Indeed the Americans supported then Saddam . They had no other choice . They knew very well his history . Qassam Got rid of Nuri Saiyd the last "normal" pro western prime minister of Iraq . Araf executed Qassam on a RADIO Broadcast . Saddam got rid of Araf in a bloody coup . The last three colonels that have ruled Iraq , since 1958 , were dogmatically affiliated to the "socialist" , anti western , secular Baath party . The Americans used Saddam , rightly so , against the more fanatical regime that took over Iran from their tradituional ally the Shah . In 1979 , there was a real threat of Iranisation of the middle east . Historians would admit that in hindsight , the assistance to Saddam BLOCKED the export of the Iranian pios Moslem fanatism but has also created a new monster to the Western policy . Saddam simply refused to play the game that was designed for him . First of all , he embarked on a new platform of acquiring a capability of producing weapons of mass destruction , then attacked Quwait and Israel . He chose to be an enemy to the West . The fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war , were the catalysts to his removal which is still due. By all counts , he is a crazy dictator ( of the league of Idi Amin for instance ) . Even his other Baath party half - Haffez Assad - the Syrian dictator , loathed him all his life . His only ally within the Arab world was intermittently though ,Yassar Arafat . The man and his sons are simply too dangerous and unpredictable . They are also a very slim minority in Iraq itself , come from the Taqriti tribe , which most Iraquis do not like at all . There is nothing wrong with the thessis that supports the view that if one country has 40% of future OIL reserves on earth , that country SHOULD be controled by the MAIN ENGINES of humanity as we know it today . Afterall , the progress and technology , have all stemmed from the WEST , and without oil , we are all doomed . Simple as that . The USA , has assumed the role of the global ranger , simply because no one else is able or/and willing to . And SOMEBODY has to in this global village we live in . Australia must be allied to the USA because POTENTIALLY it could be confronted dogmas such as that one which calls certain parts of Australia SOUTH IRIAN . What looks today as a very remote probability of marginal groups in certain countries , history teach us , can easily change and become centre stage political and military mainstream . Therefore , leaders , with historical long term vision , act accordingly . Australia , IMHO , has strategic alliance with the USA n the UK and the current policy is the right one and the only valid one . It of cousre ,is demanding , which the masses are not ready for .Duff
