ABSTRACT
Back in 1990, at the height of the Kuwait crisis that led to Operation Desert Storm, the world was awaiting Saddam Hussein’s reply to the ultimatum delivered to him by the allied forces. On 23 March of that year, a piece of news dominated bulletins and newspaper articles around the world.1 The night before, Saddam Hussein had a dream. In his dream the Prophet had appeared before him and proclaimed that Iraq’s missiles were pointed in the wrong direction. The story was accompanied by extensive analysis by Middle East experts. The dream clearly indicated that Saddam was preparing Iraqi public opinion for a withdrawal from Kuwait. In other words, having couched his resistance to Western demands in terms of Holy War, he would present his forthcoming compliance as obedience to God’s Will: the Prophet, undoubtedly, did not sanction hostility to the allied forces, some of whom were fellow Muslims.
