Reaction To Saddams Capture In Iran In

Juan Cole 12/16/2003

Reaction to Saddam’s Capture in Iran

In 1980, Saddam Hussein launched a war on Iran, attempting to grab its oil-rich Khuzistan province, and beginning a bloody conflict that lasted until 1988. The war devoured the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iranians, but eventually Saddam was forced to withdraw. Iranians are therefore among those rejoicing in the capture of Saddam, though the hardliners among them see it as God’s judgment on a man who defied Imam Khomeini rather than as an American victory.

Iran has decided to lodge a legal complaint against Saddam in the World Court. Its spokesmen say they not only want Saddam tried for crimes against humanity, but also want to bring out the role of the Western nations that supported and built up Saddam (including the US, France, Russia and Germany).

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Distinguished University Professor in the History Department at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page