Did the Kurds try to defy him and his government? Or was it to show his neighboring countries, such as Iran that he was a serious threat?
122033
It wasn't religion (or 'just religion'), it was a tribal differences.  Many parts of the world rely on tribes and clans as their basis for organizations.  The modern Western World has nothing really close to this, though ethnic "enclaves" in cities may suffice.\n\nSaddam's clan and their allies have been fighting the Kurds and Shia for a long time.  The Kurds, like the Shia, were a threat to his powerbase.  Very few scholars in the Western World understand these tribal... hatreds or animosities are the best words. \n\nThis tribal/clan allegiance also leads to fractionalization.  Clan chiefs (Skieks in Arab cultures), are sometimes bought off, threatened, or simply removed if the other clan has enough power or by internal conflict.  This is how the US was so successful in Afghanistan.  We caused a rift in the clans supporting the Taliban and Al Qaeda by paying off Shieks.  It works A LOT better than fighting them and their clan of 5000!\n\nSaddam bought off some opponents, especially Sunni clans.  He threatened others (i.e., the Shia clans), and simply exterminated the Kurds without much warning to the world, or the Kurds.\n\nThat's a short answer.  There are several books on the tribalism of the world (Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations” or even "Bush at War" goes into how clans can be divided without firing a shot)\n\nThough when it came to playing the Arab Media, Saddam would pretend to be very religious.  However, true to his NAZI sympathizer uncle (al Tikrit), he was an anti-religious national socialist.
546518
The American Gov. helped get Saddam in power there so they could have control over Oil...Then due to the great wealth amassed by Iraq due to oil revenue, SADDAM got carried away with his riches..His people went without and he spoiled himself and his followers...Those that tried for Justice were killed off.Whole communities were wiped out...And it would be still going on today had Saddam not believed he could take on the USA...Saddam turned on the Nation that bought his country from the Dark Ages into one of the richest countries on Earth..Now we have to Silence (Kill) him before he lets the rest of the worl know what he had to do for AMERICA when he was a dictator.
113726
I haven't heard, but my own opinion is they did. All those times the inspectors were going in the front and tractor trailers were going out the back of the WMD sites. They were going somewhere. There are reams and reams of captured documents that are still being sifted through, and if there are indications that Syria got weapons, that info may not be released - it might be better to approach them through diplomatic channels. Show them documents, satellite photo's, etc. Making public accusations will put them on the defensive and they would feel they have to save face on the world stage and with the other arab countries by standing up to the US. If we could convince them diplomatically to get rid of them (they don't want to fight the US) it would be a win win situation. The President doesn't care about the polls, just getting the job done, and if he can do it like this and without all the hoopla he will.
430283
Kurds are living large and having a wonderful time while their southern friends are killing themselves.  In addition, as long as the US is around the Turks can't come in and take their oil (as they so want to do).\n\nSo, as long as this Civil Ward (doh) - conflict I mean - continues they will build a strong country and be able to defend their new country that will not be part of Iraq when this is all said and done.\n\nInitially, the US wanted nothing to do with the Kurds having their own country.  But, while there is so many other problems we are leaving them alone and gave up on that thought.
351085
I don't know what that first person above me is talking about, but the problem is Iran and Syria. They are the ones propagating the violence in Iraq AND in Lebanon in order to better suit their own interests, that being to give the US hell to prevent the US from helping Israel in case Iran wants to attack Israel and to use the violence as a way to get the US to talk to Iran and Syria so that the US government can hear their case, that being their agenda in the Middle East. Also, Iran does not want a stable Iraq. Iran and Iraq had a long eight-year war with one another and over a million people were killed. If Iraq was stable and still under Saddam or any stable government, Iran would have a nation to contend with. Iran and Iraq have hated each other for more than two-thousand years, going all the way back to when Persia (modern Iran) conquered Babylon (modern Iraq).\nIt was stupid for us, the United States, to attack Iraq. It would have been in our better interests to leave that country alone, because now that Iraq is in shambles, there is no nation in the Middle East that can be used (besides Israel) to help fight Iran.
574719
Badly, very badly.\n\nAll three sides, the Sunnis, Kurds and Shi'ites will fight like dogs, and eventually the United States will not be able to stop it. Those Iraqi troops we trained will also come back to haunt us too. This is a bad situation, and all the weapons in the US arsenal will not be able to solve it.\n\nOn the upside, I think it would have happened one way or the other, contrary to liberal public opinion....sad situation, time for us to leave!
58029
There was an actual threat from Iraq.  Saddam has attacked other countries in the past (Kuwait and Iran) leaving even more countries in the area feeling insecure (Saudi Arabia and Israel).  Throw on some suspected WMD's, his disdain for the Western World, and know terrorist training camps in country and you have the recipe to get overthrown.  \n\nNorth Korea on the other hand is all bark and no bite.  Most of North Korea's military equipment dates back to the 1950's.  Plus, it's population is starving, so it's people are most likely not going to support it's government in a fight.  Have you ever scene National Geographic's world picture at night.  Notice South Korea is lit up like a Christmas tree while North Korea is almost completely dark.
507206
While I gotta say it does sound like something our government would come up with, I see a problem.  If we had deposed Saddam and left the Shiites and their oil fields would have gone to Iran.  The Kurds, and their oil fields, would probably have gone with Turkey, which has a Large Kurdish population.  That would leave the Iraqi Sunnis sitting in the desert with no oil fields, and no income, unless the Turks wanted them as well.  When Turkey joined the E.U., which it's wanted for a while and could with no problem once it had half the Iraqi oil supply in it's pocket, there would be no clear advantage to the U.S.  Maintaining a permanent presence in Iraq, like we did in Korea, is the only way our oil companies win over Europe's.  Nobody wants a regional war that will stop the oil flow, least of all Iraq, they need that money, they just won't be selling to us.
443620
some people amaze me .Its a long known fact that Saddam only got the power he had by being helped by the US , its also a long known fact that the weapons he had which he used to attack Kuwait and also to kill his own people were sold to him by the US and Europe Its another fact that the nuclear knowledge Iraq had was given by those i`ve already mentioned If the Kurds hadn`t stood up against Saddam which they only did because America gave them the impression they were going to join in and help them (which they had no intention of doing )they wouldn`t have been slaughtered for their punishment  Iraqi`s didn`t ask for their country to be destroyed, news programs on TV have interviewed countless Iraqi`s who say how much worse it is now than with Saddam The threat to America came because of decades of interference in the middle east . According to international law the Iraq invasion is illegal and an act of hostility
451923
well every country who has vital natural resources should be armed to the teeth to protect them selves. iraq did't hve the capabilty so that why the fasicst invaded them to grab thier oil, well iran is well prepared if the nazi's try to invade them and try to grab thier oil.
465725
the usa gave him the wepons to kill iranians . iran had a demcractaly elected leader in the fiftys who was very populr but he wanted to nationalise it oil so the americans sent the cia over to sort him out then they put a puppet called the shah in power the people of iran revolted against him and a guy called ayatulla homeni came in to power he critised america for what it done in its country. the americans didnt like that so they gave saddam all the wepones he wanted so he can kill all the iranians for the americans.(and the iranians still want to be friends with the usa after all that) but the usa dont want to be friends they just want control over the oil because the world is at peak oil supply now.and who ever has control over oil wll have all the power .\n\nand the uk and the usa are still supporting dictators and tortures in central asia thats where all the oil is now but afganistan was the only thing standing in its way but now that has been sorted out . why do you think the ussr was fighting over a land that has nothing but mountains and heroin? .so they can lay a pipe line to the sea .in some of countrys in central asia the goverments are blatently killing its opposion politicans and human rights actavists . i live in the uk and a lot of people are showing evidence of this to our goverment but they are brushing it aside just like they did with saddam. even the british ambasodor to uzbekistan coplaind to the uk goverment about the torture he was told to shut up and got trandferred to a nother embassy. as long as you are freindly with the usa then you can do this. and they will give you all the wepons you need to do there dirty work.
44078
Nothing. Just like they did in both Gulf Wars. If Turkey did not intercede when an Arab nation was invaded (Iraq, twice), they will not intercede when a non-Arab nation is attacked (Iran is a Muslim nation - NOT an Arab nation).\n\nTurkey understands that the balance of power would tilt unacceptably in Iran's favor if it developed nuclear weapons.
394677
the dumb ass american government saw that iraq had a lot of oil and got jealous. so they made up a long story and said they had to protect the iraqi civilians. now they're just killing them (if you wanna call that protect them)\nUS wanted oil, that's the reason. and as for weapons of mass destruction. aparently sadam had some. let him have them, the US has them too. and it´s none of the US' business if they have them in iraq, it´s their land, let them do what they please
308952
these liberals want you to believe that Saddam was over there minding his own business and petting his kittens. But in actuality he was defying UN mandates for over 10 years. gassing (WMD's) people in his own country who he thought were inferior. and jailing, torturing and killing people who did not share his religious and political views.
367160
The "experts" aren't always 'expert' in their way of thinking. What is worse than hundreds of Iraqis being killed everyday EVEN THOUGH the United States troops are still there!? You have "violence and chaos" everyday in Iraq. Every single day.\n\nUnfortunately many in the United States simply do not care about other people. They fail to recognize that many Iraqis truly want peace and stability. Those who do want change, want only the lesser of two evils. That US troops go home, rather than to kill them.\nBush wants Iran to stay out of Iraqi affairs. This will not happen as Iraq needs Iran. In fact they have already made up their minds that Iran will be a part of their upcoming decisions. Maliki made a telling statement this morning., He didn't seem to back off of what our president wants. My guess is that Maliki has already talked to not only Iran, but Syria as well.  This is THEIR Middle East.\nThe US has left permanent unforgettable footprints on Iraqi soil. Such footprints have stomped on other nations where the U.S. simply had no business interfering.\nLeave Middle East business to the Middle East before we are all engaged in another world war.
604371
You know.... this whole WMD debate is really just flat silly.  We KNOW they had WMD's for two very obvous reasons.  \n\n1)  He used them to gas hundreds of Kurds in '88.  He killed hundred of people!!  It's not propaganda, it's not right wing rhetoric, it's not some strange fruit cakes unsubstantiated editorial..  It's a fact!!\n\n2)  The other reason we know, though a little less welcome in the media is that WE SOLD THEM TO IRAQ!!  Durring the Iran Iraq war, we backed Saddam.  Makes sense after Iran overran our embassy and held captive our diplomats back in '79 for us to back their oposition.  The enemy of our enemy is our friend kind of thing.  Just as we trained and equiped Afgani "freedom fighters" durring the soviet invation, we trained and equiped Iraq durring the Iran Iraq war.  We know they had WMD's then, because we have the reciepts.  It's a plain, unwelcome fact.  Made sense at the time, but there it is.  \n\nClinton may or may not have had data on WMD's in Iraq in '98, but I really don't see how it matters, they were there.  The WMD's are most likely either burried in the desert, or in Seria now.
367546
Which one? The slaughter of the Kurds (with chemical weapons of mass destruction) in 1991? \n\nThe current slaughter of Shiites by deposed Sunnis?\n\nThe targeting of innocent contractors who are working to rebuild Iraq by terrorists from Iran and Syria?