"The Ba'ath party, Saddam's, was predominantly secular Sunni. The strongest anti-Saddam sentiment in Iraq was that of the Shi'a, who were a suppresse dminority."

The Shi'ite/Sunni population of Iraq is less than clear. Most sources suggest that the Shi'a were actually a repressed majority. Estimates of the Shi'ite population of Iraq are in the range of 60-65%, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the CIA World Book and Mother Jones (how's that for a combination of authorities?). On the other hand, some Sunnis dispute this, and claim that up to 60% of Iraq is Sunni.