Topic: Saddam Hussein

The hosts ridicule Kristen Welker for verbal slips regarding "regime chain" and the history of Saddam Hussein's ousting. Lindsey Graham asserts that while the U.S. will not occupy Iran, it will continue to target any leadership that maintains a ballistic missile or nuclear program. He describes Iran as the primary impediment to peace in the Middle East.

Despite high production levels, global oil prices remain above $70 a barrel, which some attribute to artificial market sentiment. Exxon Mobil's stock price has significantly increased since the 2020 election, benefiting from current energy policies. Additionally, it is noted that Iraqi oil revenue is held in U.S. accounts, giving the United States significant leverage over the Iraqi government.

A discussion ensues regarding the historical use of children in media to influence public opinion, referencing the debunked 1990 story of Iraqi soldiers removing babies from incubators in Kuwait. The hosts point out that many viral photos of "children in cages" circulating on Twitter in 2018 actually date back to the Obama administration in 2014.

The hosts reflect on the perceived naivety of US foreign policy, comparing current interventions to the failed expectations of the Iraq War. They argue that the American public is becoming increasingly skeptical of "Mainstream Media" (M5M) narratives regarding Russia and Trump. The show is presented as a "public service" to help listeners restore neural connections and resist media-induced fear.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews compares Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump to Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay. The hosts find the comparison "pathetic" and indicative of the extreme rhetoric currently prevalent in mainstream political commentary.

The hosts claim a potential connection between providing a film screener to General Michael Flynn and his subsequent op-ed calling for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen. The discussion shifts to the battle for Mosul, noting that former Saddam Hussein officials are reportedly leading ISIS forces and sabotaging infrastructure.

CNN's Ashleigh Banfield criticized Trump supporters for cheering when the media is mocked, comparing the sentiment to her experiences reporting in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. She argued that a free press is essential to prevent a dictatorship, while the hosts suggest the public's distrust of the media is well-earned.

In a confused CNN segment, politician Bakari Sellers repeatedly attributes the actions of Saddam Hussein to Donald Trump, claiming Trump killed tens of thousands of his own citizens. The hosts use this as an example of "brainwashing" and the low quality of guests on mainstream news networks. They suggest CNN is simply rushing any available black commentators onto the air following the Dallas events.

Commentator Tariq Ali appeared on Democracy Now and agreed with Donald Trump's assessment that while Saddam Hussein was a "bad guy," he effectively killed terrorists. Ali noted that many Iraqis feel daily life was better under Hussein's regime than under the current occupation and rise of ISIS.

During an interview with Charlie Rose, Vice President Joe Biden makes a "Freudian slip" by saying the US needs to get "Saddam" out of power instead of "Assad." The hosts discuss the pattern of US intervention leading to the deaths of foreign leaders like Gaddafi and Hussein. A listener's comment comparing the host to Sean Hannity is addressed and dismissed.

An interview with a former Iranian ambassador on Democracy Now! outlines mutual grievances between the U.S. and Iran. The ambassador cites U.S. support for dictators like the Shah, Mubarak, and Ben Ali, as well as the invasion of Iraq, as sources of instability. The segment concludes with a quote from Stevie Wonder urging world leaders to "cut the bullshit."

Iraqi forces and Shiite militias engage in a major offensive to retake Tikrit from Islamic State fighters. Reports indicate that Saddam Hussein's lavish tomb has been reduced to concrete rubble during the fighting. The hosts discuss the term "rubblization" as a deliberate military strategy to bomb regions back to the "Stone Age," noting the prevalence of such imagery in modern war reporting.

Senators John McCain and Patrick Leahy delivered notable speeches regarding the torture report, with McCain receiving rare praise for his principled stance against the practice. Senator Leahy shared a "House of Cards" style anecdote about being approached by mysterious joggers who provided him with classified reports contradicting the Bush administration's claims about Iraq. These reports confirmed that Saddam Hussein had no connection to 9/11 and possessed no weapons of mass destruction.

A New York Times report revealed that US troops discovered over 5,000 chemical warheads in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, a fact allegedly concealed by the Bush administration. The munitions predated 1991 and were reportedly developed with Western support during the Iran-Iraq War. The report also claims that soldiers exposed to these agents were denied proper medical care, drawing parallels to the treatment of veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

George Galloway reminded the House of Commons that Britain has been bombing Iraq for a hundred years, including the use of chemical weapons in the 1920s. He engaged in a heated exchange with former Home Secretary Jackie Smith, accusing her of having the "brass neck" to urge another war after the deaths of a million Iraqis. Galloway proposed strengthening the Peshmerga and regional powers like Iran and Turkey instead of Western intervention.

The geopolitical strategy of maintaining the US dollar as the world's reserve currency is examined in the context of the BRICS nations. Historical parallels are drawn to Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, suggesting that international conflicts often arise when leaders attempt to bypass the dollar in oil and trade settlements.

Analysis of the 2003 rescue of Jessica Lynch suggests the event was highly dramatized for media consumption. While the official narrative depicted a daring raid under fire, reports from Iraqi medical staff and unedited footage indicate the rescue was unopposed, with Lynch having been injured in a vehicle accident rather than combat.

Newly disclosed CIA files confirm the United States provided satellite imagery to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War despite knowing he would use nerve gas. An Iranian filmmaker discusses the long-term health effects on victims and the historical ignoring of UN investigations into these attacks. The segment highlights the perceived hypocrisy of current U.S. stances on chemical weapons.

The hosts trace the etymology of the phrase "Mother of All Battles" from Saddam Hussein's rhetoric to its current use in Syrian war reporting. They also discuss former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who lost his seat after Republican-led redistricting in Ohio pitted him against another incumbent. Kucinich appears on Russia Today to criticize the trillions of dollars spent on foreign "misadventures" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kofi Annan called for increased pressure on Syrian parties to stop the killing, using the unusual term "suffering population" or "sovereign population." The discussion explores the history of the Ba'ath Party, noting that both Bashar al-Assad and Saddam Hussein were members, which may explain their targeting by Western powers. A side conversation mentions propaganda booklets regarding Sharia law in America.