It is all over the news that Saddam Hussein made the decision during his "trial" to make a policy statement regarding the "insurgency" that is tearing apart his country. His advice: fight, but not against your fellow Iraqis; fight only against the American occupiers.
Ironically, he is not only correct, but if his advice were followed, it would greatly improve our chances of exiting from the country.
Here's what I mean. If the Iraqi sectarian factions allied together and fought strictly against the occupation forces, and if they also condemned (as Saddam did) all internecine violence and violence against Iraqis by outsiders such as al-Qaeda controlled foreign jihadists, then at least three things would happen: (1) the carnage among Iraqis would decrease, (2) Iraq would become much more united, (3) the insurgency would become much more credible as representing a valid Iraqi position regarding the occupation. The downside from our point of view is that there would be more American and "coalition" deaths, so how could this help us?
As long as Bushco (or Republicans in general) are in control, it wouldn't help much. Where it would help is if Democrats regain power in the US government. Under those circumstances, a Democratic president or congress could say, we will not stay where we are not wanted, and leave. All of the negatives would fall onto the Republicans and onto Bushco (deservedly); in the face of a united Iraqi opposition to our presence, there would be no real political downside. But consider this: even if a Democrat is president, if there is a sectarian civil war in Iraq and/or in neighboring states, it will be very difficult for us to leave, because there would be a perception that we would be shirking our responsibilities to the victims of the violence.
Unfortunately, Saddam is portrayed only as a brutal, irrational, tyrant, and his statement is being spun only as a call for violence against Americans. While of course there is no denying that he has done brutal, irrational, tyrannical things, and that he has called for more violence against Americans, he has done much more than that; in fact, he has done good things for Iraq, and this recent statement of his could be another one, if it were allowed to be.
Of course, it won't. Instead, the absurd trial will continue, Saddam will be executed, thousands of Iraqis will kill each other, and we will be in Iraq indefinitely.
Greg Shenaut