While acknowledging Hussein's misdeeds--attacking Israel in 1967, hosting Palestinian terrorists over the years, and siding with Iraq in the Persian Gulf War--editorialists lavished excuses on  He feared a Palestinian revolt if he didn't attack Israel in 1967, atoned for the 1967 war by sitting out the 1973 war against Israel, and allied himself with Iraq in 1991 because he feared an Iraqi invasion or collateral economic damage from the war against Iraq.
They mentioned the various dishonorable deeds that Hussein had committed.