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 could not praise the leader enough for all their good deeds .