From MGOH this is an astonishing example of denial and abdication of responsibility:

"For all its horrible aspects, Baathist Iraq was a secular, and in some ways a relatively open, society."

Really Kevin? In roughly the same way it could no doubt have been claimed:

For all its horrible aspects, Nazi Germany was a secular, and in some ways a relatively open, society.

Result 15 million deaths.

Or maybe considering your socialist background:

For all its horrible aspects, Soviet Russia was a secular, and in some ways a relatively open, society.

Result over 38 million deaths.

I'll make the point now, those constrained to live under the Ba'athist Rule and whims of Saddam Hussein and his sons in secular Iraq, did not have to suffer such a fate because somebody acted to deliver them from it. Bad enough as it was - for 24 years Saddam butchered the people of Iraq achieving an average of 282 per day - higher if you take into account those killed during the Iran/Iraq War.

I would strongly recommend Kevin that you read some of the survivors stories and do a great deal of research into what Saddam was responsible for in Iraq and the suffering he visited upon its citizens - The horrible bits Kevin, not the bits about dress code for women.