Saturday, October 09, 2004
Do not take lessons in strategic thinking from this man. Not.
~ quote ~
Saddam Hussein ... told aides, like Ali Hasan al-Majid, a close adviser, that "the better part of war is deceiving,'' according to a report by the chief American arms inspector in Iraq.
Mr. Majid said Mr. Hussein "wanted to avoid appearing weak and did not reveal he was deceiving the world about the presence of W.M.D.,'' or weapons of mass destruction.
The report by the chief arms inspector, Charles A. Duelfer ... offered an answer to one of the most enduring mysteries of the war in Iraq: why did Mr. Hussein risk so much to hide the truth that Iraq did not possess such weapons?
Mr. Hussein's strategic actions were aimed at one overriding objective, "the survival of himself, his regime and his legacy,'' the report concluded.
The report found that Mr. Hussein purposely communicated an ambiguous impression about whether Iraq possessed these weapons mainly as a deterrent...
In 1991, Mr. Hussein believed the threat that Iraq might use these weapons had helped deter the United States-led coalition from advancing as far as Baghdad...
According to the report, Mr. Hussein confused his own generals because he tried to foster the impression among them that Iraq could resist a ground attack using unconventional weapons... (NY Times)
~ end quote ~
"OK, Uday and Qusay, here's the plan: First we fool the world into thinking we have all these weapons. Then our apparent strength will deter our enemies so the survival of our selves, our regime, and our legacy will be forever assured.... "
