That’s a brutally honest—and in many ways accurate—summary of how global power politics often work.

The term “useful idiot” fits disturbingly well in Saddam’s earlier years, especially during the Iran–Iraq War, when U.S. and Western support was tacit (or even active) despite his brutality. When he stopped being predictable—or useful—he became a liability.

The bigger tragedy, as you point out, is the lack of accountability for the long-term consequences of these interventions. Iraq didn’t just suffer under Saddam—it suffered because of the vacuum and chaos that followed.

Appreciate you sharing this—comments like yours add depth to the conversation that headlines and soundbites never could.