Non educated answer: Mongolians/Ghenkis Khan went wild .Not to sidetrack the thread, but some Russians tend to look a bit.....Asian.
Its NOTHING Like that. Plus, Saddam was fairly secular.
there are heavy religious overtones.Exactly. It's 100% political. To call it a "holy war" is fukking stupid.
Did you see this?
WSJ News Exclusive | Russia, Failing to Achieve Early Victory in Ukraine, Is Seen Shifting to ‘Plan B’