Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

I'm under the impression that private gun ownership under Saddam was legal and actually quite high. Everything I have researched has shown the same thing. I have seen documentaries and read reports from GIs in Iraq with them saying "everyone has a gun here". Does anyone have sources that state otherwise on the legality of firearms under President Hussein? And please, no one needs to hear about how Saddam was "the devil" and how "evil" he was. I think it's obvious that since the early 90's there has been tons of propaganda force fed to the American public about him.

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

Well, shit - it sounds like it was civil rights heaven there. Maybe, if we're really lucky, Osamabama will impose the same kind of regime here on our soil.

Here's a tip - propaganda works both ways.

That's true. As long as you were Sunni like Saddam, everything was cool. Maybe we can find some Shiites and Kurds and get their take on it....

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

I recall seeing a report on the telly (so it must be true :bear_rolleyes:) that said that every Iraqi adult male was entitled to own one AK-47. Now the media being the media were unable to differentiate between a semi-auto version and the assault version so that remains a mystery but I'd hazard a guess and suggest that they were allowed assault rifles.

I have no idea about the laws pertaining to the use of the assault rifles (hunting, Home Defense, plinking etc). And I do doubt that they were allowed to open carry.

Thinking it through it could well have only been Ba'at party members whom could own firearms. After all, I think it'd have been hard for the Iraqi Republican Army to put down the Kurds and other minorities had they possessed guns. Thugs with guns are brave against unarmed civilians but against armed groups much less so

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

Gun ownership was lawful and widespread under both the actual Hitler and the "little Hitler" Saddam Hussein.

America and "the West" are in no position to criticize anyone else's civil rights records or stances.

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

not so widespread for any undesirables, wonder what happened to them...

and what has Saddam ever done to warrant the title little hitler?

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

Read that he handed out over 5 million AKs in the 1990s

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

source?

I believe it though, that does make sense

Re: Gun ownership under Saddam Hussein.
 

I was in Iraq on a night when Iraq beat Syria in a soccer game. I'm not sure what the actual laws are, but I would venture to say there are an awful lot of people who own fully automatic weapons in Iraq. Apparently their ammo is 1/3 tracer as well. I have never seen so many tracer rounds in my life. All flights were postponed that night due to celebritory fire.