Re-Install Saddam Hussein?

Submitted by Oliver Boyd-Barrett (United States), Apr 30, 2003 at 18:19

The author seems to be suggesting that what we need is a kind of Shah of Iran: someone who is western in his attitudes, secular, friendly to America and to western business (esp oil) interests, is prepared to spy on and when necessary torture or execute his own people in order to maintain "public order".

Saddam Hussein nearly fitted this description up until the late 1980s, which is why the CIA helped to place him in power. But unfortunately, the US could not live with a strong Iraq that had just defeated Iran in war, and lured the stupid idiot into an invasion of Kuwait (which had once been part of Iraq anyway - until the British messed things up earlier in the 20th century - so Saddam didnt think the US would really mind) and provided a pretext for cutting him down to size. Unfortunately, his humiliation got in the way of his capacity for loving America, so the US just got rid of him (it thinks, anyway), on the pretext of (non-existent) WMD.

So clearly what Pipes claims is needed is an America-loving version of Saddam Hussein. Problem is that the nearest previous model, the Shah of Iran, was overthrown by a Shi-ite revolution. Come to think of it, that looks like what is going to happen anyway, so perhaps we can save a whole load of expense and bother by:

Nurturing alternatives to gasoline, saving our environment, and diverting a fraction of US expenditure on military defense to a national health system and improved education. Improved education will produce intelligent Americans who will know how to live in peace, be safe, and save the world.

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