Saddam Hussein appears to retain the same national objectives as prior to his defeat in the Gulf War.
Saddam Hussein regime still in power and still leading Arab military power in the Middle East Gulf region. .
Weapons and missiles of mass destruction are not all accounted for.
Human Rights abuse under Saddam Hussein regime.
Saddam Hussein was able to retain the same national objectives as prior to his defeat in the Gulf War. These include establishing Iraq as the leading Arab political and military power and as the dominant power in the Middle East Gulf region. The Ira qi leadership also retains its territorial desire of the Shatt al Arab waterway and Kuwait. UN Security Council Resolution 687 calls for Iraq to eliminate all of its weapons and missiles of mass destruction and forbids it from developing, producing or possessing any of the weapons and missiles of mass destruction. However, Saddam Hussein's government continues to conceal and protect these weapons and related equipment, technology, and documentation from the UN inspectors on Iraq inspections and monitoring. Its actions against UN inspection process in the fall of 1997 are further evidence of this policy. With the defection of Saddam Hussein's son-in-law in 1995, caused the Iraqi ruler to release a large cache of documents which the Iraq previously claim that it did not have. These disclosures revealed that Iraq has a more extensive development of technology (including a crash program to develop nuclear device) and stockpile of weapons and missiles of mass destruction. In addition to Iraqis continuing reluctance to comply with UNSCR 687, there is evidence of activities during the last several years that Iraq has expended considerable resources to rebuild facilities previously dedicated to its chemical and biological weapons. In addition, Iraq is believed to retain documentation, equipment and substantial expertise to rebuild and continue is production chemical and biological weapons.
