Make no mistake. Saddam Hussain was no democrat, far from it. He ruled despotically.
Yet all Iraqis under his rule got free universal healthcare and education to the highest levels.
Three years after his ascension to power, Iraq was awarded the UNESCO prize for eradicating illiteracy.
Farmers got land, loans, modern machinery, discounted seeds, water, and other help. Iraqis got land to build homes and government loans.
Public employees got living quarters rent free. Ample potable water and electricity was available nationwide. Model villages were constructed.
Infrastructure matched Western standards. Light and heavy industries flourished.
Women had more rights than in most other Arab countries, including the right to vote, attend school, run for political office and own property. They played an active role in the political and economic development in the country.
After the Gulf War, preceded months earlier by genocidal sanctions, everything changed. Iraq’s longstanding nightmare began—US imperial ruthlessness fully responsible.
Millions of Iraqis suffered and died from then to today, including around 5,000 children under age five perishing monthly from genocidal sanctions.
In 1998, UN Iraqi humanitarian relief head Dennis Halliday resigned because he was ordered “to implement a policy that satisfies the definition of genocide: a deliberate policy that . . . killed well over one million individuals, children and adults,” he explained.
Endless violence and chaos continues today—the result wherever America shows up, including widespread arrests, brutal torture and other forms of abuse.
Under US imposed rules, many thousands were harmed, women as mistreated as men. Many reported being repeatedly raped during detentions. A culture of impunity still exists.
“In 2004, Americans and world audiences recall the horrors of torture, rape, sodomy, murder, and other abuses by US military personnel at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison.
Horrific abuses continue, ignored by media scoundrels, notably ongoing in the US-orchestrated destruction of Mosul, falsely called a battle to liberate the city.
US-recruited and trained Iraqi forces match the brutality of ISIS extremists. Washington and Baghdad know what’s going on but do nothing about it.
Unknown numbers of fleeing Mosul residents are arrested, detained, interrogated and brutally tortured—much like what went on at Abu Ghraib and other torture prisons, America complicit in clear violation of international law.
Authorities of both countries want evidence of what’s happening suppressed, including torturing detainees, forcing them to confess to anything demanded to stop excruciating pain.
Mosul’s so-called liberators are murderers, rapists and torturers—monsters by any standard, brutalizing detainees, often murdering them in cold blood.
Obama-appointed special presidential envoy for the so-called “global coalition to counter” ISIS Washington created and supports Brett McGurk lied, saying: “Iraqi forces have bravely placed civilian protection as top priority throughout Mosul campaign, at great risk to their own personnel.”
Their high crimes continue, numerous Mosul residents fleeing ISIS brutalized in their custody, many murdered to silence them.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Visit his blog at sjlendman.blogspot.com . Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
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Saddam’s Iraq was paradise compared to now
Posted on June 7, 2017 by Stephen Lendman
Make no mistake. Saddam Hussain was no democrat, far from it. He ruled despotically.
Yet all Iraqis under his rule got free universal healthcare and education to the highest levels.
Three years after his ascension to power, Iraq was awarded the UNESCO prize for eradicating illiteracy.
Farmers got land, loans, modern machinery, discounted seeds, water, and other help. Iraqis got land to build homes and government loans.
Public employees got living quarters rent free. Ample potable water and electricity was available nationwide. Model villages were constructed.
Infrastructure matched Western standards. Light and heavy industries flourished.
Women had more rights than in most other Arab countries, including the right to vote, attend school, run for political office and own property. They played an active role in the political and economic development in the country.
After the Gulf War, preceded months earlier by genocidal sanctions, everything changed. Iraq’s longstanding nightmare began—US imperial ruthlessness fully responsible.
Millions of Iraqis suffered and died from then to today, including around 5,000 children under age five perishing monthly from genocidal sanctions.
In 1998, UN Iraqi humanitarian relief head Dennis Halliday resigned because he was ordered “to implement a policy that satisfies the definition of genocide: a deliberate policy that . . . killed well over one million individuals, children and adults,” he explained.
Endless violence and chaos continues today—the result wherever America shows up, including widespread arrests, brutal torture and other forms of abuse.
Under US imposed rules, many thousands were harmed, women as mistreated as men. Many reported being repeatedly raped during detentions. A culture of impunity still exists.
“In 2004, Americans and world audiences recall the horrors of torture, rape, sodomy, murder, and other abuses by US military personnel at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison.
Horrific abuses continue, ignored by media scoundrels, notably ongoing in the US-orchestrated destruction of Mosul, falsely called a battle to liberate the city.
US-recruited and trained Iraqi forces match the brutality of ISIS extremists. Washington and Baghdad know what’s going on but do nothing about it.
Unknown numbers of fleeing Mosul residents are arrested, detained, interrogated and brutally tortured—much like what went on at Abu Ghraib and other torture prisons, America complicit in clear violation of international law.
Authorities of both countries want evidence of what’s happening suppressed, including torturing detainees, forcing them to confess to anything demanded to stop excruciating pain.
Mosul’s so-called liberators are murderers, rapists and torturers—monsters by any standard, brutalizing detainees, often murdering them in cold blood.
Obama-appointed special presidential envoy for the so-called “global coalition to counter” ISIS Washington created and supports Brett McGurk lied, saying: “Iraqi forces have bravely placed civilian protection as top priority throughout Mosul campaign, at great risk to their own personnel.”
Their high crimes continue, numerous Mosul residents fleeing ISIS brutalized in their custody, many murdered to silence them.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Visit his blog at sjlendman.blogspot.com . Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.