Iraq's Saddam Hussein: CIA Asset - Client Dictator

1959: After failed attempt upon life of Iraqi President General Qassim, Saddam flees to Egypt.- In Cairo, Hussein repeatedly visits the US Embassy, and meets with CIA agents interested in the downfall of the Qassim Government - PBS Frontline Upon his return to Iraq, the CIA installs Hussein in an apartment on al-Rashid St., directly opposite Qassim's office in Iraq'sMinistry of Defense, to observe his movements. - UPI 1963: President Qassim is assassinated in the first Ba'athist coup. The United States is among the first nations to recognize the new government, and arms shipments begin immediately. The next five years bring two more CIA-backed Ba'athist coups. Under their regimes, Western business interests, such as Mobil, Bechtel and British Petroleum begin operations in Iraq. 1968: The final Ba'athist coup brings Ahmad Hassan Al Bakr to power, who places his cousin,Saddam Hussein in charge of the state security apparatus. 1979: CIA asset, Saddam Hussein seizes power in a palace coup - afterwards, he liquidates all political opponents within the Iraqi Ba'ath party. 1980: The incoming Reagan administration, seeing the Islamic revolution in Iran as a threat, encourages the subsequent Iraqi invasion of Iran, with promises of arms, money and intelligence In addition to billions of dollars in arms, the Reagan Administration provides the Iraqi Regime with chemical and biological weapons. One year after Iraq uses US-supplied chemical weapons against Iranian troops, the Reagan Administration resumes normal diplomatic relations with Iraq, and removes it from the list of countries that support terrorism [picture of Donald Rumsfeld greeting Saddam Hussein]. The Iran/Iraq War stretches on for 8 years, claims over a million lives and bankrupts Iraq. 1988: After the war ends, Iraq's former ally, Kuwait floods the world oil market, lowering oil prices, worldwide. This undercuts Iraq's efforts to rebuild its war-ravaged economy and infrastructure. After Hussein's pleas fall on deaf ears, he begins to consider military action against Kuwait. When he informs the US about his plans to invade Kuwait, US Ambassador, April Glaspie tells him: "We (The United States) have no opinion on your border dispute with Kuwait. James Baker (then Secretary of State) has instructed our spokesmen to EMPHASIZE this instruction." Given this green light to invade Kuwait, Saddam Hussein does so. The Bush Administration immediately reneges’ on its assurances, and begins preparations for war. Iraqi offers to withdraw from Kuwait, in exchange for convening a Middle East peace summit are ignored.- The rest is history... September 11, 2001: Al-qaeda terrorists launch a coordinated attack on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon Using these attacks as a pretext, the Bush Administration launches a second war against Hussein's Iraq - Even though there are no links between Iraq and the terrorists who executed the 9/11 attacks. In this invasion, hundreds of Americans and thousands of Iraqi civilians die. December 13, 2003: 40-year veteran CIA-asset, Saddam Hussein is handed over to US occupation forces by an undisclosed Iraqi group. Ladies and Gentlemen, we've always had him. Video (about 4 mins):