All articles tagged with #saddam hussein
Author Steve Coll's new book, "The Achilles Trap," delves into Saddam Hussein's perspective on his complex relationship with the United States, using previously unreleased audio tapes and transcripts of internal meetings. The book offers a fresh look at Hussein's views and sheds light on the events leading up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which was based on the claim that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Cpl. Desmond Bailey, an Alabama police officer who was part of the unit that helped capture Saddam Hussein in 2003, has passed away. Bailey, who served in the U.S. Marines and Army before pursuing a career in law enforcement, was described as courageous and selfless by his colleagues. The cause of his death is unknown. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
Ukraine has been using a long-range British cruise missile, originally designed to hit Saddam Hussein in his bathroom, to target Russian military operations. The missile, known as Storm Shadow, has allowed Ukraine to strike Russian targets at a greater distance, including a bridge that supplied Russia's front-line troops in southern Ukraine.
Saddam Hussein's statues and images have been removed from Baghdad, but the hope that came with wiping away his oppressive visual presence has evaporated due to years of brutal violence, a wrecked economy, and rampant corruption by the new political elite of sectarian-based factions. Some of Saddam's signature monuments remain in place, largely because they had a nationalist meaning that went beyond him. The domination of Iran-backed Shiite parties in the government has led to the proliferation of Shiite imagery around Baghdad.
Saddam Hussein's statues and images have been removed from Iraq, but the hope that came with it has evaporated due to years of violence, a wrecked economy, and rampant corruption by the new political elite of sectarian-based factions. Some of Saddam's signature monuments remain in place, largely because they had a nationalist meaning that went beyond him. The Victory Arch and the al-Shaheed Monument still tower over the Tigris River. Saddam's presence can still be found on the American University in Baghdad campus, where his initials are etched on the walls and ceilings.
As the 20th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq approaches, the high toll of the conflict is still being calculated, with as many as 210,038 Iraqi civilians and 4,599 U.S. troops killed. Iraqis had warned of chaos and danger from any regime change, and scenes from early 2003 showed people afraid of their country's dictator and of his sudden downfall. The invasion was marked by poor U.S. planning, tragically wrong assumptions, and misleading claims about alleged chemical weapons stockpiles. The country descended into civil war between Sunni and Shia factions, and foreign troops were unable to keep the peace or nation-build in a country that didn't want to be occupied.
Saddam Hussein's luxurious yachts, the "Al-Mansur" and "Bashrah Breeze," have met very different fates since his death. The "Al-Mansur" remains wrecked in a river, now a picnic site for fishermen, while the "Bashrah Breeze" was briefly put up for sale before being claimed by the Iraqi government. Despite rumors of it becoming a hotel for pilots, it has not been used for such purposes. Some Iraqis believe the wrecks should be preserved for history, while others think it's best to leave them to the river.
Saddam Hussein's 121-meter yacht, "al-Mansur," which was a symbol of his wealth and power, now lies capsized in a river in southern Iraq and serves as a destination for sightseers and fishermen who climb aboard to picnic and drink tea. The yacht was targeted by US-led forces during the invasion in 2003 and later fell into decay. Though some Iraqis say the wreck should be preserved, successive governments have not allocated funds to recover it.