At this time, Saddam was spirited and wildly arrogant.
He believed he was creating the "Iraqi Empire," with Kuwait as his "19th province," and the entire world trembling beneath his cavalry.
One of his divisions had 250 T-72 tanks, 250 armored vehicles, and 60 artillery pieces, not to mention the few SAM anti-air missiles that many countries were equipped with.
On his own turf, any Americans would be as good as dead!
But the intelligence chief, Barzan, was not as confident; he knew more. The U.S. Military had amassed over 500,000 soldiers in Kuwait and was continuously reinforcing.
A scent of "arrogance" permeated the entire army.
Barzan had tried to advise him, but Saddam, the decision-maker, simply wouldn't listen.
Puffed up with pride, all dissenting voices sounded distasteful, and some even advised him not to escalate the situation with the Americans or to leave the United Nations.
But that person was executed.
