| LadyMischief |
03-23-2003 07:48 PM |
A little background and some interesting facts...
I think a little more background than just the Gulf War is in order.. it might be a bit of a read but well worth it.. A bit of a timeline...
Saddam grew up relatively poor in a small village in north-central Iraq. Well-read and tough.
Late 1950's: He joined the Baath Socialist Party, their goal is to rebuild the entire Arab region and improve life for all. Saddam fits in well being well read and open-minded.. he's a born leader.
1968 - Baath Party seizes control of government in Iraq, Saddam becomes the power behind the Revolutionary Command council. Through the 70's he spends his time as the Vice Chairman of the council, orchistrates a nation-wide literacy project, builds schools, roads, public housing, and hospitals.
He gets tired of having to share power with the council, decides to take some steps... culminating on July 22, 1979. He invites council members and party members to a Baghdad conference hall. Wearing his military uniform he comes in claiming there's been a betrayal, a Syrian Plot. Muhyi Abd al-Hussein Mashhadi, council secretary-general shows up and confesses involvement in the plot. He'd been tortured beforehand and starts naming names. 60 "traitors" are detained. 22 of those singled out were executed (their mouths were taped shut so they wouldn't yell in front of the firing squad). Videotapes of the event were circulated and Saddam was uncontested leader of Iraq.
Between 1981-1982 over 3000 Iraqis were executed with little more excuse than Saddam's word.
Another example of Saddam's "personality". Lt.-Gen. Omar al-Hazzaa was overheard speaking badly of Saddam in 1990. Not only was he sentenced to execution, but his tongue was cut out prior to his death. His son was also executed, and Saddam had his home bulldozed, leaving his wife and the rest of his children homeless.
Saddam has made it manditory that every Iraqi official must read a 19-volume official biography of Saddam. He's very vain, petty, but well-read. One of his favorite historical figures is Winston Churchill.
I hear these people talking about how awful this war is.. but think about what kind of man SADDAM is. Not that anyone is surprised. Think about what he did to the Kurds in 1988. He staged a 3-day attack in the town of Halabja. Poison gasses killed as many as 5000 Kurds. Most died where they stood. He used a bunch of chemicals, mustard gas, sarin, tabun and VX. Not only did these chemicals kill people, they polluted the environment and caused genetic problems and defects for everyone who was involved/lived there afterwards (the effects are STILL felt there today and seen in the high number of birth defects in children in the area). He took one of most fertile areas of his country and turned it into a wasteland for an insult these people supposedly imposed on him. They backed Iran in the Iran-Iraq war, and not him.
I'm not sure if any of you know what these gasses do. I'll give you a bit of an idea of some of the agents Saddam is supposed to have and what EXACTLY they do.
Anthrax: Causes fever, septic shock, difficulty breathing, death in 24-72 hours. He declared 85,000 litres of it.
BOtulinum Toxin (a form of botulism): Causes blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, respiratory failure, death in as few as 24 hours. He declared 380,000 litres of it.
Aflatoxin: Causes hemmorrhage, convulsions, coma, liver cancer, death. He declared 2,200 litres of it.
Gas Gangrene: Causes tissue death, shock, kidney failure, coma, often death, is painful. He declared 3,400 litres of it.
VX Nerve gas: Disrupts nervous system, causes convulsions, respiratory paralysis, death. He declared 4 tonnes of it (intelligence suggests he has over 200 tonnes).
Sarin Gas: Attacks nervous system, paralyzes muscles used for breathing, can cause death within minutes. He declared 100-150 tonnes of it (intelligence estimates he has up to 350 tonnes)
Mustard Gas: As a liquid, it causes skin and eye burns and blisters. As an inhalent, it can cause long term respiratory disease and cancer. He claimed 500-600 tonnes of it, intelligence suggests he has upward of 800 tonnes of it.
This is the man that planned during the Gulf war to capture american soldiers, tie them to his tanks and drive right into Saudi Arabia because he was confident the americans wouldn't kill their own. He said it was a sign of weakness.
I'll leave those thoughts with everyone tonight. Take them as you will. Enjoy, and sleep tight.
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