Book Description
General Sada paints a picture of Hussein, his regime-and his country-that is at once personal and truthful, compelling and sobering.
Customer Reviews:
Saddam's Secrets.......2007-10-15
General Sada reveals how Saddam moved much of the WMD stockpile to Syria, taking advantage of a call for assistance in a flood. He used airplanes from Iraqi Airways to make fifty-six trips to turn over to Syrian Army Ordinance his stockpile for safekeeping. Sada also reveals much of what was taking place in Saddam's quest for nuclear weapons. He was an insider and had first-hand knowledge of what was really going on.
This is the Book the Leftist Establishment has Fahrenheit 451'd.......2007-09-17
I have been reading Georges Hormuz Sada's harrowing account of life in Iraq during the ruthlessly cruel regime of Saddam Hussein. He seems like an honest man worthy of our respect. And yet, I strongly suspect that "Saddam's Secrets" was only a modest success. The leftist dominated MSM and intellectual institutions pretend it doesn't even exist. Try finding anything on Google.com. The results will be virtually fruitless. The author, who was a close advisor to Saddam, has been effectively dropped into a Fahrenheit 451 memory hole. Sada is thankful that the Bush administration liberated Iraq. He also tells the world about the late dictator's weapons of mass destruction. These are truths the leftist establishment prefers to ignore. There is no doubt in my mind but that Sada's name would constantly be in the news if he told the leftists what they wanted to hear. The "elite" university crowd would pay him thousands of dollars for a two-hour lecture.
Georges Sada's book reminds me why I'm so lucky to be an American. Our citizens, after all, are not murdered for casually disagreeing with the country's leader. Sada is a very brave man. We owe it to him and ourselves to be victorious in Iraq.
Iraq from a TRUE INSIDER.......2007-07-12
Gen Georges, born & lived in Iraq all his natural-born days, a rare "Assyrian Christian", which perhaps is why Saddam trusted him and sought out his opinion, though he rarely followed it. Georges told him "2+2=4", when all the other sycophants were telling Saddam "2+2=9". How different things might have been!! A very skilled fighter pilot, Georges rose to one of the highest position in the Air Force, which gave him the opportunity to train in the US and the UK. At the time of writing, he was in the Defense Dept of the present Iraqi government. He was true to his government since he was a true patriot, but realized how horribly evil Saddam was. He says the bad dude was constantly scheming for his own ends, though his government was supposed to be "socialist" (didn't we hear that from another government which collapsed in 1990 after more than 70 years in power? As of the writing (copyright '06), Georges was quite hopeful. It would be interesting to hear this thinking at this juncturre!!
The Devil in Disguise.......2007-03-10
The author of "Saddam's Secrets," Georges Sada, is an Assyrian Christian born and raised in northern Iraq. He was a General in the Iraqi Air Force. Besides being the best pilot in the entire Iraqi Air Force he was also the only one who defied Saddam every time he was asked to comment, describe or advice on any crazy matters that came to Saddam's vile and morally reprehensible mind. However, others close to Saddam who tried to defy him in answering the same crazy questions wound up with their head chopped off. Georges preserved his Christian values and told Saddam the truth and nothing but the truth -----and God helped Georges Sada. Saddam was stupid, and ignorant, but exceptionally cunning. He knew he needed someone to tell him the truth regardless of how deplorable it was for him to accept it.
*Excerpt: "Ever since Saddam seized power in 1979--and, really, for a decade before that--we knew that truth was whatever the leader said it was. I Saddam wanted two plus two to equal nine, then everybody would say it was nine."
According to the author, Saddam was a stupid and ignorant, unknowledgeable man, however, "Saddam was cunning, crafty, clever and an expert in manipulation: "I've often said he was a genius. Like the communist leader Josef Stalin, on whom Saddam modeled himself, he was truly a genius at doing evil. He was a man without a conscience. He was ruthless and brutal, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to achieve his own ends. He killed many times and ordered the brutal murders of hundreds of thousands of [his] own people."
The author tells how Saddam managed to trick the world into believing he did not have weapons of mass destruction. He goes into detail how Saddam managed to hide all evidence of WMD's and how he managed to move all of them out of Iraq under the noses of the United Nations weapons inspectors.
The reader will find out it was a stroke of "good" fate the United States got rid of Saddam when it did. Saddam was about to unleash a barrage of attacks with WMD's against Israel which would have, more than likely, started another world war.
*Ending Excerpt: The author of "Saddam's Secrets" ends his powerful novel by stating the following: "I love my country, and I only want good things to happen in Iraq from now on. Even though I am a member of a minority in Iraq, as an Assyrian and a Christian, I have always tried to be faithful and do my duty at all times. I wanted to fulfill my commitment as an officer and a gentleman to the best of my ability. If I had tried to write or speak about the situation in Iraq during those years, it would have been propaganda. It would have been just one more boast for a regime the whole world knew was corrupt and destined to fail. And I would have never have written such a book."
One thing for sure, if everyone in Iraq were like Georges Sada, Iraq would be a peaceful and honorable country.
I strongly recommend this book to every human being. Not only should the book be read in the United States of America but everyone in the rest of the world. Doing so will help better understand the problems with Iraq and what made it so violent and how it got to where it is now.
Sadam's Secrets, the truth about WMD.......2007-03-09
Due to the political climate and motivations that we are wrestling with in America over the war in Iraq, I wanted to find something that more honestly described the conditions in Iraq during the rule of Sadam Hussein and possibly learned the truth about the WMD that existed prior to the US led wars of Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. In "Sadam's Secrets" we read a detailed, and believable account of a man who lived and survived inside the world of Sadam Hussein as an airforce general with a personal first hand knowledge of the dictator's history, methods of operation and decisions that recklessly pushed his nation into war with his neighbors and eventually led to the two US invasions.
Book Description
A member of one of the most distinguished and honored families in Iraq, Mayada grew up surrounded by wealth and royalty. But when Saddam Hussein's regime took power, she was thrown into cell 52 in the infamous Baladiyat prison with seventeen other nameless, faceless women from all walks of life. To ease their suffering, these "shadow women" passed each day by sharing their life stories. Now, through Jean Sasson, Mayada is finally able to tell her story-and theirs-to the world.
Customer Reviews:
There's something missing.......2007-08-22
When it comes to autobiographical or biographical books, like this one, and the events recounted are mainly dramatic and very sad, the impulse is to rate it with 5 stars. However, I find that this particular book, or rather, its narrative, seems to be lacking that something or other which would put the whole thing into a more tangible perspective. Of course one cannot but sympathise with Mayada and all the "shadow women" and what they went through as described (imprisonment and torture in Iraq).
However this time, and unlike some previous work I read by the same author, I felt that the book lacks in substance a bit, some points have not been explained clearly and, in my opinion, the frequent descriptions of Mayada's fortunate background blur some more fundamental issues.
Jean Sassons books.......2007-07-25
This is the third book by Sasson that I have read. They appear to be somewhat of a formula with a certain story line and something titilating added. I believe that she ran out of material for her Saudi Princess books and so has now went to Irag. Considering the state of affairs in the middle east, I believe that she would not be able to write the truth of the womens lives, as if she did, she would be unable to live there.
Need to Know Info.......2007-07-19
If there is any question in your mind why we are in Iraqi fighting what seems a useless war then read this book.
I agree that it is time for our soilders to come home. We have done our part. This books explains why we needed to go better than anything any politician could say.
Mayada and all the shadow women, known and unknown, suffered as much as the Jewish people did under Hitler. I hope Saddam and Adolph are getting back what they gave tenfold in their corner of hell.
The horror of Saddam's Iraq.......2007-02-09
It is easy to speak about the war in Iraq when safe and well-fed. But Mayada's story of prison and torture in Saddam's Iraq is a powerful testimony calling for justice against a regime that ranks with Stalin in brutality. Mayada's account covers everything from rubbing shoulders with Saddam and others in his entourage to meeting falsely accused prisoners undergoing incredible torture and humiliation. She exposes life inside Iraq from the luxurious elite to the oppressed victims, revealing fear and tyranny that Westerners can only imagine. Despite the troubles in post-Saddam Iraq, Mayada exclaims that despite the current strife Iraq is better off now that Saddam is gone. After reading her story, I couldn't agree with her more.
The torture chamber of Iraq........2006-12-14
As the author vividly shows in her books, the Middle East is not a fair place for women. As with her earlier books about Saudi Arabia, Sasson shows the totalitarian regime of Saddam Hussein. This regime tortured and killed people regardless of whether they were Kurd, Shiite, Sunni, women, men or children. This was an evil regime. The author through Mayada tells of the torture regime of Saddam. One can only wish that Saddam could get the same deal while he awaits his fait.
I read this book with the expectation it would show something more about Iraqi society. What I got was the story of Mayada and her family story. One wonders how life is for the poor Iraqi women, who have no connections in the government. Other than that, a nice read about the torture chambers of Saddam Hussein.
Book Description
Authors Efraim Karsh and Inari Rautsi, experts on Middle East history and politics, have combined their expertise to write what is largely considered the definitive work of one of the world's most reviled and notorious figures. Drawing on a wealth of Iraqi, Arab, Western and Israeli sources, including interviews with people who have had close contact with Saddam Hussein throughout his career, the authors trace the meteoric transformation of an ardent nationalist and obscure Ba'th party member into an absolute dictator. Skillfully interweaving a realistic analysis of Gulf politics and history, and now including a new introduction and epilogue, this authoritative biography is essential for understanding the mind of a modern tyrant.
Customer Reviews:
A Standard Text That is Immune from Present-Day Biases.......2007-02-06
I recently began to read this book because it was published in 1991 (following the Persian Gulf War) and thus long predates the current (2007) catastrophe in Iraq, with all the attendant biases arising out of the American invasion and occupation. I am simply a lay reader with a desire to know more about the modern political development of Saddam and Iraq and am not qualified to evaluate this book. HOWEVER, as a reality check I looked at a couple of objective sources to help me make a judgment about whether the book is worth reading. The answer is unquestionably yes.
First, if you check on Amazon.com (or the Library of Congress catalogue at loc.gov) for other books by the principal author, Efraim Karsh, you will see that he has published a large number of academic monographs on many aspects of Middle East politics, both before and after this book was written. The most recent of these was published in 2006 by Yale University Press, and there are many others spanning three decades. He was teaching at King's College, University of London, when he wrote this Saddam biography in the early 1990s and is still there, now as Professor and Head of the Mediterranean Studies program at King's.
Second, I looked at one university on-line catalogue, in this case Princeton University because of its strength in Political Science and International Relations, to see whether they long ago sent this book to off-campus storage (or worse) or still consider it relevant. At Princeton there are SIX copies of this book currently on reserve in the main university library. This suggests that Princeton professors and librarians still consider the book to be of great value for students of the Middle East and the current Iraq crisis.
I have therefore given this book five stars not because I feel qualified to evaluate it but because it has received alot of criticism from other readers who say a variety of negative things about the authors and the book. Given the principal author's outstanding record of publication, and the fact that he holds the senior professorship in Mediterranean Studies at one of Britain's finest universities, I think that the book at least merits serious consideration for those trying to get an understanding of what Saddam and Iraqi politics were like before the United States invasion.
Dull.......2006-03-23
This novel was not bias as other have said but it was very difficult to understand. It is incredibly all-over-the-place in terms of information. Information about a particular event may be scattered throughout the novel, making it difficult to truly understand an event that occured in the book. I had to do a novel study on this particular book and I found it frustrating because it was contradictory. This novel gives you the straight facts and nothing else.
Same old biased and unneccessary demonization.......2005-05-04
I gave this book a try because I at least thought that even though this book is a negative portrayal of Saddam Hussein, I did not think that the authors would be so biased.
This book is just the same old redundant hodgepodge of 'evil Saddam' mania that has been sweeping the US since the early 1990s. While many of Saddam Hussein's acts were ruthless and he certainly did abuse his authority, he DID do some good for Iraq, as strange as it may seem. If anyone here is looking for a fair and balanced book about Saddam Hussein, I highly reccommend 'Saddam Hussein-Politics of Revenge' by Said K. Aburish. The author himself worked for Saddam's regime until he quit because of his objections to Hussein's policies. If you want to read a good book about Saddam, don't waste your time with Saddam Hussein: A Political biography.
not as bad as others made it out to be.......2005-02-11
Having nearly finished this book, I have to say that while the book is not perfect and certainly not the best book on Iraqi politics out there, I found it to be informative and easy to read. Maybe because I've had to read so many books for school that are largely theoretical and unreadable, this book doesn't seem as bad to me as it would to others.
The subject matter is pretty straightforward. The book covers Hussein's political life up until the end of the first Gulf War in 1990. The authors do allow personal opinion to pop up from time to time, but compared to some of the other books on Iraq out there right now, I don't find it to be particularly troublesome in this instance.
If you have only a passing interest in Iraq, this book probably isn't for you. I think that people with an active interest in Iraq or the Middle East should read the book along with many others.
Totally Biased.......2004-05-01
When i first picked up this book, i thought that it would get me to understand Saddam Hussein better, better even without knowing him that well, i knew that this book is biased from the way it described him. I'm not a big fan of him and i think that he got what he deserves, but i know that from what he did in Iraq he deserves more credit for the way Iraq was in the late 80's. i would not recommend this book.
Book Description
Insightful, penetrating, and shocking, the defining
biography of Iraq's deposed tyrant
Drawing on an unparalleled network of sources, contacts, and firsthand testimonies, Con Coughlin takes us to the center of Saddam Hussein's complex, bewildering regime -- and beyond. Fully updated and revised, Saddam: His Rise and Fall meticulously describes how Hussein took power and immediately set about controlling every aspect of Iraqi life.
Coughlin examines Hussein's regime both before and after its fall, exploring the contradictions of Saddam's private life: his sponsoring of Islamic fundamentalism while whiskey drinking and womanizing as well as his reliance on and celebration of family negated by his violent and temperamental treatment of them. With evidence from family members, servants, and staff, Saddam: His Rise and Fall is unique in its close-up representation of this elusive and secretive world.
In all-new chapters and an epilogue, and with shocking new disclosures, Coughlin also vividly recounts the last few months of Saddam's reign and his eventual capture by American forces.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Biography Of Saddam.......2007-01-24
Some reviewers are judging this book based on their personal opinions about the Iraq War. But this book was originally written in 2002 and the Iraq War is only briefly discussed in a short epilogue. Of course, the situation there is even worse today, though Coughlin does mention the difficulties that lie ahead.
The fact is that this book is that not a political treatise. But is instead a well written biography that begins with Saddam's birth around 70 years ago in a small, poverty stricken village near Tikrit. He experienced what was apparently a horrific childhood with an abusive step-father. Around age 10 he was sent off to live with his Nazi sympathizer uncle, Tulfah Khairallah. As a young adult Saddam began to rise through the Baath Party ranks, considered an effective thug and hitman who was willing to do the party's "dirty work" against potential enemies. Eventually Saddam's ruthless brutality enabled him to become the dictator of Iraq. Of course, from there his atrocities only grew worse, including the gassing of the Kurds and over a million left dead during his bloody 8 year war against Iran. Meanwhile the United States, the Soviet Union, France and Germany all supported Iraq with military supplies and assistance during this time, apparently considering him the "lesser of two evils" compared to Iran.
Coughlin does an excellent job in presenting the psychological and cultural background that produced Saddam. Still it remains hard to fathom the type of mentality that could lead someone to order the horrific number of murders and torture cases that occurred during his reign. Saddam was a vicious tyrant. But this book also presents a realistically bleak portrait of Iraq's political environment that offers no easy solutions for a better future without him.
I think Bush and the neo-cons were incredibly naive going into this war believing that they could turn Iraq into a Western style democracy. As a result the situation there is a disaster. But regardless of your political opinions on the war, this is an excellent biography of Saddam that will increase the knowledge of anyone that reads it.
Needs updating and better research.......2006-10-12
Someone must be suffering from cold feet.
The Iraqi army has dissolved and disintegrated and regrouped into small widely separated divisions, up to now incapable of organized performances, least of all policing Baghdad.
The world ridiculed the idea that Saddam had amassed weapons of mass destruction (now ironically referred to as `had the potential capability of possessing WMD' - you see! the legend `potential' was simply added to give an evasive answer to the question `why has the UN decided to remove Saddam?'
Now we listen to bits and pieces of a so-called `Saddam's court martial', where Saddam has been exhausting the court but never exhausted, engaging everyone in heated arguments, until the judge was on the verge of losing his temper. Indeed he lost it and dismissed Saddam.
Saddam won the day!!!!
It was a great personal victory for Saddam.
Of course no one has any means of knowing who's really speaking the truth.
The coalition forces believed they had at last a revealing insight into the state of Saddam's mind after his dishonourable capture, but the way the ex-president is treated in court leaves a lot to be desired.
Many responsible officials after Saddam were about to commiserate on their heavy responsibilities despite the support they have been getting from the `strongest power on this planet'
I saw the look of dismay in the eyes of those who read this prematurely written book; perhaps the author thought that Saddam would be a dead corpse by the time this epistle had been published.
Who knows!
And Iraq, in the absence of as strong a government, is still in terrible predicament.
The battle for Saddam Hussein is virtually beginning.
To many laypersons in the Arab world, the `story' does not seem to be finishing soon, and the author will have to revisit the last four years brimful with additional important material for his readers.
A "hands on " Stalin/Hitler -- Saddam himself did some of the dirty work (killing).......2006-10-11
A good detailed account of how Saddam used brutal stalinist methods to take control of Iraq. His control of Iraq was so complete that it took a strong outside force to bring him down.
Mostly very good book that makes Saddam out to be the murderer he is.......2006-09-09
I love the way Saddam's dreaded Anfal Campaign where he murdered over 100,000 Iraqi Kurds in just one year in the 1980's is given depth by the author. As for why the US did not stop Saddam during this time; well the Cold War with the Soviet Union was still going on at this time and the US was still slightly paarlyzed by the pacifist movement of 1970.
Back to this book it would be 5 stars without the homosexual reference Coughlin put in.
Dont waste your time.......2005-12-20
I would have givin this book a 0 star but that option wasnt availabe.This author really needs to do his research all over again.For instace on page 7 he talks about the "7 pillars of islam"when actually there only is 5 PILLARs in Islam.This might not seem like a big deal but througout this book you find little lies here and there.And by the time you finish the book it turns into one big lie.The author mentions that Saddam gassed his people but FAILS to mention that it was our government of the USA that supplied it to him.He protrays Bush and his administration as heros bet he feels dumb now after we found no WMDs and that we screwed the whole nation up.For some truth read "forbidden truth".And also read the PNAC doctrine.Dont waste your time with this book.
Amazon.com
When the United States and its allies launched Operation Desert Storm against Iraq in 1991 in retaliation for that nation's invasion of Kuwait, the plans to bomb "command and control" centers had a clear, albeit largely unspoken, objective: "We don't do assassinations," National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft has acknowledged, "but yes, we targeted all the places where Saddam might have been." The only problem: he wasn't there and, nearly a decade after the Gulf War, he continues to remain in power.
Patrick and Andrew Cockburn present a two-pronged story in Out of the Ashes. They fill readers in on the background of Saddam Hussein's rise to power; an instrumental figure in the Baath Party's 1968 seizure of power, he became president of Iraq in 1979, initiating his reign with a bloody purge of dissenters. The two journalists also chart the disastrous effects of the economic sanctions to which Iraq has been subject since 1991. The sanctions were intended to provoke Iraqi military leadership into overthrowing Saddam, but public remarks by then-president George Bush inadvertently inspired revolt among the general Iraqi population. The military was thus too busy putting down nationwide rebellion to organize a coup; a CIA-sponsored effort five years later was an abject failure. And the sanctions, the Cockburns note, appear to have succeeded only in creating holocaust conditions and anti-Western sentiment among the Iraqis.
Patrick Cockburn brings the experience of 20 years spent covering the Middle East, and his brother Andrew is well known for his reportage on the American government's policymaking. The result is a wealth of information about Iraqi politics--and the consistent miscomprehension of those politics by U.S. strategic planners--delivered in a tightly written narrative. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
At the end of the Gulf War, the White House was confident that Saddam Hussein's days as Iraq's dictator were numbered. His army had been routed, his country had been bombed back into a pre-industrial age, his subjects were in bloody revolt, and his borders were sealed. World leaders waited confidently for the downfall of the pariah of Baghdad. Almost a decade later, they are still waiting.
This is the first in-depth account of what went wrong. Drawing on the authors' firsthand experiences on the ground inside Iraq (often under fire) and their interviews with key players--ranging from members of Saddam's own family to senior officials of the CIA--Out of the Ashes tells what happened when the smoke cleared from the battlefields of the Gulf War. This tale of high drama, labyrinthine intrigue, and fatal blunders has been played out amid one of the greatest man-made tragedies of our times-one where, so long as Saddam Hussein remains in power, the Iraqi people will pay the price. Out of the Ashes makes chillingly clear just how terrible that price has been.
Customer Reviews:
Pre 9/11 view of Saddam Hussein.......2006-06-04
This is an interesting book regarding Iraq during the time period between the First Gulf War and the election of George W. Bush in 2000. All the blame that has been laid at the feet of George W. Bush should not be as Clinton should be fielding blame for a lot of it. For example, the CIA was given the order to "bring me Saddam's head" during the 1996 Presidential election.
At no time did Clinton change the policies set by George Bush I. There is also no evidence that the Democrats disagreed with the Republicans over any material evidence or over any policy against Iraq. In fact, one of the weapons inspectors appointed during the Clinton administration -- Scott Ritter -- went on record that "Saddam had at least three nuclear weapons ready for use as soon as he laid his hands on the necessary fissile material." (p. 282) It would be to his reports that George W. Bush and Tony Blair wouuld turn after 9/11.
And the rest of the world also deserves some of the blame for conditions in Iraq. It was, after all, the United Nations that voted for sanctions as well as the "oil-for-food" program, including France, Italy, and the Soviet Union/Russia. The mistake was made at the end of the First Gulf War, when Saddam was allowed to remain in control. The goal of the First Gulf Was was to return to the status quo but that was an impossible goal. Containment does not work and only leads to further trouble. One of the reasons for allowing Saddam to remain was the fear of the other Arab nations ruled by kings/dictators -- like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria -- that the removal of Saddam Hussein would lead to a "democracy epidemic."
Andrew and Patrick Cockburn are British newspapermen. Whether that makes them more believable than American newspapermen or not, I don't know. The book was written before the Second Gulf War -- and before 9/11 -- so perhaps it has more authority as to what was believed in 2003. It is well-written and should be well-read.
well written and informative.......2005-10-25
The 90's were a very rough decade for Iraq and a very complicated period to study. U.S. policy at the time was all over the place (Clinton should be faulted for doing a horrible job handling Iraq, and Bush '41 should be faulted for handing Clinton an impossible situation to deal with). There was the matter of the sanctions, the failed U.S.-led coup attempt, and everything that happened with the weapons inspections process.
It should be noted that this book does not cover everything from this decade in sufficient detail. However, I would consider it one of my favorite books on that particular period in Iraq. Having read just a little about Iraq at the time when I actually read this book (about 2 years ago) I found it to be very well-written and engaging. It's not an overtly scholarly book. The two authors are journalists, not political scientists, so the book comes across as a well told story. This book has been quoted by several overtly scholarly political scientists, so I believe that speaks to the quality and validity of the book. The authors tackle some controversial material without mincing words and are not afraid to describe in detail when and how the U.S. screwed up. I've found this book to be incredibly accurate on the whole and found no serious flaws in the analysis.
My only problem with the book is the authors style of citing sources. Rather than using footnotes (the easiest for reference) or endnotes (a bit more troublesome) the authors don't have any numbered citations. All citations are in the back of the book listed by page numbers in their order of appearance. This makes it difficult because there is nothing in the text of the book that indiciates a particular fact is coming from a cited source. This can be a bad thing, but again from my other readings, I do not doubt this book's factual accuracy.
Two other books that would make wonderful companions to this book for 90's-era Iraq reading would be Sarah Graham-Brown's Sanctioning Saddam (extensively analytical and academic, but wonderful to read), and Dilip Hiro's Neighbors, not Friends. These three books are about as good as you can get for the time period.
A Hidden Gem.......2004-01-12
In the lead up to the latest Iraq war, there was no end to books and press on the weapons of mass destruction, terrorist links, and just how nasty Saddam was. In my opinion, the one area that was ignored or just not fully covered was the period of time between the two wars. This book fills a major part of that time gap. The authors give a concise and readable history of Saddam up to 1991, which is no small feat given the rather obscure political situation and tribal consideration of Middle East Politics or more accurately coup engineering. The book really focuses on three main areas, the effect of the UN economic sanctions on the general population of Iraqi, the way Saddam kept power and dealt with the Kurdish area, and the internal Saddam family relations.
The section on the sanctions is very eye opening. What is disappointing about the U.S. media is that for ten years conditions deteriorated daily in Iraq, yet the general U.S. public really did not have an idea of the conditions in Iraq. A policy that was put in place to punish and hopefully remove Saddam was in fact responsible for the misery and death of many of the population of Iraq. One can only assume that uninspired or lazy world leadership left a policy that did not work in place for so long. The one area that I would have been interested in would have been more coverage from the authors on the effect of the sanctions on the Iraqi military, but this interest is primarily driven by the events of the last year so it is not fair to ding the book for this. I also felt that at times the book dragged or became a bit dry, this is the reason I am not giving it a five star rating. Overall I enjoyed the book and found it covered new ground for me given the reading I have done over the last year on Iraq.
Excellent Reporting.......2003-05-03
If you are looking for one book to give you a thorough background on Iraq and its relations with the US, this is it. The Cockburn brothers have refused to dumb down the information, and yet have written a book that is accessible to all curious readers. Their lively account of the rise of Saddam and his Baath party held my attention throughout, reeling me in with good stories, while at the same time communicating the highly complex workings of the Iraqi government over the past several decades. Operating in ignorance of historical context is a dangerous game. The Cockburns go deep beneath the surface of Iraqi politics to give us the tools to understand the present situation. It's too bad that the administration apparently failed to read this book before barrelling ahead with war. Don't make the same mistake! Read the book, get the facts, and draw your own conclusions.
In the end, there is only Hope.......2003-03-15
To paraphrase the philosopher Walter Benjamin, ýhope was given to us precisely for the sake of the hopeless.ý I recall here Benjaminýs brilliant apercu because there might not be another people so utterly lacking in hope and so desperately in need of the consolations and opportunities provided by such hope as the Iraqis. These people have been fated to suffer not only the murderous clan led by Saddam Hussein but also the scheming and witless ýhelpý of their morally defective ýprotector,ý the United States. This conclusion is given ample support by Andrew and Patrick Cockburnýs fine book on Saddam Husseinýs Iraq, ýOut of the Ashes.ý
The authors cover all of the relevant topics, including: The sanctions regime and the dreadful effects the regime has had on most Iraqis. The British creation of Iraq and its Monarch. The rise of Iraqýs Baath party and Saddam Hussein. The mindlessness of Iraqi nationalism as represented by the Baath party. The nature and extent of Iraqýs police state. Gulf war I and the many American betrayals of the Iraqi people. Husseinýs pursuit and use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Palace politics in Baghdad and Washington. The vicious fools at Langley, with their telling preference for dictators and military men.
It all makes for a dreary read, although the authors cannot be faulted for this since they keep the story moving along with clear prose and adequate organization. Itýs the story they tell. At the very least a million Iraqis have died because of the Baath party and Saddam Hussein. Many more will die because of Gulf War II. There was nothing inevitable about the catastrophe just as Gulf War II will be the product of the ill-formed men and women willing it into being.
The Cockburns end their book on a hopeful note by asserting that only the Iraqi people could effect the downfall of Saddam Hussein and Iraqýs Baath party. But they published their book in 1999 and could not know that fate would again deal the Iraqis another disastrous hand with the election of George W. Bush to the presidency. Harboring the sinister men of The Project for the New American Century and using the horror veiling 9.11 as political cover, the Bush administration now seeks to transform the remnants of Americaýs Cold War system of alliances, treaties and institutional commitments into a selfýconscious and selfýperpetuating imperium founded on the control of oil and an overwhelming military power. The coming war is merely a part of that grandiose effort. Given the sorry record of those now leading the country, it is also prudent to expect the American effort in Iraq to undermine any revolt of the Iraqis themselves just as Desert Storm ended with the United States enabling the Republican Guard to crush the rebellion that arose in the wake its victory. Neither democracy nor Iraqi sovereignty will be a war aim of the United States, notwithstanding Bush claims to the contrary.
But, then again, these are matters to be decided by the Iraqis themselves. The next war will only delay the just settling of accounts.
Book Description
In July 1979, Saddam Hussein became the President of Iraq. His dictum was simply expressed--power through terror. During the first decade of his presidency, Saddam engaged in three wars: the Iran-Iraq War, the invasion of Kuwait, and the Gulf War of 1991. After September 11th, the "war on terrorism" led to the March 2003 war against Iraq and the eventual capture of Sadddam Hussein effecitively ending his rule over the Iraqi people. On April 9, 2003, a handful of U.S. Marines helped a small crowd of Iraqis gathered in Firdos Square to tear down a statue of Saddam Hussein. Since his capture, Saddam has been transferred to Iraqi legal custody and awaits his trial for atrocities committed during his regime. This biography details Saddam's difficult childhood in Tikrit and his politically influential teenage years in Baghdad with his uncle. His involvement with the Iraqi Ba'ath Party led to his participation in an assassination attempt on then Prime Minister Qassem. In his early political life, Saddam retained the lessons of village life learned in his difficult Tikrit childhood, but they would become enmeshed with his discovery of Ba'athism and pan-Arabism. Once he became President of Iraq, Saddam often ruled with force and a carefully cultivated image throughout the use of visual imagery and books. Though Saddam no longer rules Iraq, the legacy of his reign will likely shape Iraqi history for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Details lesser-known aspects of his personal life.......2006-09-03
Hussein became Iraq's president in 1979, where he held power through terrorism into modern times. His reign was marked by three wars until he was overthrown by the US: Shiva Balaghi`s biography Saddam Hussein details lesser-known aspects of his personal life, from a difficult childhood and politically charged teen years to his involvement in politics and rise to power. His rule and its effects will be felt for decades, which makes Saddam Hussein: A Biography more than of passing interest.
Great book!!!.......2006-03-04
The book is more than a biography of Saddam Hussein. It really covers the history of modern Iraq. The book is simple (but not simplistic), well written, and well documented. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know the history behind the horrible headlines we see about Iraq every day. There's a chapter on Saddam and culture which was unexpected in a straight up biography format. This book is a great read for anyone interested in Iraq, the Middle East, US foreign policy, and world affairs.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent read.....
- Sick, Digusting Look at Life as Uday Hussein's Double
- another work of fiction by a Chalabiite
- Interesting but . . .
- a latter day "I Claudius"
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I Was Saddam's Son
Latif Yahia , and
Karl Wendl
Manufacturer: Arcade Publishing
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ASIN: 1559703733 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent read............2007-02-15
This book is gripping, detailed and shows what Uday Hussein was really like. Latif Yahia was Uday's double, more than a bodyguard. Much more. It's interesting and keeps you reading. I read the entire book in two days. If you want to know what he lived through, survived through in other words, this is a must read.
Sick, Digusting Look at Life as Uday Hussein's Double.......2006-03-15
This book is a tough read for its graphic nature, but if you can stand to look evil squarely in the face for a bit, then reading it will most likely make you wish that Udai was still alive - just so that you could make him suffer a painful death. Whoa, you say? Why's that? Any peace loving, non-psychopathic person will be appalled at the inside look at this murderous, twisted family. Makes the Mansons look like the Cleavers. Udai deserved to be beaten to death with a spiced NERF football- or worse (made to watch Donahue re-runs) but, alas he was taken out by one of our Dragon missiles. However, if you read this book and you believe in a just God then you will take solace in the thought that His wrath will be infinitely terrible. (Shudder) So it obviously evokes distasteful emotions in the reader but at the same time the work is of great value because it gives amazing insight into the "mind" of Saddam and the deviant machinations of his regime and family. (On the other hand, if you were a part of the demented audience who LAUGHED when an innocent character got his head blown off in the movie Pulp Fiction then you will find this book hysterical.) You can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy who wrote the book, despite the horrible things he was at least a passive part of. And the premise alone would be a great Hollywood movie - expect that no one would believe it. The problem is that it is true and has been well-documented elsewhere. Oh, aside from that, it is the kind of book that you can't put down, but wish you would. I recommend it if you want to see the "personal family man side" of Saddam and his sons. (Oh and by the way, just for the record. Udai was killed because he was still firing at us - so we fired back until he stopped. Luckily SOMEONE learned from Somalia that you can't send troops in to ARREST someone who (or whose security force) is actively trying to kill them. Police don't do it - why should we?)
another work of fiction by a Chalabiite.......2004-08-24
There is no way of distinguishing truth from fiction in this book, or this man. The book served its purpose, but has little lasting value.
Incidentally, see The Scotsman 24 July 2003 and Reuters 2 Apr 2003:
Latif Yahia regrets that Uday was not caught and brought to trial for his crimes. "Don't tell me that the US could not have taken him alive," he comments on the 200-soldier operation which took Uday and Qusay's lives. "But the Americans did not want this because if you put these people in the dock, they would tell everyone that a lot of what they did they did because the American agents told them to."
Understandably, Yahia has vehement views about Saddam. But, perhaps more surprisingly for some, he is equally vehement in condemning the war on Iraq and says he would return to fight against American and British troops if he could. War should not be waged on the whole country due to one man, Yahia said. "Iraq is my country and it is called the Republic of Iraq not the Republic of Saddam Hussein."
"It wasn't easy for me when I came to Europe to get over it all," he added. "It took me five-and-a-half years of counseling, psychologists, doctors and medication." Yahia now lives in the Republic of Ireland where he runs a detective agency.
Interesting but . . ........2004-06-07
The life of Latif Yahia is quite an interesting one. I wonder if he has been able to make contact with his children now that the regime of Saddam Hussein is over -- and what his second wife may think of that. Perhaps his book deserves a sequel. However, when did he marry? That was left out of the story. Obviously, he must have been married before his falling out with Uday because he had to smuggle his wife out of Iraq. Who was his wife? Who arranged his marriage or when did he have time to find a wife? It says he had known her since childhood. But he wasn't permitted to have contact with his old friends? I think some things were left out to make Saddam, Uday, and Qusay look even worse than they were. That is not to say the world is worse with the Saddam Hussein family out of power in Iraq.
a latter day "I Claudius".......2004-06-03
In America, celebrity look-alikes can make money by running interference for the stars. But what if at any time, your look-alike could have you tortured or put to death? That is the plight this author found himself in when he was chosen to serve as Uday Hussein's double. Uday, who aspires to be an even more feared leader than his father Saddam, is (was) not exactly a paragon of mental health. Picture living under the same roof with an adult with the hormones of a teen and the temper of a toddler, whose every whim was granted, and you will get some idea of what this author's life was like.
Actually, as a double, he was given fairly little to do but took meticulous notes on what it was like to have an up close and too personal look at Uday's reign of terror.
Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- A complex but excellent biography on Saddan Hussein.
- Required reading to understand the current situation
- Highly readable biography of Saddam
- A SAVVY, ENJOYABLE PAGE-TURNER
- Balanced view
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Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge
Said K. Aburish
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
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ASIN: 1582340501 |
Book Description
Said K. Aburish presents an authoritative and timely book that explains the man the Western world fears the most. Drawing on the author's knowledge of and contacts with the Arab world, especially in Iraq, Said Aburish gives us an accurate, compelling biography and psychological profile of the man the western world fears most. The author worked with Saddam Hussein in the 1970s and is therefore able to add dimension and personal experience to our understanding of this remarkable dictator. The book includes an account of Saddam's series of personal quests: for recognition after being orphaned and brought up by a destitute uncle; for control of his country; for leadership in the Arab world; for mastery in the technology of destruction.
This is the frightening story of how the man who, with the encouragement of Western governments, made his country the most advanced in the Arab world in the 1970s, and through personal ambition led it to disaster at the end of the 1980s, and now fights for its survival. Aburish's personal experience and exclusive inside sources make this an important, unique and necessary look at one of the most terrifying leaders in the world today.
Customer Reviews:
A complex but excellent biography on Saddan Hussein. .......2007-02-14
Most people living in the United States have been subjected to an enormous amount of hate propaganda concering Saddam Hussein. In the pre-Gulf War period and even to this day, most Americans have been brainwashed into thinking that Hussein was the closest thing to the anti-Christ. Although Hussein deserves this reputation up to a point, most people don't realize the complexity of ethnic groups in that country and of U.S.-Iraq relations. This complex but excellent book provides a fantastic introduction into who Saddam was and his relationship with the United States. What makes this book especially special is that it was written by an Iraqi. Although outside biographers can also write good biographies, there is somthing unique when the book is written by a native. This man is writing about his country and his leader, something which is a part of his blood and soul. Just by being an Iraqi, he probably knows more about his country than even outside experts.
This book is highly detailed, and it discusses Hussein from birth to about the late 1990s. It talks about how to pronounce his name properly. It discusses the involvement of Husseing in two coup attempts. The author acknowledges that Hussein was a thug, a butcher, and villian. There is no doubt about that, but he also exposed the hypocrisy of the United States. This hypocrisy is becoming more and more prevalent as this second Iraq war continues to drag. There was a time when the United States supported Hussein, even though it was known he was a ruthless dictator. They provided Iraq with weapons and aid throughout the 1980s. There is no doubt about that. It was only when Hussein began to reject the policies of the United States that he became an enemy. The U.S. government never cared for the freedom and well-being of the Iraqi people. Sadly, Iraq stands a important geo-political strategic point for the United States.
In many ways, Hussein was like a puppet on the world stage. He was under the strings of the U.S. and USSR. The author makes no apologies for Hussein, but he exposes the reality of the situation. Although Saddam was a harsh leader, he was able to calm the differences between the Sunnis, the Shiites, and Kurds. The United States is not doing that. That is why Iraq has turned into the meatgrinder that it has become.
Required reading to understand the current situation.......2004-04-29
Now, perhaps more than when Saddam was in power, this book is required reading in understanding the current situation in Iraq.
As Aburish so clearly illustrates, for decades the US supported Baath Party and Saddam Hussein. In the process they back stabbed on more than one occasion the Kurds, the Shia and other groups who opposed Saddam. This betrayal has certainly been a contributing factor to the situation as it exists now (2004) with various insurgent groups attacking US forces. While it's true that some of these groups are coming from external influences (e.g. Syria and Iran), it's also true that some are just people who view the US as a hostile occupying force. Part of the distrust came from the history Aburish describes here.
The notion that Aburish is somehow "anti-US" misses the point entirely. The US policy toward Saddam post Gulf War I was one of of "positive containment." As explained by a member of the National Security Council in 1991: "Our goal [was] to remove Saddam Hussein, not his regime." This meant that we actively prevented other groups from overthrowing the regime. Indeed, as reported by the major media, Kurdish and Shia rebel leaders were told during a coup attempt orchestrated by the CIA that they should "not get in the way of our operation."
How could we have dealt with Saddam? This is perhaps a weakness of Aburish's book, but it's one created in part by a totally warped US policy. At one point can we go back in time and stop supporting his brutal regime? Since we can't go back in time, how can we change our actions so that they represent true American ideals? In this manner of thinking, Aburish's analysis actually wasn't that far off. In the long haul we might have gotten rid of Saddam by a policy that supported the Iraqi people instead of one that resigned them to victims of both their own government and the US dominiated UN policy of genocidal sanctions - a policy that ultimately strengthened Saddam domestically.
With Saddam now gone from power this book is perhaps a little dated. However, it is necessary reading if you want a better understanding of the current quagmire created by the US invasion.
Highly readable biography of Saddam.......2003-02-16
Aburish's biography of Saddam Hussein is a refreshing retelling of a story that's been muddled by a decade or more of half-truths and lies. The strengths are that he himself took part to a large extent in dealings with the Iraqi regime during the decade of the Iraq/Iran war. Aburish's insights and commentary are invaluable. The weaknesses in the book become readily apparent. Said has some duplicity in the regimes attempted acquisition of a nuclear [device] and other weapons of mass destruction. Said is also anti American and anti British. When he addresses US involvement in the Gulf War his arguments become tirades against Saddam , the US and Britain. It's his very ant-US and British attitude that make Aburish's recommendation for dealing with the Iraqi regime nothing but a mechanism for the continuation of oppression by Saddam and the so called Ba'athists.
Aburish's own involvement in the regime and view of the US aside, I highly recommend this biography of Saddam Hussein. He sets right many misconceptions about the Iraqi dictator. His mother was not a prostitute and Saddam didn't commit [destruction] at the age of 15. These myths and other myths are dispelled. What Aburish does is to emphasize the tribalness of Saddam by setting it in the context of Arab culture. Saddam becomes less a madman than a ruthless tribal leader for whom you are either with the tribe or against it. Opposition to the regime is treated like a blood feud. Even Saddam's affinity for Stalin makes sense. Both were the sons of poor peasants widowers in semi-tribal societies (Stalin was ethnically Georgian not Russian) and both used control of the bureaucracy to help in gaining control of power.
In spite of its weaknesses The Politics of Revenge is a highly readable and informative.
A SAVVY, ENJOYABLE PAGE-TURNER.......2002-10-16
Breezy but informative bio that attempts to explain Hussein's stature as the most popular dictator in recent memory. Nice photos, too!
Balanced view.......2001-06-04
Aburish has written a good book on Saddam Hussein. One has to remember that it is part of the writing process to understand your readers' perspective. So, in this case it means that Saddam has to be judged by western standards. I have lived ten years in Iraq and liked especially Aburish Said's critical thinking towards horror stories that come from Iraq. I noticed while living in Saddam's Iraq (1980-1990) that iraqis tell all kinds of stories that are not to be taken literally. For example iraqis said that one European ambassador had slapped on the face of his European subordinate. The ambassador in question became very angry at such story. Of course it was true that this ambassador was angry, but to resort to physical violence is very serious matter in Europe. Iraqis just added this minor thing about hitting to illustrate how angry he was. I feel that in many cases stories that are coming out of Iraq are not exactly true in western sense. Aburish analyses well for example the case when Saddam killed his health minister. Iraqis hoped for peace, so they mixed their hope of peace with Iran to the fact that Saddam killed a minister. So story changed in the minds of iraqis, who thought that this minister had told something bad to Saddam in order to make peace with Iran. Aburish corrects many similar stories with his rational thinking. Of course it is true that Aburish has written his book mostly from his memory. So there are few mistakes. For example Saleh Ammash didn't die in 1975 (perhaps 1985 is correct). But these are minor things, because Aburish is so well informed about the Middle Eastern politics. It is always pleasure to read Aburishes books. His book about House of Saud is written with great wit.
Average customer rating:
- A memoir that remains vivid in mind & heart
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The First Evidence: A Memoir of Life in Iraq Under Saddam Hussein
Juman Kubba
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
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ASIN: 0786415800 |
Book Description
Few countries in contemporary times have had more political intrigue, violence and terror than the Iraq of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party. The atrocities of the Iraqi government, which were highlighted only after the Gulf War and are now receiving much attention, actually began in the 1970s.
There are few accounts of what individuals endured, what everyday life was like, and the impact that Saddam Hussein's repressive regime has had on the lives of Iraqi citizens. The author of this remarkable memoir recounts growing up in Baghdad in the seventies during the early days of Saddam Hussein's reign. She describes in detail her family's fear and the cruel punishment they suffered when her father, a successful professional from a renowned, high-profile family, discovered the direct involvement of Iraqi authorities in the notorious Abu Tubar serial killings that rocked Baghdad.
Customer Reviews:
A memoir that remains vivid in mind & heart.......2004-11-06
Very interesting book, hard to put down before you reach the end. Although it started by describing the author's family docile life, and their standard of living as upper middle class, which made me think that I will read a book for a sophisticated and shallow writer, but it didn't take me more than a few pages to be completely absorbed by the shocking incidents that revealed the evil side of Sadam & Al Baath regime starting from 1970.
When she started talking about the serial Killer in Baghdad (Abu Tubar), I doubted her efficiency as a writer by inserting an unrelated incident. Again she proved me wrong, because this serial killer was only a fake mythology created by the government to hide its crimes and to create fear and panic among people to gain more control upon them.
Juman wrote her memoir with the view of an ordinary person, away from politics and Ideologies, which made it more effective not only in sympathizing with tragedies the Iraqi people faced, but in understanding the hard pressure they were under, along with the fear and humiliation that the author highlighted through unfolding surprises one after the other .
When the author's father, Engineer Makki, the deputy Prime Minister for The Ministry of Communication in Baghdad, discovered the secret of Abu Tubar, he was arrested by the secret police who already were angry with him because he refused to cooperate with them against the law or the benefit of the country.
Since the arrest, the family never had peace. During Lidya visit to her Husband Makki, the latter informed her that the secret government had implanted bugs all over their house, and advised her to be very careful and cautious. Later on they discovered that the full time Egyptian Housemaid was the government's secret agent.
The father remained in jail for three years and by the time he was released he became different person, his spirit was crushed and his health became weak.
Though they lived a very quite life keeping low profile, they couldn't achieve the luxury of peaceful life.
Soon their third son was arrested and the family went through another nightmare which did not vanish until all the family, the six children (three boys and three girls) were able to leave the country secretly one after the other and finally after a long time the parents.
But for the author Juman those nightmares are still vivid in her mind.
Reading this book which made my heart cry from pain and sadness, reminded me of the Chilean writer Isabel Allende `s believe, that writing about the daily life of women and children under the dictatorial regime, reveals a lot of facts that could not be found in historical or political or economical books, and the same with the famous and valuable book "I, Regoberta Menchu".
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