Did you know that Saddam Hussein wanted the world to believe he had WMD's?

Question

He did not fear the United States because he was sure that the United States would go through the UN to get him removed and he felt the UN would never allow it. He feared Iran a lot more.

Answer 1

Yep.  And I believe the Bush administration knew as well.  Would they have invaded if he had them?  I don't think so.

Answer 2

I imagine that is why he used them on his own people.  

Answer 3

I know one thing. I rather have a liberal in office than a neoconservative. Know why?

Because the liberals have been more conservative than the neocons in the last years. It's a proven fact that the economy did better under liberals.

I'm a true conservative. I'm ashamed of what my former party has become and wish to not associate myself with them any longer.

We need to bring back Ronald Reagan, a true conservative!

Answer 4

Well, for your info, he indeed did have WMD.

While waiting for the UN Inspectors to get over

there and look for them (which took a half a year), he rushed them to Syria on passenger

planes (as a decoy) so by the time Inspectors

did get there, of course they had been moved

out of Iraq.

Answer 5

Of course he did, just like the Russians used to fly the same war planes by over and over when doing circular fly pasts being observed by the Americans, they wanted them to believe.  In both cases the Americans also wanted to believe to justify building their gigantic industrial military complex that allows them to dominate the world.  Saddam didn't fear Iran at all, they were his enemy for uniting the masses (a godsend to dictatorships) same as our governments are using 'terrorism' to 'unite' us now.  He didn't think the US really wanted to remove him because he knew that they knew there were no WMDs, US arms inspectors had been crawling all over the country for 10 years!  Iraq had been undercutting all of OPEC and was keeping oil cheaper than it had been since the 60's after Gulf war one.  Saddam thought he knew what the people behind the Bush presidency really wanted, he hadn't bargained on them really wanting to foment war all over the Middle East to grab 60 to 100 years of free oil as the Russians become ever bigger producers.

Answer 6

Is that why he kept saying, "We have no WMD's. We have abandoned those programs. I cannot give you what I do not have..."

If Saddam wanted the world to believe he had WMD's, that was a pretty stupid way to accomplish it.

Answer 7

Yes.

What you have is not as important as what you lead people to believe you have.  Saddam underestimated Bush and his unrelenting desire to topple him from power.

Answer 8

You must remember, Saddam Hussein was really not a very smart man -- just ruthless.

Mr. Hussein was show-boating for the Iranians and made a simple miscalculation.  He did not believe that the US would actually invade and occupy his country.  He was willing to put up with the occasional airstrike.  And since there were no WMDs, there were none there for us to destroy so air strikes would do little damage.  He had no other military targets worth taking out, either.

It is a little sad to know that this minor player in world affairs has been so effective at doing such great harm to this nation.

Answer 9

The threat of Nuclear weapons have served North Korea pretty well.  I can see where he wanted that kind of leverage.  

Answer 10

That sounds like somebody's interpretation of the events.  But how can one tell this is true?  It would be difficult to prove, because it involves his motives and private thoughts.

Answer 11

It runs deeper than that.  Saddam feared his mortal foe Iran much more especially since he had a veto on the UN security council in the form of France and President of France Chirac.  Chirac had provided Iraq it's Nuclear Reactor destroyed by Israel and had France intertwined in the corrupt "oil for food" program.  

Saddam's favorite movie was "Black Hawk Down" which was used to convince himself that the US would pull out of any fight if they got a blood nose.  The facts were Clinton was the reason we pulled out of any fight deemed too hard, but Saddam didn't count on 9-11 or Bush being ready to take on the cost necessary to defeat him.  

Answer 12

Saddam was full of deceptions. Including WMD's He did have them before, so it was not hard to believe he still had some stashed away. I bet there are a few hiding in Syria yet. His own generals admitted transporting them there before the coalition attacked.

Answer 13

Yep.

America went through the UN.

Saddam miscalculated and though a weak demorat appeaser was in charge.

Answer 14

yeah, according to Saddam himself, "I once had them, but after investigations started they were destroyed, I kept up appearances of having them to keep Iran from invading my borders"