Research Into an Authoritarian Regime

The 2012 Larry D. Welch Award winner for best external publication was "The Saddam Tapes: The Inner Workings of a Tyrant's Regime, 1978-2001," a book by IDA researcher Kevin M. Woods published in 2011. This summary explores how a close examination of captured state records, namely a significant body of audio files, led to critical insights into Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. As a result, the book serves as educational and enlightening resource for understanding the nature of Hussein's character and of authoritarian regimes more broadly.