Examining Saddam Hussein's last words
(دراسة صدام حسين الكلمات الاخيرة
In the months and weeks before his death Saddam Hussein (Uruknet photo on left) produced a number of communications to the world beyond his cell through speeches, letters and interviews. Some of these communications have been made public and reveal additional insights into the former Iraqi leader's personal beliefs and motives, particularly Hussein's views on jihad and the use of terrorism.
In his July 7, 2006 letter to the American people, Hussein (via Uruknet) referred to the insurgency in Iraq as "heroic Mujahideen, in glorious, virtuous, militant, jihadist Iraq. So God bless the heroic people of Iraq and God bless the jihad and Mujahideen."
Hussein signed the letter:God is great…Glory to God, to our nation, our people and the Mujahideen…Long live Iraq…Long live Palestine…Long live our glorious nation and our peace l oving people. God is greater. Saddam Hussein
President of Iraq and Commander in Chief of Iraq’s Mujahideen Armed Forces
The invocations of Islam and calls for a jihad against his foes were not new for Hussein. The calls for a "jihad" against the U.S. and its allies began at least as early as 1990 during the run up to the first Gulf War when Hussein declared a holy war against the U.S. and Israel, 1993 through his right hand man at Iraq's "Popular Islamic Conference" in Baghdad, in 1998 after U.S. air strikes on Iraq , in 2000 while speaking about the USS Cole bombing and in the months before the March 2003 invasion the calls were repeated. After coalition forces entered Iraq he again invoked the call for jihad at least twice before he was captured.
In a March 2006 interview held on Al-Fayhaa TV (found by "The Bullwinkle Blog" and translated by MEMRI) Hussein claimed responsibility for unspecified terrorist attacks.
I know that people who listen to me might think that Saddam Hussein has become apathetic in prison and stopped supporting terrorism. No. I’m not ashamed to tell you that Iraq, without Saddam Hussein, isn’t worth two bits. Therefore, it will make me happy if Iraq turns into dust.
Though this may have been tough talk from a man facing his own mortality or simply talk of using violence against those from both inside and outside his former ruling Baath Party who had crossed him during his time in prison it contrasts sharply with Hussein's previous denials of links to terrorism and similar comments made by Hussein's former mouthpiece Tariq Aziz.
Further critical analysis of Hussein's speeches (other speeches found here), analysis of the upcoming "tell all" book from Hussein's former lawyer, deciphering of public and private letters, interviews (as well as the eventual declassification of interrogation logs) will undoubtedly provide a means for deeper understanding of Hussein's stated desires and impressions regarding the West, Islam/Islamists, jihad and terrorism. These reports, combined with the previous findings of the Duelfer Report, the Iraqi Perspectives Project and CIA/DIA/FBI reports (which have been partially released through the Senate Intelligence Committee's look at the subject), are necessary for a full and comprehensive view into the world according to Saddam Hussein and thus any definitive pronouncements on Hussein's real motives should be withheld until such an effort can be made.
Comments (5)
Now we all know that there were no ties between Saddam Hussein (PBUH) and Al Queda and the other terror organizations that seek to kill us.
We all know that he was a great guy.
We all know that he would have killed Osama himself if given the chance...
Hussein, after all, was secular. Not Muslim enough...
No, we all know that Hussein would have never supported any efforts to pay suicide bomber's families and he never would have allowed terrorists to have shelter or establish training camps in his country.
We know all that because the media has told us for over years and years now.
End sarcasm.
Saddam Hussein is dead.
May all of his virgins look like a cross between Rosie O'Donnell and Khalid Sheik Mohammed.
Posted by: moonbattery | June 1, 2007 8:34 AM
Posted on: June 1, 2007 08:34
Thanks so much for coming by my post on Al Gore's comments on terrorism. I'm very interested in what you are putting together. From this page, it appears that you are well on your way.
It's late here and I'm about to shut-down for tonight, but I'll be back with a day or so.
Again, thanks for the contact.
Maggie
Maggie's Notebook
Posted by: Maggie M. Thornton | June 18, 2007 11:10 PM
Posted on: June 18, 2007 23:10
You visited DeMediacratic Nation as said:
"Cool site friend."
High praise considering the source. Wow, talk about dedication, Bravo!
Great site here, I'll be linking you at my site. My only issue (and I don't doubt for a second you are busy and your posts are not copy/paste/slap dab, but researched) is your last post being May 29...Post, post, post and keep knocking them dead.
I agree with moonbattery as I noted as reading the post that Hussein often found it good practice to get religious when it suited him. I probably would have commented full of sarcasm, but that was taken care of.
As to his "72 virgins," I'm sure he had and tortured many more than 72 of them during his lifetime and reign.
Keep up the great work...I'll be back
Posted by: Blandly Urbane | June 26, 2007 10:59 AM
Posted on: June 26, 2007 10:59
I'm presently working on a small logo to put on my site to link here and am in the process of getting rid of the title on your header so I can redo it in order to make it legible at the smaller size.
I'm on the part of the map that has Salman Pak on it; if I recall this is a WMD area. Didn't Hussein also have a dummy airliner or something along those lines that was used for terrorist training there?
This was well before 2003, so the memory doesn't quite serve so well.
Just passing on an observation/thought
Posted by: Blandly Urbane | June 26, 2007 1:59 PM
Posted on: June 26, 2007 13:59
It's one great site you've got, This posts looks like you really have put lots of efforts on, you can't find these things in one source and copy them, after you did this , people can!!, just kidding, now I have your link on my blog roll, I hope that you can come by and give my blog a look as well.
Cheers.
Posted by: M.H.Z | June 27, 2007 2:53 PM
Posted on: June 27, 2007 14:53