Nor did I, any more than I would have Saddam had we been discussing Iraq directly.  In fact Saddam murdered the father of a dear friend of mine, currently living in Karbala but formerly the only Ayatullah living in the US.  My brother-in-law's younger brother had to flee Iraq because he refused to serve in Saddam's Republican Guard.  What I was pointing out is that the true authors of these tragedies are the ruling criminals of the western and Russian imperialist nations who put Saddam and his ilk in power, and armed and financed them.  A Mafia godfather who "ordains" a contract killing is as guilty--really MORE so--than the hit-man that carries it out.  This statement neither says nor implies the hit-man is NOT guilty of the crime.  Indeed US law finds both culpable.  On the larger scale crimes against humanity perpetrated by Saddam, Aswad and indeed the da'esh ("ISIS") are justifiably laid at the feet of our own ruling criminals, without absolving their "tools".  Khalas.