[Just mythoughts]

Saddam did all this because he was afraid of Iran??? I don’t think so although Saddam did think of himself as an incarnation of that previous King of Babylon and it was Darius the Median that took the kingdom from Neb’s grandson Belshazzar.

[jveritas]

Saddam was terrified of Iran and he always believed that Iran was going to take revenge on him by nuking Iraq or bombing them with Chemical and biological weapons. That is why it would have been impossible for Saddam regime to stop his WMD programs not only to face Iran but also to control his population (use Chemical weapons).