How did Saddam manage to hold power over the Iraqi citizens in the 1980's...?

Question

Despite internal uprisings (namely the 1991 Kurdish / Shi'ite rebellion) and external pressures (UN sanctions/ Poor economy due to Iran/ Iraq War). What would you say, from a solely unbiased, domestic viewpoint, is the reason Saddam was able to hold the power that he did from '79 to '03 (but mostly from '79 to the mid 90's...

Perhaps another question would be:
Does it all come down to fear? Were they terrified of him?

To be honest, I think he was terrified of everyone else as well. Paranoid as all hell, but that's another topic altogether.

Answer 1

Because he invaded Iran , the enemy of the US, so he was supported by the US, Britain and other European countries even when he was gassing his own population.
The US supplied anthrax and military intelligence and helicopters, the europeans supplied materials for chemical weapons, the British supplied training for his army and navy.
There is a notorious photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam in 1983 at the height of his power.

Answer 2

When you are dictator and armed with death squads and so
forth the people tend to stay in line.Take a look at China...
how they can control such a massive population.He killed
any opposition is how he did it.He tried to doublecross the
U.S. and got a response.America does not want war for the
most part...but I guess that it was meant to be.

Answer 3

As much as some people don't care about their own lives, they do care about their families.

Saddam was ruthless enough to go after the families, friends, and friends of friends of anyone who threatened him.