"That's not quite the point I was trying to make, but I was being cryptic, I suppose."

I'm sorry. We're not talking about the New American Century anymore? Doesn't your point make their success seem all the more unlikely? That's the problem with war by proxie, at best it only stymies the other guy and the natural side effect is a build up nationalism in the countries you're using. Iran and South Viet Nam were successes?

Saddam participated in a CIA sponsored coup attempt, but I can't find anything I consider authoritative that says he worked directly for them.   He was always on his own side, using them as much as being used. I do find plenty of evidence that Saddam as head of the secret police he was trained by the KGB. In the same vein, Iraq was armed for decades by the Soviet Union. That's why they flew MiGs and drove T-72 tanks and the Iranians, up to the overthrow of the Shah, had our weapons and equipment.   

The final thought I'll offer as evidence of Saddam's real creater is that he ran Iraq based what he learned of Stalin's priniciples, the bad Stalin from the 30s, and, in a perverse from-his-point-of-view way, was very good at it.