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Why President Bush may not get a lot of credit.

In regard to the Jan. 8 Opinion piece, "Why doesn't Bush get more credit?": Author John Hughes proclaims that "Sadly, Bush currently seems to get little credit for ridding the world of Saddam Hussein, surely one of the world's most fearsome despots since Adolf Hitler."

He fails to mention that Mr. Hussein was our close ally in the Middle East under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. If he was, in fact, Hitler-like, why did we embrace him until he invaded Kuwait? How was it that we didn't recognize the Hitler in him until August 1990? Indeed, why did he remain our ally after he gassed the Kurds in 1988 on Mr. Reagan's watch? Why did Reagan say and do nothing in response to that atrocity?

As far as the US is concerned, it seems Hussein didn't acquire his despot status until he threatened US oil interests.

David Henson Akron, Ohio