Saturday, March 26, 2016

Saddam Hussein: Rise and Fall of a Dictator

Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq for 24 year, beginning in 1979, and is well-known for his dictatorial rule and subsequent capture and execution. He proved himself a ruthless politician and rose to power as part of a coup, and as the nation's leader, he did much to improve Iraq's economy, education, health-care, and industry, particular in the area of oil. However, he was largely condemned in the Western Hemisphere for his brutality, and is thought to have caused over 250,000 deaths.

He was born in the town of Al-Awja on April 28, 1937, to a family of shepherds. He lived under the guidance of his uncle in his early years after fleeing from his harsh stepfather. He studied at an Iraqi law school but dropped out at the age of 20 to join a revolutionary political party. As a member of this Ba'ath party, he helped overthrow the country's ruler in a military coup. Eventually, the Ba'ath party came to control the government, and Saddam gained power steadily, first as the deputy chairman of the council, then as the party's clear moving force. He became the president of Iraq on July 17, 1979.

Saddam solidified his power through various means. Iraq had always been split into countless factions, which was a major cause of tension between groups like the Sunni and Shi'ite. He moved up the government ranks by working on ways to strengthen the unity of his party and expand its influence, while addressing the country's major domestic problems. In addition, he not only improved living standards, but also actively repressed rising factions. He dominated the oil industry, but also diversified the Iraqi economy through a campaign that helped the nation's energy industries and brought electricity to most of the country's cities.

However, he also showed a ruthless side. During an assembly meeting shortly after he became president, 68 names were read off of a list. These people were promptly arrested, tried, and found guilty of treason, with many of them being sentenced to death. By August of 1979, hundreds more of Saddam Hussein's political enemies had been executed. He also caused thousands of deaths by invading oil-rich regions of Iran and later Kuwait. This is what prompted a UN coalition to confront the Iraqi forces and drive them back in a crushing defeat.

Much like previous authoritarian dictators before him, Saddam Hussein developed a cult of personality that was constantly present throughout society. There were thousands of portraits and statues of him, and he was often shown in a positive light, portrayed wearing either Western suits or as a devout Muslim. He conducted two show elections, in which he received exactly 100% of the people's votes.

Saddam Hussein's fall began when the Bush administration began to suspect his ties to al Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden, and named Iraq a part of the "Axis of Evil." There were claims that the country was developing weapons of mass destruction, even though inspections by the UN gave little or no evidence. US forces toppled the Iraqi government regardless, and after an extensive search, Saddam Hussein was caught, tried for crimes against humanity, and sentenced to death. However, his legacy and influence lives on, in the form of both benefits and harm to his country.

6 comments:

  1. I wonder how to judge a dictator famous for both his reforms and his cruelty. How does one interpret their doings in such a way that they can either deem them progressive, or an autocratic destructionist? Even if it depends on the historian at the time of writing, how do history books and websites choose how to view a ruler?

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  2. I wonder how to judge a dictator famous for both his reforms and his cruelty. How does one interpret their doings in such a way that they can either deem them progressive, or an autocratic destructionist? Even if it depends on the historian at the time of writing, how do history books and websites choose how to view a ruler?

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  3. When people hear the name Saddam Hussein it doesn't usually bring good images to their mind, so I think it's interesting you focused a little on the good things he did while in power as well as the bad. Had he not been sentenced to death after 24 years of power how would Iraq be different?

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  4. Much of the current conflict that ails the modern state of Iraq stems largely from the failures in the American occupation and rebuilding after the war. The war itself has arguments persisting from both sides, although as consequences reveal themselves it seems as if everyone was against the Iraq War since the beginning (though there was a 76% approval rating of the war in 2003 Gallup polls), but our real mistake was our failure in nation building.

    It them comes to the question as to how far we are willing as a nation to compromise our promise to human rights and democracy if it be at the cost of stability (or oil rights as some may say). If we as a nation are ok with human rights abuses if it means general regional stability, the case can be made for a stabilized Iraq under Hussein being the optimal situation. However, if we hold our morals to a pedestal, we must accept responsibility for whatever happens next.

    It is unarguable that the topple of Hussein was a huge regional change, but it is important to consider that there are no perfect actions in this world and this blog post sums that up very well by showing both his good and his bad.

    http://www.gallup.com/poll/8038/seventytwo-percent-americans-support-war-against-iraq.aspx
    http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-07-31/news/0307310190_1_saddam-hussein-textbooks-iraqi

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  5. Although Saddam Hussein was known for the many evil and dark things he had accomplished, I really liked how you focused on the good for a bit. It almost seems that for every right he did, he also had to do a wrong to make up for it. Overall I really like your summary of Saddam and I really liked how you were concise about it but very informative.

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  6. Although Saddam Hussein was known for the many evil and dark things he had accomplished, I really liked how you focused on the good for a bit. It almost seems that for every right he did, he also had to do a wrong to make up for it. Overall I really like your summary of Saddam and I really liked how you were concise about it but very informative.

    ReplyDelete