“malignant narcissist”: Author’s interview with Dr. Jerrold Post, January 18, 2015.
“If we’d instantly created an adversarial situation”: Author’s interview with Jeff Green, May 14, 2015.
“a conversation with a purpose”: Author’s interview with Tom Neer, April 21, 2016.
“I will discuss everything” . . . “not an interrogation”: From declassified FBI notes of Saddam Hussein’s interrogation, available at https://vault.fbi.gov.
“He really was a genius”: Author’s interview with Jeff Green, May 14, 2015.
“If I hear that you did not”: Woods, Palkki, and Stout, eds., The Saddam Tapes, 174.
“They do not look scared”: From declassified FBI notes of Saddam Hussein’s interrogation, available at https://vault.fbi.gov.
CHAPTER 12
The accounts of Saddam Hussein’s relationship with Robert “Doc” Ellis are based on material found in Robert Ellis and Marianna Riley’s book Caring for Victor: A U.S. Army Nurse and Saddam Hussein, as well as hours of interviews I conducted with both authors. Their cooperation was critical in my ability to write this and subsequent chapters that highlight Doc Ellis’s experience caring for Saddam Hussein.
“Act confident, don’t be afraid”: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 23.
“Saddam Hussein cannot die in U.S. custody”: Ibid., 24.
“I had to fight all the time”: Author’s interview with Robert Ellis, August 25, 2015.
“He was once a street fighter like I was”: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 182.
One night . . . “not just their aches and pains”: Ibid., 29.
On a few occasions Saddam tried: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 112; and author’s interviews with Robert Ellis, August 24 and August 25, 2015.
“My friends, three Cohibas”: From Army oral history interview with Saddam’s interpreter Joseph, March 13, 2007.
As they sat outside . . . “a ha ha ha” laughs: Author’s interview with Robert Ellis, August 25, 2015.
Saddam’s lustier side: Duelfer, Hide and Seek: The Search for Truth in Iraq, 409; and author’s interview with Dr. Joseph Sassoon, February 25, 2015.
When Ellis returned . . . “remainder of our lives”: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 90–91.
The man who . . . “They must have eaten earlier”: Ibid., 70.
“looked at the box skeptically” . . . “Papa Noel”: Ibid., 70–72.
Watch your back, Ellis, he told himself: Ibid., 46.
“silk sheets to an Army cot”: Author’s interview with Robert Ellis, October 17, 2015.
“I remember how I grew up”: Author’s interview with Robert Ellis, August 24, 2015.
“He actually lived a simple life”: Author’s email exchange with Dr. Ala Bashir, October 27, 2015.
He’d been watching a goofy comedy on his computer: Author’s interview with Robert Ellis, October 17, 2015.
Saddam told him his stomach hurt . . . “break them in half for her”: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 81; and author’s interview with Robert Ellis, August 24, 2015.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Ellis”: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 46.
CHAPTER 13
The bulk of this chapter—an account of Rod Middleton’s experience in Iraq, and his return home—is derived from hours of interviews, as well as email correspondence, I conducted with him.
Tom Neer, the FBI’s profiler . . . “manage his legacy”: Author’s interviews with Frank Byers, July 26, 2015, and Tom Neer, April 21, 2016.
“obsessed with his personal relationship with Saddam”: Author’s interview with Frank Byers, July 26, 2015.
“Eventually you have to change the tone”: Author’s interview with Rod Middleton, June 18, 2015.
“It may have been” . . . “shells dropping on me”: Author’s interview with Rod Middleton, August 27, 2015.
CHAPTER 14
“Why soldiers come?”: Ellis and Riley, Caring for Victor, 147.
Saddam took Ellis . . . “They’ll wish they had me back”: Ibid., 147–48.
Late one morning: Ibid., 135–42.
He was angry . . . “I will be your brother”: Ibid., 140–42; and author’s interviews with Robert Ellis, August 24 and August 25, 2015.
CHAPTER 15
The account of the interaction between George Piro and Saddam is based on the declassified FBI interrogation notes that are available at https://vault.fbi.gov, as well as on the National Geographic Inside documentary “Interrogating Saddam,” which includes an extensive interview with George Piro.
“I am a believer but not a zealot”: From declassified FBI notes of Saddam Hussein’s interrogation, June 28, 2004.
the “turbans” must never be allowed: Author’s interview with Charles Duelfer, February 24, 2015.
Just before Piro . . . it didn’t show: This scene was recounted by George Piro in the National Geographic Inside documentary “Interrogating Saddam.”
“Saddam did win”: Author’s interview with John Maguire, May 27, 2015.
“The truth is that . . . personal stenographer”: Joscelyn, “Saddam’s Stenographers,” The Weekly Standard.
CHAPTER 16
The account of Raghad Hussein hiring Dr. Najeeb al-Nuaimi is based on a number of interviews I conducted with him.
Her home had morphed into a shrine: Author’s interview with a friend of Raghad Hussein who wishes to remain anonymous, August 1, 2015.
She still carried herself: Ibid.
CHAPTER 17
The account of Dr. Najeeb al-Nuaimi meeting Saddam for the first time is based on interviews I conducted with him on June 10, 2015, and March 15, 2016.
“When you talk to him, he listens”: Anderson, “Saddam’s Ear,” The New Yorker.
Can you speak with the Americans: Dr. Najeeb al-Nuaimi was not the only one who explained that Saddam seemed more troubled by the method of execution—hanging—than by the prospect of execution itself. A number of the Super Twelve explained that he expressed frustration over this to them as well.
CHAPTER 18
Dialogue from the trial in this and subsequent chapters is based on pool media coverage provided by trial observers that reads like a trial transcript and is at times accompanied by accounts of the atmospherics in the courtroom. I have also relied heavily on Michael A. Newton and Michael P. Scharf’s book Enemy of the State: The Trial and Execution of Saddam Hussein, which, despite their participation in the trial, provides a generally evenhanded account of its successes and shortcomings. Visual descriptions of the courtroom and the primary participants are derived from TV footage of the trial as well as open source photographs that are in abundant supply. Much of the trial was broadcast locally in Iraq, as well as regionally and internationally. Highlights are easily viewable on YouTube.
The swagger of Saddam’s courtroom entrances: Author’s interview with Paul Sphar, January 15, 2015.
Five Iraqi judges . . . Salem Chalabi: Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State, 103.
As the security situation in Baghdad . . . “taking it to the enemy”: Author’s email exchange with William Wiley, April 13, 2016.
Most assumed that Saddam: A number of Americans I interviewed attested to the fact that Saddam could hear occasional explosions and gunfire, and that this not only reinforced his awareness that there was an active insurgency but also may have fed his belief that they would mount an effort to free him. Among those who mentioned this were the CIA’s John Maguire, the FBI’s Tom Neer, the RCLO’s William Wiley, and a number of the Super Twelve.
For that he would pay an awful price: Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State, 120.
two defense attorneys would be killed by gunmen: Ibid., 114.
a woman, speaking from behind a screen: “Saddam Outburst Follows Hidden Testimony in Trial,” USA Today.
CHAPTER 19
The account of preparing Saddam for movement from the Rock to the Iraqi High Tribunal courthouse is based on accounts provided in Steve Hutchinson’s Army
oral history interview on February 2, 2007, as well as hours of interviews I conducted with Hutchinson, Paul Sphar, and Adam Rogerson.
As Saddam showered: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
“Company Fun Day”: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, November 23, 2015.
CHAPTER 20
Dialogue from the trial is based on pool media coverage provided by trial observers. The description of the “hajji mart” is based on interviews I conducted with Chris Tasker and Paul Sphar. The description of Tucker Dawson and Paul Sphar going to purchase cigars for Saddam is based on multiple interviews I conducted with Paul Sphar.
“I know you’ve treated me very well”: Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State, 125.
He extolled their virtues: Author’s interview with Paul Sphar, September 7, 2015.
CHAPTER 21
The account of Saddam discussing his family is based primarily on the Army oral history interviews conducted with Steve Hutchinson and Adam Rogerson, as well as hours of my own interviews with those two. The specific tale of Saddam burning Uday’s cars is based on a conversation Rogerson had with him and recounted to me in an interview on May 18, 2015. The episode is also mentioned in Dr. Ala Bashir’s The Insider: Trapped in Saddam’s Brutal Regime.
clustered around Saddam’s “fire”: Many of the soldiers recalled how Saddam seemed to enjoy affectionately naming certain inanimate objects, such as calling his space heater his “fire” and his exercise bike his “pony.” Rogerson, Hutchinson, Tasker, and Sphar all mentioned this to me during interviews with them, and a number of other members of the Super Twelve referenced this habit in their Army oral history interviews.
“All I knew at the time about Uday”: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, September 3, 2015.
Uday descended deeper . . . make his selections: These accounts of Uday’s depravities are from Bennett and Weisskopf, “The Sum of Two Evils,” Time.
“If you went in there and you were intimidated”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
The event that had triggered Saddam’s frenzied immolation: The account of Uday shooting Saddam’s half brother Watban is based on descriptions of that night in two sources: Bashir, The Insider, 163–70; and Cockburn and Cockburn, Out of the Ashes, 163–65.
“a Jerry Springer episode on steroids”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
CHAPTER 22
The story of Saddam and Steve Hutchinson discussing their daughters is based on the Army oral history interview with Hutchinson on February 2, 2007, as well as on many hours I spent interviewing Hutchinson. The account of Raghad discussing the necklace her father gave her is based on an interview I conducted with Ramsey Clark on April 16, 2015.
“Happy birthday to you”: The description of Hala’s birthday party is based on video footage of it included in the documentary Saddam Hussein: The Family, Parts I and II, produced by O3 Productions and available on YouTube. I relied on Omar Feikeiki for translation.
“flagging down a waiter”: Author’s interview with Paul Sphar, January 11, 2016.
They’ve been dressing up . . . “Every daughter is a princess”: Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2007; and author’s interview with Hutchinson, April 28, 2015.
“I’ve never seen” . . . Raghad had tumbled from his shoulders: Author’s interview with Ramsey Clark, April 16, 2015.
CHAPTER 23
Perhaps sparked by something . . . would have shown weakness: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, September 3, 2015.
The soldier approached General Ra’ad . . . scarcely imaginable: Author’s interview with Ra’ad al-Hamdani, July 30, 2015. This and subsequent, detailed accounts of Ra’ad al-Hamdani’s interactions with Saddam are based on hours of interviews that I conducted with him in Amman, Jordan, in person, as well as a lengthy follow-up interview that Ranya Kadri—who served as my fixer/interpreter in Amman—conducted with him for me. While I was at first hesitant to recount episodes so heavily reliant on one man’s memory, my confidence in the veracity of General Hamdani’s recollections was reinforced by Kevin Woods, a historian, Iraq expert, and Army veteran with the Institute of Defense Analyses. Finally, Hamdani’s accounts were consistent and believable based on everything I read about him and about Saddam’s interactions with his subordinates, as well as audio, video, and written documentary evidence provided in Baath Party archives that I was able to research at the National Defense University. While people are naturally inclined to present themselves in a favorable light to interviewers, I ultimately had no reason to doubt the veracity of General Hamdani’s accounts, and plenty of good reasons to accept them.
Dave Manners, the new CIA station chief: The account of the Kamels’ defection, debriefings in Jordan, and ultimate return to Baghdad is based on hours of interviews I conducted in Amman and Washington, DC, with many of the Jordanians and Americans who participated in the episode, including Dave Manners, as well as senior Jordanian officials Samih Batthiki, Marwan Kasim, Ali Shukri, and one who prefers to remain anonymous. I also gathered material for this chapter from various books and articles cited in the list of sources above.
“something was off” about them: Author’s interview with Ali Shukri, July 31, 2015.
Saddam Kamel boasted . . . brains came out: Author’s interview with Samih Batthiki, July 29, 2015.
By the end of these meetings, Shukri was convinced: Author’s interview with Ali Shukri, July 31, 2015.
“Do you think I could harm”: Cockburn and Cockburn, Out of the Ashes, 207.
“You donkey”: Ibid.
“I want Your Excellency to know”: Woods, Palkki, and Stout, eds., The Saddam Tapes, 320–21.
On the day of their scheduled departure: Author’s interview with Samih Batthiki, July 29, 2015.
“pace up and down as if he were making up his mind”: Cockburn and Cockburn, Out of the Ashes, 208.
“Khallas,” he said: Ibid.
house in a southern suburb of Baghdad: Bashir, The Insider, 172.
In keeping with tribal tradition: Cockburn and Cockburn, Out of the Ashes, 208.
real-time updates . . . bathroom of the house: Bashir, The Insider, 172.
Hussein Kamel fought on . . . “thought of returning”: The account of the shoot-out is based on descriptions provided in ibid., 172–73; and Cockburn and Cockburn, Out of the Ashes, 208–9.
CHAPTER 24
If there was time . . . world stage: The description of Saddam’s routine upon arrival at the IHT and prior to heading into the courtroom is based on an account provided by Steve Hutchinson in his February 2, 2007, Army oral history interview and confirmed by author’s interviews with Adam Rogerson, Chris Tasker, and Paul Sphar.
Day eight of the Dujail trial: As is the case with all of the trial accounts, the dialogue is based on pool media coverage/transcription provided by trial observers. There is also video footage of much of the trial from various media outlets that can be found on YouTube. For additional context on what transpired in the courtroom, I relied heavily on Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State.
the removal of Amin: Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State, 129.
Chris Tasker was sitting . . . puff away contentedly on his cigar: The account of Chris Tasker sharing a cigar with Saddam is based on author’s interview with Tasker on February 21, 2015. Saddam shared the story of Fidel Castro introducing him to cigars with a number of the other soldiers in the Super Twelve as well.
CHAPTER 25
Hutch was on duty . . . nearby man-made lake: Steve Hutchinson’s recollections in this chapter of Saddam telling him stories about fishing in the nearby lakes are based on his Army oral history interview on February 2, 2007, as well as many hours of interviews I conducted with him.
Saddam knew exactly where he was: Army oral history interviews with James Martin and Tucker Dawson, February 2, 2007; corroborated by author’s interviews with a number of other memb
ers of the Super Twelve.
taste for human blood: Author’s interview with Chris Tasker, March 27, 2015.
“floaters” out of the lake: Author’s interviews with Steve Hutchinson, April 28 and 29, 2015.
twelve corpses got caught in metal grates: Associated Press, “U.S. Troops Among Nearly 50 Dead in Iraq.”
“you will need someone like me”: Author’s interview with John Maguire, May 27, 2015.
Saddam watched his fishing line: The account of Saddam fishing with King Hussein is based on author’s interview on August 1, 2015, with one of the king’s senior ministers who participated in the fishing outings.
My friend . . . couldn’t help but smile: Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2007; as well as author’s subsequent interviews with Hutchinson.
CHAPTER 26
If you play that damn song one more time: The account of Paul Sphar wrestling Tucker Dawson comes from author’s interview with Paul Sphar, May 4, 2015.
“if we got sick of each other” . . . “we’d have each other’s back”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
“My cage cannot hold me”: Author’s email exchange with Paul Sphar, August 17, 2016.
Tunisian philosopher . . . traveled to Amman: Author’s interview with Dr. Najeeb al-Nuaimi, March 15, 2016.
Saddam then set his papers . . . “chess for years”: The account of Paul Sphar playing chess with Saddam is based on author’s interview with Sphar, May 4, 2015.
One afternoon Dawson . . . access his bank account: Army oral history interview with Tucker Dawson, February 2, 2007.
Late one night at the Rock: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
The Prisoner in His Palace Page 22