Before the Kuwait war, Iraq had lots of oil bucks, so that Saddam could do a lot of good things for the people in order to build up his legitimacy without detracting from the all-important feathering of his own nest. (Saddam's politics are amazing similar to another oil critter, Dubya.)
JD
> iraqi gov't, at one time, was among handful
> that accepted principle of spontaneous
> settlement(more commonly known as squatting)
> in addressing housing issues...
>
> approach involved relatively low-cost
> upgrading of 'shanties' with roads, sewer, electricity,
> water...low rents & community
> links were sustained while infrastructure
> development created jobs...gov't would
> offer people sites on which to build their
> own residences (providing construction
> guidance as well)...folks received tenure
> security and protection against rent
> inflation... education and health facilities
> were built to service such areas...
>
> result was string of villages in which
> residents could preserve/practice culture,
> maintain/foster mutual help & support...
> communities helped cushion people against
> urban isolation/alienation *and* blocked
> use of inappropriate western planning/
> zoning ideas... michael hoover
