Clever Independent frontpage: Saddam: From Monster To Martyr

[Greeby]

[MADem]

1. In terms of perception in the Sunni Arab world, that is likely true.

There were plenty of people who either did not believe the stories of deaths of Iraqis under Saddam, who believed that the Kurdish deaths were a result of warfare against Iran and bad wind, who DID believe he killed folks but averred they were Shi'a and thus "So what?" as well as those who respected a strongman form of government, still popular in the Arab world, and felt that he had the right to kill any citizen simply because he was the boss.

Saddam has always been a minor sort of Nasser figure--Arab nationalist, a real touter of the uniqueness of the culture and people, a standard bearer of the Arab Pride banner. He knew how to make people feel proud to be Arabian, that is for sure, and he could speechify with the best of them. Now, with this Sunni overlay on top of everything, I do see him being regarded as a martyr, from Egypt, to Libya, , to Jordan, to Saudi Arabia, to Oman, the UAE, and .... dare I say it... even frigging KUWAIT.

It's gonna get interesting in those parts....the place is starting to look like a Shi'a-Sunni powderkeg!!!