[Professor S]

Ok, maybe it was Kuwaits oil fields. I'm not positive about it, but if he's willing to do that, do you really put burning his own oil fields out of the possibility if he sees the end coming?

As for Bush saying he'd kill Saddam given the opportunity... GOOD. At least he's honest, unlike Saddam with his complete BS about respect the American people. If he doesn't respect his own people, why should we believe he respects us?

For those of you who believe that he seemed like a "reasonable" man during Dan Rathers softball fest of an interview, here's a brief history of Saddam:

- After a failed coupe as part of a revolutionary party (basically the hit man) he spent several years in jail studying Stalin, Hitler and other despots

- Late sixties - After Isreal made their premptive strike against several Arab nations gearing for war with them, Iraqi confidence in their leaders dwindled and Saddams party took over with his distant cousin as leader. Hussein was his right hand man and hatchet man for lack of a better term. During his tenyear as the muscleman he modernized the nation, turning shanty towns to bustling marketplaces and ramped up the Iraqi military creating a surge in National pride.* Also, during this time he staged public exocutions of "conspirators" every few months. These conspirators just happened to be mainly Iraqi Jews and Kurds. Big surpise.

He soon took power, and 5 days after he became "president" he staged a nationally televised conference with all of Iraq's most powerful leaders and opinion makers. On national television the called out the names of 250 "conspirators" who were removed from the building and never seen again.

Saddam takes a mistress. His oldest son protests and tries to kill himself. While recovering in the hospital Saddam beats his son, breaking his arm. Once his son is better, he imprisons him for 50 days and tortures him

Fast forward to the late 70's, Iraq looks to consolidate the Gulf Region and sees Iran as being the likely target to do so.* The invasion is on (yes, with the support of the US, but considering the Ayatollah had a US hostage fetish at the time thats understandable). The war did not go as planned and drug on for years.

1981 - Saddam tries to develop a Nuclear weapon to use against the Iranians. Isreal catches wind and bombs the reactor potentially saving a million lives. The war drags on. Iraq wants a cease fire, but the Ayatollah swears top destroy Iraq. One of Saddams aids recommends Saddam temprarily steps down to get the cease fire, and is immediately arrested. The aid's wife begs for her husband to be returned, and Hussein promises he will. Hussein keeps this promise. He returned her husband, chopped into small pieces in a black canvas bag.

1988 - A cease fire is finally called with the borders the same, but with each country having 500,000 less people. The Kurds who have been persecuted through much of this time choose this as a good time to rebel, and are gassed. 3,000 men women and children are killed.

With over 1,000,000 unemployed military personnel and empty coffers from a decade of war, Hussein looks to the oil rich neighbor Kuwait as a potential relief to their economic woes.

After losing the Gulf War, Iraq must agree to the terms and they do. They ignore these terms and are caught in 1998 and found guilty of developing weapons of mass destruction.

Resolution 1441, the last chance. By international law, Iraq must prove that they have destroyed their illegal weapons and are not producing them anymore. To date they have not done so and have managed to twist the burden of prooof to the UN and US, which is NOT what 1441 was written to accomplish.

*Reminiscent of Hitler

So, does he sound resonable now, or more like a hawkish Hitler wannabee with a God complexe and no respect for human life?