Dispite all his iron fist police state tactics Life was pretty stable under Saddam. You can't deny that. It's worse right now because the crimminals are free to be crimminals, so many radical parties vieing for position, 12 years of being cut off from international development and a war. Remember Iraq was a place with zero control on weapons so you have guys with RPGs and machine guns in thier homes. Without any consequences (like immdiate death for him and his whole family) for his actions he is crimminalizing IRAQ. There WAS a reason he was our ally for 20 years.