POWERFUL WORDS

Saddam Hussein's recent court appearance piqued the emotions of many Iraqis. Some were upset that he is still alive and, with no regard to any kind of law, chastised the court for not executing him on the spot.

On the other hand, millions of Iraqis who watched the proceedings on television had another take on what they saw. When the judge told Saddam that he would look into the Americans fixing a faulty elevator, Saddam gave a lecture. He said the judge should "order" U.S. personnel to fix it. Then he stated, "You are an Iraqi."

Those four words speak volumes. Today, Iraqis are being depicted as Sunni, Shi’ite, Chaldean, Assyrian, Turkomen, etc. Those Iraqis who have succumbed to the new nomenclature are playing into the hands of a disastrous U.S. policy to fragment Iraq. Saddam Hussein had to remind the judge and his countrypeople of their nationality.

When Saddam uttered those words, many Iraqis were thrilled. Even some of his former adversaries admired his pride in Iraq: a pride that is seldom seen today.

It is coming upon the two-year mark that Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. personnel. The media are laden with stories of his kidnapping in the context of their articles about the trial. They still portray the capture as occurring in a "spider hole." They still mention that Saddam was unkempt and in bad shape.

Again, we see virtually no journalistic endeavor to discover the truth. Saddam Hussein was not captured in a spider hole. After his apprehension, he was beaten and drugged. The pictures the world saw of a disheveled Saddam Hussein were taken after the torture and drug administration, but the U.S. portrayed them as being taken at the time of capture. On March 11, 2005, I ran the following article. It is very relevant today as it shows Saddam’s fortitude then. He still exudes the same steadfastness and integrity today.