# Joel Kinnaman on Saddam Hussein and War of Choice > Joel Kinnaman says the U.S. cooperates with monsters in global politics. - Title: Joel Kinnaman on Saddam Hussein and War of Choice · Collider - Summary: Joel Kinnaman says the U.S. cooperates with monsters in global politics. Joel Kinnaman warns that America's involvement in wars of choice is avoidable due to… - Keywords: joel kinnaman, saddam hussein, high value target, tnt, george w bush, waleed zuaiter, war of choice, international politics, military-industrial complex, nuclear weapons, entertainment, culture - Source: Collider — https://collider.com/joel-kinnaman-high-value-target-the-hunt-for-saddam-hussein-finale - Author: Therese Lacson - Published: 2026-10-09T03:04:11+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: joel kinnaman, saddam hussein, high value target, tnt, george w bush, waleed zuaiter, war of choice, international politics, military-industrial complex, nuclear weapons, entertainment, culture ## Joel Kinnaman on John Nixon Joel Kinnaman spent time with John Nixon to understand his character deeply. > It was really important to spend time with John, to talk to him, to really get under the hood on him. ## Working with Waleed Zuaiter Kinnaman worked closely with Waleed Zuaiter to portray Saddam Hussein accurately. > I was like, 'Fuck, that's Saddam.' ## Challenging Cairo Shoots Filming in Cairo faced power issues and trash problems that made shooting difficult. > The hardest days were like one to 100. ## Saddam's Perspective Kinnaman learned Saddam Hussein's viewpoint on U.S. actions and international conflicts. > America has been cooperating with at least equal monsters in many other ways... ## War of Choice Kinnaman warns that wars of choice are driven by special interests and false narratives. > It's completely avoidable. ## The U.S. and Saddam Kinnaman explains how the U.S. supported Saddam while claiming he had weapons. > He gassed the Kurdish people in Halabja; he's murdered, and his sons are just sadistic murderers... ## 9/11 and Saddam Kinnaman describes Saddam's reaction to 9/11 as relieved about U.S. unity. > When he's talking about his reaction to 9/11, that he was relieved because that, for him, signaled this is going to be the incident that finally is going to make the U.S. and Iraq come together... ## The Iran Deal Kinnaman explains Saddam's justification for not cooperating with weapons inspectors. > Well, if I proved without the shadow of a doubt that I don't have any weapons, then as soon as these inspectors leave, and the American gaze moves somewhere else, then Iran will invade, and I'm defenseless. ## American Foreign Policy Kinnaman criticizes U.S. foreign policy for being dishonest and two-faced. > The United States was very dishonest in the way that they dealt with Saddam. ## The Finale John Nixon debriefs President Bush on the hunt for Saddam Hussein. > Oh, he doesn't really care about the nuance of it all. He just wants black and white. ## War of Choice Impact Kinnaman says wars of choice ruin economies and cause global instability. > It's completely avoidable. ## Kinnaman's View Kinnaman believes the U.S. should lead with moral principles in foreign policy. > a country should lead with the morals they espouse. ## Key takeaway Joel Kinnaman warns that America's involvement in wars of choice is avoidable due to special interests and false narratives.