization of Saddam Hussein from a 'pragmatic' Arab leader on May 13, 1989, to a 'brash and brutal leader' who terrorized neighbors and threatened chemical retaliation on August 3, 1990.

claimIn a Washington Post column titled 'Force Hussein to Withdraw,' Jim Hoagland asserted that Saddam Hussein had gone to war to gain control of the oil fields of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

accountThe Washington Post's version of the meeting between Saddam Hussein and Joe Wilson was widely disseminated by Reuters and published in newspapers including the Toronto Star, USA Today, and Newsday.

claimPatrick Tyler published an article in the Washington Post on May 13, 1989, describing Saddam Hussein as pursuing the 'politics of pragmatism' and moderating Iraq's radical tradition in favor of friendly overtures to Arab moderates and the West.

accountDuring a PBS discussion on August 7, 1990, co-anchor Judy Woodruff stated that Saddam Hussein was quoted in a Washington Post story as saying the invasion of Kuwait was irreversible and permanent.

claimMary McGrory claimed in her Washington Post column that Americans were emotionally invested in removing Saddam Hussein due to concerns over high oil prices and potential hostage situations.