I won't beat around the bush - I woke up as Saddam Hussein just after he had become President of Iraq and before he launched his disastrous war against Iran.
I died and transmigrated. There was no ROB that I could see. One minute I was in my original world then there was darkness and I woke up in the body of a sociopathic, middle-aged Arab ruler.
I'm completely in control of Saddam's conscious mind but I only share his subconscious or rather the hard-coded data of his subconscious mind still remains. And to be honest I have no intention of wiping that part out. I only know a little about Saddam's history through a HBO show I watched in my original world - House of Saddam. If you haven't seen it or don't know, Saddam's history then let me just tell you that Saddam is one cold blooded guy.
He was an army officer that took part in the coup against the democratic government of Iraq and became a key member of the ruling Ba'ath party. In fact he was Vice President of Iraq just before I transmigrated.
Saddam is a killer. He's killed dozens of people, both in his capacity as an army man but also outside it. He shot his best friend in the head after that loyal best friend helped him become President, He falsely accused and tortured fellow Ba'ath party members and then 'purged' them and their families. There's not much I can do about inhabiting this vile man. There's no way out. I have to make the best of the situation. If you don't already know, Saddam's story ends with being deposed by the Americans and hanged to death. If this is my new host body, my new life then I have to avoid that death. I want to live. I want to prosper.
You might think, well this is a great situation. I am the absolute ruler of a country. I can just do what I want. No that's not fucking true... Saddam is a Sunni Muslim ruler of a majority Shia country. The two the sects of Islam detest each other. And boy does Saddam's subconscious hate the Shias!
But there is also a minority of other sects in the country. The people in the North are an Persian ethnic group called the Kurds. Yup the same guys who fought bravely against ISIS and then were fucked over by the West. Personally, I had a great deal of respect for the Kurds. I mean they had women fighting on the frontline…even the West doesn't really have that! But as Saddam, they're definitely a problem. They want independence bad! There are also others. Like the Yazidis and Christians who are mostly on Saddam's…my side because I'm the only one able to keep the extremist Sunni elements at bay.
But to top it all, Saddam rose to power by killing and intimidation. When you rise to power by fear, you need to keep that fear in place because you've created so many enemies, that if they sense even the slightest weakness they will pounce.
Saddam has allies, mostly form his tribe based in the city of Tikrit. These people occupy places of power in Saddam's government. They're extremely corrupt. And that's another issue. I know that their loyalty exists only so long as they fear Saddam and get paid.
So my dream of a developed, peaceful non-religious Iraq that is a shining beacon in the troubled Islamic world is just that…a dream.
I do have one additional gift in my arsenal. Whichever being dropped me into this world, has given me the skill of a highly sensitive danger sense! I mean really, really sensitive. So sensitive that I am constantly sensing donger from all around me. I first thought that it was just Saddam's paranoia. But l found out that it was a real power just a week earlier.
I was visiting some local dignitaries in Eastern Iraq (a Shia stronghold) when my danger sense became overwhelming. It was so acute that I just couldn't get out of bed. I made my assistant attend the meeting in my stead and told him to plead sudden work for which I had to return to Baghdad. As soon as we left the city my danger sense started easing. Later that day, I found out that a massive explosion had happened at the hotel where my meeting had been arranged. My assistant perished along with hundreds of others. So there's that. Sometimes it's easier to allow Saddam's lack of empathy take over than allow myself to examine my feelings about my actions and then repercussions.
Not everything about my current situation is bad and not everything is good. I decided to make a list pros and cons of being Saddam. On the pros side:
· He spent a lot on healthcare, and education so Iraq is fairly advanced, as compared to neighbouring Arabs states;
· The Sunni minority generally like him…me;
· The Shias are resentful but not outrightly rebellious;
· The country has a shit ton of oil and the price of oil has been booming especially since the Ayatollah came to power in neighbouring Iran;
· The secret police the Mukhbarat is squarely under Saddam's control and is frighteningly effective. Frighteningly;
· Saddam has managed not to make an enemy out of either the Soviets or the USA. Both resent him but neither hate him. For a small nation in the Cold War, that's a damn good achievement;
Now the cons…
· A lot of people hate Saddam…me… and want to see him dead The families of those he purged, Shia Iran, the Kurds in the North, the Communists, the Islamists, Israel and probably many, many more;
· While he's held off the Soviets and the US, neither are his friend either and that's a danger in this era;
· He's holding onto his power out of fear and terror. A single sign of weakness and the jackals will pounce;
· His family is vile. Well mostly his elder son Uday is the real deal - psychopathic rapist, murder and sadist. I plan to kill him myself. YOLO, well except for me. His wife is a shrewish harpy. She schemes and manipulates and loves the trappings of luxury more than anything. She's put her own family in positions of power. Her brother is my army chief for fuck's sake;
Pros and cons are fine but I've decided to take an active role in preserving his and therefore my life so, here are the opportunities that I think are there:
· I know the future until 2021. I mean for example, in less than a decade the Soviet Union will collapse so it makes a lot of sense to become America's ally right now;
· China would have just begun liberalising its economy under Deng Xiaoping which means I still have time to steal their thunder. Set up special economic zones and outcompete China to become the world's manufacturing hub;
· Wahabbism is still endemic to Saudi Arabia. I can pull the rug out from under them by setting up some sweet deals and financing a sect of Islam of my choice - a more modern, liberal sect;
· I know the future of Apple, Samsung and Microsoft. These companies arrive on the global stage only decades from now. Leaving me enough time to set up a Sovereign Weath Fund and fill it up with oil cash;
But my immediate problem is my next door neighbour, Iran. Ever since the Islamic Revolution, the chances of a war with them has increased manifold. Khomenei the leader of Iran isn't innocent in this feud with Saddam. During his exile in Iraq Khomenei tried his best to rile up the Iraqi Shias into overthrowing Saddam.
But the truth is that Iraq cannot beat Iran in outright war. They have a population that's almost three times ours. They have armed forces that are fanatical. I mean historically, Iran pushed back the more advanced Iraqi army by resorting to suicidal banzai attacks. Waves of them.
Even if Saddam hadn't started a war, Khomenei would have at some point. So what can I do?
Well worry not reader for I have a most devious plan to kill two birds with one stone!