Comments on: Getting to know Saddam Hussein: the FBI conversations http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/03/getting-to-know-saddam-hussein-the-fbi-conversations/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:16:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Leslie Bursill http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/03/getting-to-know-saddam-hussein-the-fbi-conversations/#comment-30381 Leslie Bursill Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:26:49 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=71419#comment-30381 Sadam who?? Sadam who??

]]> By: Sue Hoffman http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/03/getting-to-know-saddam-hussein-the-fbi-conversations/#comment-30368 Sue Hoffman Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:25:25 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/?p=71419#comment-30368 Re his greatest accomplishments I think what he said is fair enough; its consistent with what Iraqis who otherwise hate the man have told me, and what history records. In the 1970s Saddam was instrumental in transforming Iraq from a predominantly agrarian country to an industrialized modern state. He nationalized the oil industry and with the revenue - which increased from US$1.8 billion in 1973 to US$23.6 billion in 1978 - the government embarked on a vast program of providing housing, roads, refrigerators, televisions, free healthcare, literacy and education services to the Iraqi population. This doesn't diminish the bad stuff he did but knowing about what improved in Iraq under his leadership goes part way to understanding why in some quarters he was so popular. Re his greatest accomplishments I think what he said is fair enough; its consistent with what Iraqis who otherwise hate the man have told me, and what history records. In the 1970s Saddam was instrumental in transforming Iraq from a predominantly agrarian country to an industrialized modern state. He nationalized the oil industry and with the revenue - which increased from US$1.8 billion in 1973 to US$23.6 billion in 1978 - the government embarked on a vast program of providing housing, roads, refrigerators, televisions, free healthcare, literacy and education services to the Iraqi population.

This doesn’t diminish the bad stuff he did but knowing about what improved in Iraq under his leadership goes part way to understanding why in some quarters he was so popular.

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