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176———Hussein, Saddam (1937– )

for-profit enterprise, generally choosing wealthier but uncle, Khayrallah Tulfah, in Baghdad. Khayrallah, a
less visible targets, such as midlevel executives and schoolteacher and former Army officer, became a
other professionals. Hundreds of people are kidnapped significant influence in his life.
each year in Colombia by the FARC and other guerrilla A mediocre student, Hussein failed the entrance
groups; their ransoms bring millions of dollars of fund- exam for the Baghdad military academy in the mid-
ing to these groups. Almost endemic in Colombia, 1950s. He then worked at a series of odd jobs and
for-profit kidnapping has also become a worrisome became involved in the Ba’th Party. The Ba’th was a
occurrence in the Philippines, Kashmir, and many Latin socialist, pan-Arab group that dreamed of deposing
American countries. Many experts caution that terror- the Western-supported monarchs who then ruled most
ists’ use of a particular tactic is cyclic in nature, as Arab nations and uniting all Arab people in a single
governments unacquainted with past crises move into modern state. Hussein became a recruiter for the Ba’th
power. Given the long history of hostage taking and the youth wing in Iraq, leading street protests and orga-
many terrorist goals it can be accomplish, the tactic is nizing gangs.
certain to continue to be a threat. In 1958, a coup led by Gen. Abdul Karim Kassam
overthrew the Iraqi monarchy. The Ba’th rapidly
See also GEORGE HABASH; PATTY HEARST; HIJACKING; became dissatisfied with Kassam’s leadership, how-
CARLOS MARIGHELLA; MUNICH OLYMPICS MASSACRE; ever, and in 1959 Hussein was involved in attempting
POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE; to assassinate Kassam. When the attempt failed,
REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA;
Hussein fled to Syria, where he joined other Ba’th
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
exiles.
While Iraq was roiled with political turmoil,
Further Reading
Hussein studied law in Cairo and rose within party
Antokol, Norman, and Mayer Nudell. No One a Neutral: ranks. His cousin, Gen. Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr, was
Political Hostage-Taking in the Modern World. Medina, an important Ba’th leader, and his patronage brought
OH: Alpha, 1990. Hussein a number of important positions. In 1968,
Aston, Clive C. A Contemporary Crisis: Political Hostage- al-Bakr led another coup, becoming president of Iraq,
Taking and the Experience of Western Europe. Westport, while Hussein became head of Iraq’s security services.
CT: Greenwood, 1982.
Aston, Clive C. Political Hostage-Taking in Western Europe. Hussein then began his quest for power in earnest.
London: Institute for the Study of Conflict, 1984. He used his control of the Iraqi intelligence agencies to
attach agents loyal to him to Army units at every level,
thus neutralizing the only segment of Iraqi society that
could contend against the Ba’th Party. Eventually, all
HUSSEIN, SADDAM (1937– )
non-Ba’th leaders involved in the 1968 coup were
forced to step down; most were executed. At the same
Saddam Hussein is the dictator of Iraq, a position time, Hussein vastly increased membership in the
he attained and maintains through the use of state Ba’th Party, and made such membership a prerequisite
terror. He has also sponsored international terrorism for certain forms of employment.
for almost 30 years. Hussein began accumulating ministerial positions.
At first he took on less glamorous jobs that other
party leaders did not want (the intelligence position
PERSONAL HISTORY
being one such), but eventually he added the min-
Hussein was born on April 28, 1937, in the village of istries of health and education to his portfolio,
Al Auja, near the town of Tikrit, in northern Iraq. His becoming al-Bakr’s second-in-command. Hussein
father appears to have died before his birth, and used his position to provide patronage to his family
he was raised by his mother, Subha, and stepfather, and to old acquaintances from Tikrit, thus creating
Ibrahim Hassan. The family was poor, and relations a pool of loyalists. Hussein remained deferential
between Hussein and his stepfather seem to have been to al-Bakr, who enjoyed all the privileges of office
strained; Hussein did not attend school until he left while being taxed with none of the work, and
home at age 10, when he went to live with his maternal al-Bakr’s faith in and reliance on Hussein increased.