The Man Saddam Hussein, Brought Democracy by America

A prominent figure in recent history, Saddam Hussein, who ruled Iraq for years and became a symbol of American imperialism disguising resource acquisition as bringing democracy, was born on April 28, 1937, in Tikrit, Iraq, and was executed by hanging on December 30, 2006.

Saddam, known as the father of Arab nationalism, idolized Egypt's legendary leader Gamal Abdel Nasser, and rose through the ranks in the Iraqi army to eventually take the reins of the country, ruling or dictating for years.

In 1958, generals led by General Abdul Karim Qasim overthrew King Faisal, toppling the monarchy in Iraq. Subsequently, Abdul Karim Qasim assumed the role of prime minister. However, his pro-Soviet stance caused discomfort in the Western world, leading to another coup that brought Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr to power.

Rising within the Ba'ath Party and gaining experience alongside al-Bakr, Saddam, who had abandoned his legal studies, took charge of internal security. As Saddam's influence grew, he began consolidating power in the Iraqi state. His career reached new heights when he was elected Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council.

After the 1973 war between Israel and the Arabs, rocketing oil prices resulting from the Arab decision to halt oil sales filled Iraq's treasury. Saddam shrewdly turned these gains into investments, significantly strengthening the economy. Concurrently, the Ba'ath Party gained power in parallel with the economy's growth.

Iraq became the wealthiest country in the Middle East, and its population quickly became the most literate in the region. In 1972, Saddam initiated a nationalization campaign, kickstarting a development drive in Iraq. Its rise to become the most developed country in the Middle East earned Iraq accolades from UNESCO.

During those days, approximately two million workers from Turkey and even Yugoslavia worked in Iraq. In 1974, Saddam established the Republican Guard, with Taha Yasin Ramadan at its helm. Both domestically and internationally, his power became immensely entrenched.

When the Kurds rebelled with Iran's support in 1974, Saddam wasted no time in unleashing his iron fist upon them. He bombed many Kurdish cities, resulting in 8,000 Kurdish deaths. Additionally, 81,000 Shiites sought refuge in Iran, fleeing BA'athist terror. From then on, Saddam became the law in Iraq. He took charge, forcing Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr to resign in 1979 and appointing himself as the President of Iraq. Subsequently, to solidify his power, he purged all supporters of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr.

Now in charge, Saddam began striking classic dictator poses and continuously made extravagant gestures towards the public.

From 1978 onwards, Saddam sought proximity to America, and as he turned towards the West, he became highly regarded. Blinded by his own power, Saddam, on September 17, 1980, made a move that would forever define him, tearing up the agreement he had signed with the Shah of Iran in front of the cameras. He initiated a war with Iran, and Iraqi warplanes began bombing Iran. Of course, this led to worldwide support for Saddam. Led by the United States, the whole world, primarily driven by the anger towards the new regime under Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, wanted to overthrow it and used Saddam as their pawn.

Saddam, with America's support, launched a war against the newly established regime of Ayatollah Khomeini. After eight years of war, both countries were left with over one and a half million casualties, and their oil production infrastructure was in shambles, causing their economies to plummet.

Due to the war with Iran, Saddam had accumulated a substantial amount of debt. Iraq was now drowning in debt. Moreover, after the war, Shiite prestige in Iraq increased, and it seemed as though Saddam had lost. When Saddam demanded the erasure of debts from Kuwait, a country he once claimed was rightfully Iraq's, Kuwait refused. This infuriated Saddam. Subsequently, Iraqi forces crossed into Kuwait. To prevent an alliance with the Soviets and to continue the war with Iran, the U.S. constantly extended their support, providing nearly 40 billion dollars in aid. Surprisingly, during that period, Iraq ranked as the third-largest recipient of U.S. assistance. This led to the infamous conspiracy theory: Was Saddam the secret weapon of America and the Freemasons?

On August 2, 1989, Iraqi troops entered Kuwait, causing an uproar. The dictator Saddam now sat atop over 20% of the world's oil reserves.

The United States, seeing itself as the world's policeman, did not take kindly to this situation. Moreover, signs indicated that Saddam Hussein, having conquered Kuwait, had turned his sights on Saudi Arabia. This was something the U.S. could not allow to happen without a response. They formed a Western coalition, led by America, and under the umbrella of the UN, they invaded Iraq.

Saddam Hussein, who described this confrontation with the West as the "mother of all battles," once again left Iraq and its people in ruins after what came to be known as the First Gulf War. While Iraq was defeated in the first Gulf War, Western countries did not topple Saddam. They likely calculated that the potential chaos following his removal would be more costly in the long run, thus allowing the dictatorship to remain in power.

Of course, in doing so, the West did not neglect to cripple Iraq. The state of Iraq was brought under control from all directions. They couldn't even fly their own planes without permission. In this process, the Kurds would suffer the most.

The Kurds, who thought they would be free from Saddam, had assisted U.S. forces during the war. However, they were left alone with Saddam afterward. After the war, the Kurds suffered the wrath of Saddam. Taking revenge on the Kurds in the Middle East for their service to the West, Saddam turned Northern Iraq into a veritable hell. Due to the UN embargo, Iraqis led a wretched life. According to some estimates, due to the follies of their dictator, the suffocating UN sanctions led to the deaths of over 500,000 children.

Saddam's half-baked reign came to a close, ushering in a chaotic period in the world with the 9/11 attacks. Holding Afghanistan responsible for the attacks, the United States wasted no time in linking Saddam's regime to them. With the false claim that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction (later proven false), on March 20, 2003, America invaded Iraq under the pretext of bringing democracy. The unofficial dictator, Bush, and his army, with the official dictator Saddam, toppled him in less than a month. On April 9, American soldiers and the people of Baghdad were toppling Saddam's statue. Saddam was later captured in a hideout and was executed by hanging on December 30, 2006.

With a lengthy list of crimes, Saddam Hussein rained poisonous gas on Halabja during the Iran-Iraq war. Around 5,000 Kurds were killed, and 10,000 were injured. In 1987-88, death squads roamed the regions where Kurds lived. Over 10,000 people were killed in Kurdish villages.