I generally avoid political threads like the plague. But, the issue of Hussein is one I make exception for.
If I hadn't been researching the topic for a book I was considering writing, I guess it wouldn't be an issue.
Prior to 911, there was a fair amount of intelligence assessments available to the public and part of what I was reading over concerned Hussein.
The short version being that despite his personal ambitions and what he had done to the people within his country. He was not a participant or supporter of Internation Terrorism. For the very fact that he was the head of a state that gave him a fixed address to which made his activities traceable. And, dealing with international terrorism made him vulnerable in two ways. By retaliation from the US/Israel/Europe etc and by the terrorists that he might have supported.
Idealogicly he had nothing in common with them, and he had to protect his status as a Head of State, for his own survival.
Most of the open sources dried up after 9/11. Maybe I should have faxed my copies to someone in Washington, it might have saved us some trouble.
... fat chance, hey?
