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In the middle of the night in Iraq, while most people are asleep, Saddam Hussein tosses and turns from one palace to another.
Every morning at three o'clock in the morning, no matter where he is, the once powerful president wakes up on time.
From the glittering palaces of Baghdad to the hidden fortresses in the desert, Saddam's life was fraught with vigilance and unease.
What is it that makes this strongman so uneasy that he has been at the pinnacle of power for decades on end?
Becker and the rise of Saddam
On July 17, 1976, Iraq's political landscape was radically changed by an orchestrated coup d'état.
Major General Becker overthrew the existing government with lightning speed and condescendingly became the new leader of the country.
On this day, Saddam Hussein, as Becker's nephew, also officially stepped into the forefront of the political scene.
In the course of the coup, Saddam Hussein played a key coordinating role.
He communicated closely with senior military officials to ensure that the coup d'état went smoothly.
After the successful coup, Saddam Hussein stood by Becker's side at the victory conference, and his gesture showed his importance in the new regime.
Becker's respect for Saddam Hussein stems not only from his proximity to blood relations, but also because he values Saddam's political potential and organizational ability.
In the weeks following the coup, Becker handed over appointments to Saddam Hussein for a number of key positions.
This includes a number of key positions in the security services and intelligence systems, which are key to maintaining the stability of the regime.
Saddam decisively reconfigured the leadership of these departments, ensuring that all key positions were filled by people loyal to the new regime.
United American ambitions: Saddam's second coup d'état
Saddam's rise to prominence in the political arena was rapid, and his ambitions were not limited to becoming an assistant loyal to his uncle Backer.
After consolidating his position within the Iraqi regime, Saddam Hussein began to plan to expand the scope of his power and gradually establish his own independent power base.
He is well aware that in order to gain a foothold in the top political echelons, he must have his own power and support.
Saddam Hussein began to actively establish contacts with other political groups and key figures, and even did not hesitate to exchange and cooperate with external forces in order to enhance his political influence.
He has carefully cultivated a loyal legion of supporters, including military officers and government officials, who hold key positions in different branches of the Iraqi government and the military.
Through these people, Saddam Hussein was able to keep abreast of political developments at home and abroad and, if necessary, quickly mobilize resources and forces.
One day in July 1979, Saddam Hussein used his accumulated political resources and contacts to influence the government's top decision-making through a series of elaborate behind-the-scenes operations. He also used his influence in the media and the public to manipulate the release of information and pave the way for himself to take over as president.
Saddam's plan was successfully implemented, and Becker announced on state television that he had abdicated for health reasons and passed the presidency to Saddam.
In the televised broadcast, Becker's face was calm and his voice was firm, while Saddam Hussein accepted the transfer of power with a posture of readiness to take on the heavy responsibility.
During the announcement, Saddam Hussein stood next to Becker, his expression serious and calm.
He addressed the camera and a national audience, promising to continue to advance the country's development and prosperity.
Although the solemnity of politics and the cleanliness of the sequence were maintained on the scene, behind all this was the result of Saddam's long-term strategic layout.
Although the coup d'état was bloodless, its impact was far-reaching.
Through this series of operations, Saddam Hussein not only consolidated his political position, but also demonstrated his political skills at home and abroad.
With this bloodless coup, Saddam Hussein successfully transformed from an auxiliary to the country's top leader, marking a new high point in his political career.
Saddam's defensive strategy
After becoming president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein showed extreme vigilance and suspicion in maintaining power and personal security.
His daily routine is dominated by strict security measures and personal habits.
To avoid any potential risk of assassination or kidnapping, Saddam decided not to spend the night in a fixed palace, but instead chose to rotate frequently between the more than 20 palaces and palaces he owned across the country.
Every night, he spent his night in a different palace, which was spread across Baghdad and other parts of Iraq.
Each location is carefully selected and prepared by his security team, ensuring that there are multiple escape routes and that the surrounding security measures are rigorously checked.
Even so, Saddam Hussein woke up at 3 a.m. every night, a disrupted sleep pattern that allowed him to sleep only four to five hours a day.
His bedroom is usually kept in low light, and he is always manned by two bodyguards in different corners of the room.
Saddam Hussein was left with long-term injuries to his leg as a result of being shot in the leg during military operations in his early years. This injury has become a problem that cannot be ignored after he became president.
Although his consultants advised him to walk for at least two hours a day to stay healthy, Saddam's leg injury made it difficult to walk for long periods of time.
In public, especially at major military or government events, he usually stops after walking only a few steps, rarely exceeding 10 steps, and relies on other means of transportation or the support of his assistants for the remainder of the journey.
In order to adapt to this physical limitation, Saddam's work and living environment have undergone special adjustments.
His offices and conference rooms are often set up in easily accessible locations, and his car has been modified with special seats to reduce the impact on his legs during the journey.
Even inside the palace, there are wheelchair accessible and wheelchair-friendly facilities to ensure that he can walk as little as possible.
Under such a lifestyle, Saddam's schedule was arranged without leakage.
He follows the schedule every day, with a regular schedule of activities for every hour from morning to night, including meetings, document reviews, and debriefings with advisers and ministers.
The time and place of each activity were scheduled as close as possible to his place of residence or office to reduce his movement.
The Two Sides of Private Life: Saddam's Deviation
Under Saddam Hussein, although he often expressed his devout belief in Islam in public, some of his actions in his private life were clearly contrary to the teachings of the religion.
This contradictory way of life is especially evident in his daily and official activities.
As president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein was often required to attend and host various formal dinners and occasions for receiving foreign representatives.
On these occasions, he did not comply with the prohibition of alcohol in Islam and drank alcoholic beverages such as French wine in public.
This behavior was especially common at some official dinners, where Saddam Hussein not only enjoyed it himself, but sometimes urged his guests to drink with him.
His practice has caused quite a bit of controversy in conservative Islamic societies, but because of his position of power, these actions have often gone untapped with public criticism.
In addition to his preference for alcohol, Saddam's private life included a quest for luxury and pleasure.
He owned a number of lavish palaces and palaces, which were not only used for government activities, but also for his personal pleasures.
According to reports, Saddam Hussein often hosted lavish banquets and gatherings in these private domains, inviting guests to include a large number of high-ranking officials and foreign visitors.
What is even more concerning is that Saddam Hussein has also been accused of indulging in lust in his private life.
Not only did he have a number of lovers, but he was also said to have a so-called "pre-selection list" of women who were chosen to satisfy his personal desires.
This practice is extremely sensitive and controversial in Iraqi society, as it is in direct contradiction to many of the teachings of Islam, especially the teachings on marriage and sexual morality.
Although most of the details of Saddam's private life were carried out on very private occasions, details were often leaked out, causing speculation and criticism from all walks of life.
In his palaces, especially in some hidden palaces outside Baghdad, Saddam Hussein was able to conduct these private activities more freely, with little outside interference.
The interiors of these pavilions are luxuriously decorated and equipped with advanced security systems that ensure absolute privacy and security.
Although Saddam Hussein professed his loyalty and respect for Islam, his private habits and behaviors to a certain extent showed his tendency to use power to open the way for his own selfish desires.
The end of power and the twist of fate
In a pivotal decision in 1980, Saddam Hussein made the decision to tear up the Algiers Agreement, a move that led to an all-out war between Iraq and Iran.
The war, which came to be known as the Iran-Iraq War, lasted from 1980 to 1988 and became one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts in the Middle East of the 20th century.
The war was sparked in part by Saddam's desire to expand Iraq's influence in the Persian Gulf region and control more oil resources.
His troops quickly invaded Iranian territory and captured a number of key border cities.
However, Iran's counterattack was equally ferocious, and the war quickly reached a stalemate, with both sides paying a huge human and material cost.
The war has placed a heavy economic and human burden on Iraq.
The country's economy is almost entirely dependent on oil exports, and the war has led to a significant reduction in oil production and exports.
At the same time, the war consumes a lot of national resources, including money, military equipment, and personnel.
The country's infrastructure has deteriorated due to years of war, and the standard of living of the population has also deteriorated significantly.
Later in the war, Saddam's political foundations began to falter.
Although he still held absolute power, the continuation of the war and the economic and social burden it carried on him led to a decline in his popularity among the people.
By the end of the war, Iraq's finances were nearly bankrupt and the government was heavily in debt.
Until 2003, the United States launched a military operation against Iraq on the grounds that it possessed chemical and biological weapons and supported international terrorism.
On March 20, the U.S. military and its allies began a large-scale military assault on Iraq, a military operation that quickly destroyed Iraq's major military forces and infrastructure.
By April, the U.S. military and its allies had taken control of most of Iraq, and Saddam's regime had been completely overthrown within weeks.
Saddam Hussein fled Baghdad in the early stages of the war and went into hiding.
After months of searching, he was finally captured by U.S. forces in an underground bunker in December of the same year.
After Saddam's arrest, Iraq entered a new period of political transition, and he himself faced trial.
In the subsequent trial, Saddam Hussein was found guilty on a number of counts, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On 30 December 2006, Saddam Hussein was hanged.
References:[1]Tang Yuyan,Fu Jianmin. A trip to the Middle East from the trial of Saddam Hussein[J].Study Monthly,2005(12):35-36