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The Personal History of Saddam Hussein
According to reports by Hanna Batatu (a government reporter), Hussein rose quickly through the ranks, due to his
extreme efficiency as a torturer.
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That's only part of the picture. Torturers do not usually become heads of state.
Saddam Hussein rose through the ranks and became chief honcho of Iraq for two main reasons:
1. He was the most cunning and ruthless at manoeuvering for power, and
2. He was an ultra-nationalist and a fierce anti-communist.
The latter endeared him no end to the people in Washington, who subsequently assisted any way they could (without upsetting the Israeli lobby), just as they did with most Ba'athists of the Right, in places such as Syria or Libya, who were equally anti-communist. Washington actively helped Hussein to fight off the secular, patriotic, "leftist" opposition and effectively remain in power.
This has passed under the bridge a
long time ago...