One of my Iraqi friends once told me, “Under Saddam, we had free education, decent healthcare, money, development, stable security. He challenged the imperialists in the West. And now? If I could go back in time, I'd fix my clueless brain, pick up a gun, and fight for Saddam instead of the opposition. Look at Iraq now, what did we achieve, zero, nothing”.
The local political opposition to S. Hussein was a tiny minority. His biggest opposition was a foreign force, the Pentagon invaders, who later installed a Shia puppet regime!
Some of the positives under Saddam Hussein: Education was free from kindergarten to PHD. He Lowered the percentage of illiteracy to 0% Monthly free food program, basic food a person needs to survive ( beans, rice, sugar etc) Iraqis used to pay only $1.5 for electricity bill avery 3 months (water the same). Iraqs used to fill gas for only around $.35 He also helped many Arab countries with their economy.
Yes, Putin is the exception. He happens to be a nationalist leader as well, challenging US interests, but too powerful for the US to tackle using military force.
Terrorists Bush I & II killed more people in Iraq than S. Hussein could ever have done, even if he were to be 1000 years in power. S. Hussein was ruthless only against those who wanted to remove him from power, or challenged his authority in armed rebellion, like the Kurds, otherwise his policy was to improve the living conditions of common Iraqis.
The problem was he picked and chose who of the poor he helped, and made their life hell cos of the jealousy etc it created within their community! A sick way of torturing a family by showing them affection! A very nice guy huh
If he didn't care for the living conditions of ordinary Iraqis, Iraq couldn't have been the most advanced Middle-Eastern country, Israel and Turkey excluded. He wasn't selective at all. Brainwashed and ignorant US herd can think otherwise.