Saddam Hussein’s power kept growing within the Iraqi power structure and he formally assumed power in 1979.

Saddam convened an assembly of Ba’ath party leaders on 22 July 1979. During the assembly, which he ordered videotaped, Saddam claimed to have found a fifth column within the Ba’ath Party and directed the names of 68 alleged co-conspirators read. These members were labelled “disloyal” and were removed from the room one by one.

Not a single one of them was seen after the meeting.

From the beginning, Saddam wanted to capture the biggest chunk of Oil reserves by force. 

Iraq-> 8% of the global Oil reserves.

Iran-> 10% of the global Oil reserves.

Kuwait-> 7% of the global Oil reserves.

Saudi -> 20% of the global Oil reserves

After consolidating power, he attacked Iran which holds 10% of Oil reserves. He fought there for nearly 10 years with US supporting Iran by providing arms. But he failed there.

After failing in Iran, he attacked Kuwait in 1991 which he conquered very easily. Then he amassed his forces on Saudi border. It was clear that Saddam wanted to capture Saudi and hence control ~30% of the global Oil reserves. At the nick of the time, US, Europe and many countries intervened and Saddam was pushed back.

Let me speculate what would have happened had US not invaded Iraq.

  1. Iraq would have captured Saudi and controlled nearly 30% of the Oil.
  2. Using that strength, he would have surely made attempts to capture other oil producing countries in middle-east and would have been successful.
  3. At the end, he would have captured nearly 50% of the Oil reserves of the world.

With a Sunni Islamic dictator capturing 50% of the Oil reserves, the whole world would have come under his thumb.

From the money Putin is getting by controlling just 6% of Oil reserves he is wrecking havoc in Ukraine, Syria, Moldova, Georgia. By controlling just 20% of Oil reserves, Saudi is wrecking havoc in so many countries.

With Saddam controlling 40%-60% of the reserves, I doubt if any other religion apart from Islam would have remained alive. And, my guess is, he would have targeted Hinduism and India first to toe the Jihadi line and Hinduism would have fallen.

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