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29 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authoritative account of the life and times of Saddam Hussei, 25 Feb 2002
By A Customer
Saddam Hussein has been demonised in the West to such an extent that it's become almost impossible to separate the truth from the propaganda so cheerfully dispensed by the media. In this book, Said Aburish takes us from Saddam's humble beginnings, starting with an explanation of his name - trust me its more revealing than it sounds - all the way up to the present. Saddam's rise through the ranks of the Ba'ath party and his exile in Cairo are all dealt with well, showing what shaped the man who later come to be regarded as a kind of Arab reincarnation of Hitler.But this is just one side of the story of what made Saddam Hussein the man he is. The other of course, is the support he received from the West, primarily the US. Saddam's weapons deals with the US, UK and France are dealt with conclusively, as are his crimes against his own people at the same time as these deals were taking place, showing up the incredible hypocrisy of what we have been hearing from the governments of these countries since 1990. The cynicism of the US government in supporting Iraq with weapons deals during the war with Iran, whilst also ensuring that Iran remained strong enough to keep fighting is staggering. The amount of lives lost on both sides didn't matter to Western governments as it kept their arms industries ticking over nicely and kept both countries weak, confirming Israel as the regions number one military power. The most fascinating part of the book comes with the lead up to the Gulf War. The facts are presented to allow the reader to make up his/her own mind on what was the real cause of the war. There is ample evidence to suggest the US and UK used Kuwait to goad Saddam into invading, thus sealing his fate as they refused to accept his proposal of a complete withdrawal without attaching humiliating conditions which a popularly elected government would have found hard to accept, never mind an autocrat who wields power over his people through force. The war of 'surgical precision' which followed is well documented, as are the horrors which US-led sanctions have caused to the people of Iraq, who apparently the US government have "no quarrel with". Any Americans who want to know why many Arabs show such animosity towards them should look no further than the account of the popular uprising which followed Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War. As the people rose up against Saddam, the Americans shamefully refused to help them and even allowed Saddam to use helicopters to put down the uprising while they looked on. The reason: a popular government of the people would have been a threat to US/Israeli hegemony in the Middle East, they wanted a strong man like Saddam to take over, only one who would be more obedient. For anyone who wants a glossy read which you won't have to think much about, buy the latest Tom Clancy novel. For anyone who wants to read the authoritative account of the life of Saddam Hussein and the tragedy that has been visited upon the Iraqi people since he took power in 1979, look no further than this.
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by Said K. Aburish
by Con Coughlin
by Said K. Aburish
by John R. Bradley
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