The Saddam Legacy

Can democracy just be tacked on to the country? Observation: Saddam Hussein is the only person who has succeeded in stabilizing power in a country where the Ottomans, the British (1920-1932), the monarchy until 1958 and the Baasist military regime that preceded him failed. Saddam Hussein survived his war against Iran and the Gulf war.

The film analyses Saddam's system, a wise mix of modern and traditional elements developed to control a turbulent and multi-ethnic society (150 major tribes), where the Sunnite minorities (like Saddam) are in power. The country is a patchwork of many different factions that must be controlled after the fall of Saddam.

The film also analyses the true reasons for the announced occupation. There's the oil of course: the Americans must double their purchases by 2020 and must consequently control new sources of supply. Above all they want to make sure that the road to oil in the Gulf, presently situated in a hostile regional environment, is safe.

Making over the political map of the Middle Ease to follow the path of democracy is perhaps only the means to an end. Behind Iraq, the United States is pointing a finger at all dictatorships in the region: Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia where they've lost control.