[Salvanas]

Originally Posted by Tenchu

I don't think that is entirly accurate.

He started out very noble. But when Richard the Lionhearted of England showed up, Saladin had a problem. Richard was a seige fighter, Saladin liked pitched battles, to favor his numbers, cavalry and archers. Saladin ambushed Richard and divided his Army when it was on the march. If Richard had have fled, he would have lost half his Army, so he was forced to stay and fight. He won.

After that, Saladin "raped the land", literally. He burned every village and killed every goat. He cut down every forest and poisned all the wells and rivers. He was trying to hinder Richard and weaken him as much as he could. It was working.

When Richard arrived at Jarusalem, he realized he could not take the city. If he did, he would become a prisoner in it. This did not sit well with his friends, the Hospitallers (Warrior Monks) and Burgandy. Who were promised victory.

Richard did manage to make a few victories. At one time (I forget the city, was it Jaffar?), he rode out to Sladins Army on horseback alone, and shouted at them and taunted them to fight him. Saladins Army fled. Both Muslim and Christian historians believe it was Richards lone physical presence that did this.

So Richard could not take Jarusalem, but the peace he managed to barter with Saladin was the agreement that the city be open to all. Saladin agreed, and it was under his rule that the city was open, yet it was not his will alone that made that happen.

Almost 1,000 years later, the same war continues...

You are totally correct. But if Saladin was a bad ruler, and did not understand the situation he was in, he would have disagreed to open it to Christians.

But knowing fully well that he was going to die soon, he took that chance.

However, there was no bad blood between Saladin and Richard. There respected each other.

Let me find a clipping from Wikipedia.

However, Saladin's relationship with Richard was one of chivalrous mutual respect as well as military rivalry. When Richard became ill with fever, Saladin offered the services of his personal physician. Saladin also sent him fresh fruit with snow, to chill the drink, as treatment. At Arsuf, when Richard lost his horse, Saladin sent him two replacements.

Also, I'd like to brush on the fact that Richard, upon entering Acre, executed around 3000 Muslim prisoners. Saladin followed suit with the same ruthless example soon after.