His greatest bluff

[Skybird]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...070104217.html

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB279/index.htm


Saddam said, short before he was hanged, that he bluffed the world into believing he had WMDs because of fear of the fanatic mullahs in Iran. This says the interogation protocols by the FBI.

[Buddahaid]

Seems to be very plausible as none were ever found and they did have that little war thing.

Buddahaid

[Platapus]

As he and the world learned, bluffing like that can have "unintended consequences"

Reminds me of the quote from "Hunt for Red October"

The worry is the Americans.
If we meet the right sort, this will work.
We get some buckaroo...

When bluffing it is very important to understand who you are bluffing and how they are likely to react.

Saddam choose unwisely

[Letum]

Originally Posted by Platapus

When bluffing it is very important to understand who you are bluffing and how they are likely to react.

When bluffing it is also very important to bluff well.
I doubt an invasion would have taken place if the UK/US thought Iraq
really had the capability of a WMD attack against the invading forces, let
alone another country.
The war was always going to be unpopular enough with out the "Mass
Destruction" by WMD use on western troops.

[Buddahaid]

But that was just the reason given to the US public. Justifying the invasion, and channeling the anger from the World Trade Center debacle into action.

Buddahaid

[SteamWake]

Wether the weapons existed or not all of capitol hill were convinced that they did and they all voted for the action.

To quote John Kerry "I voted for the war before I voted aginst it"

Hindsight is 20 20.

The discovery of mass graves is also overlooked let alone the fact that they were liberated from a tyranical murderous dictator.

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by Platapus

As he and the world learned, bluffing like that can have "unintended consequences"

Reminds me of the quote from "Hunt for Red October"



When bluffing it is very important to understand who you are bluffing and how they are likely to react.

Saddam choose unwisely

Please, the unintended consequences were not unintended at all.
America would have invaded Iraq no matter what. Even if Saddam had cried to the world that he didn't have WMD, the american administration would have invaded on the grounds that Saddam helped terrorists or some other fancy excuse. The war on Iraq was waged on a nonexistant casus belli.