Alan Greenspan is making the rounds of the talk shows selling his new book. As difficult as it is to take exception with anything the chairman says, one of his views on Geo-politics regarding Saddam Hussein is hard to let go unquestioned.
He said that Hussein "Had to be taken out of power'. He advanced the theory that Hussein desired to control the Straits of Hormuz and that he would bluff possession of a nuclear weapon, thus destabilizing the flow of oil to the west.
The first thing that comes to mind is our ability to shut him down on the first sign of any advancement outside of his borders. By all accounts not only was he containable , but no match militarily. Secondly would we have been so easily bluffed by a threat of nuclear power by him.
Did Chairman Greenspan see this threat as imminent? What would have caused that view? What benefit Hussein would have derived from this attack and charade, possibly Mr. Greenspan reveals in the book.
Could it be that the Chairman is not above fantasizing to help jump start sales of his new book.