Part 24: Iraq Chapter III: Downfall. November 1980-March 1981
Iraq Chapter III: Downfall. November 1980-March 1981The Revelation of John, Chapter 18, verses 1-3 NIV posted:
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
If the player overreaches, the game will punish him. -Carlos "Ubik" Gustavo
Saddam Hussein: warmongering mad dog of the Middle East or stalwart foe of Islamist theocracy? Either way, as his reign meets a terrible fate in Iraq, we're here to discuss what brought him to this point. On the show today I have His Imperial Highness Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the Shah deposed by the Khoemeini regime two years ago, who sees an opportunity to reclaim his homeland in the turmoil following Saddam's invasion. Your Highness?
Saddam's downfall started after he finished conquering our motherland. Saddam thought that the time was right to institute a crackdown and purge the senior officer corps of his military, thinking that the threat from the Persian people had ended. Unfortunately for him, while the followers of mad geriatric clerics in Qom had been smashed, the resolve of the Persian people proved stronger than ever in the face of foreign occupation.
But your Highness, did not this purge yield benefits to the Iraqi military?
It left the Iraqi army disorganized and demoralized, as pathetic a force as the last remnants of the Israeli army hiding atop the Golan Heights.
While the Iraqi army managed to wade through the blood of our people at first, they soon ran out of supplies and fuel and their forces gradually ceased to move. Then the freedom fighters truly launched their offensive.
Your Highness, any thoughts on the recent embargo of the Netherlands?
As everyone knows, Dutch militarism is one of the greatest threats to world security, but we should continue talking about Iran.
I notice rebel incursions into Iraq proper, your Highness. What do you say to the Kurdish militias who have taken this opportunity to not only seize Iraqi and Iranian Kurdistan, but much else besides?
The Kurdish rebels are our faithful allies and we hope their dreams of a state free from the tyranny of Baghdad are realized...but not within the borders of the Iranian state.
We take heart in the disorganization of Saddam's forces and hope to someday soon return home to our native land.
Will you take your father's throne?
Obviously that is up to the Iranian people.
Thank you for your time. Next up, a discussion of the recent reversal in South Africa.
Cuban intervention has pushed the South Africans out of Mozambique and on the defensive on their own turf, but will it be enough? Stay tuned.
