The Prisoner in His Palace
Page 23
“I don’t think he ever”: Army oral history interview with Tucker Dawson, February 2, 2007.
It was Qusay . . . deserted late-night streets: The story of General al-Hamdani being summoned to the palace and explaining why Iraq would not be able to defeat the American military is based on author’s interviews with Hamdani on July 30, 2015, and Ranya Kadri’s relaying the author’s questions to him on January 15, 2016.
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The Iranians . . . dismissing it as nonsense: Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2007; as well as a number of author’s interviews with Hutchinson.
As the Dujail trial resumed: 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.
Chemical Ali oversaw the massive operation: “FBI Prosecutive Report of Investigation Concerning Saddam Hussein.”
Testimony included . . . “all three were dead”: “Genocide in Iraq,” Human Rights Watch report.
Another Kurdish witness described: “FBI Prosecutive Report of Investigation Concerning Saddam Hussein.”
“There are two faces of Saddam”: “FBI Interrogation of Ali Hasan Al-Majid Al-Tikriti.”
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BOOM! . . . still in power: Army oral history interview with James Martin, February 2, 2007; and author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
“This is a wild place”: Author’s interview with John Maguire, May 17, 2015.
“Saddam had no sense of worry”: Author’s interview with William Wiley, March 12, 2015.
Were your friends nearby? Are they okay?: Army oral history interview with James Martin, February 2, 2007.
For the Bushes: Chris Tasker, Paul Sphar, Doc Ellis, Andre Jackson, and others recall Saddam speaking highly of U.S. soldiers and reserving his anger for President Bush, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, and Iraqi officials who cooperated with them. It is, of course, impossible to ever really know the extent to which this was sincere or an effort to ingratiate himself with his audience.
“The people are used to being ruled”: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, November 23, 2015.
“were just over there trying to stop something”: Army oral history interview with Adam Rogerson, February 2, 2007.
“brutal tyrant who deserved to be wiped out”: Army oral history interview with Saddam’s interpreter Joseph, March 13, 2007.
“Saddam had no friends”: Author’s interview with John Maguire, March 27, 2015.
Terrible fates befell senior advisors: Author’s interview with Tom Neer, April 22, 2016. This episode was also recounted in the December 1990 congressional testimony of Dr. Jerrold Post, the CIA psychologist who “profiled” Saddam Hussein, as well as in a number of other periodicals and biographies.
Joseph never saw this side of Saddam: Army oral history interview with Saddam’s interpreter Joseph, March 27, 2015.
“take three days to get in touch with him”: Duelfer, “Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the Director of Special Intelligence on Iraq’s WMD,” 11–12.
General Ra’ad al-Hamdani . . . summoned to the palace in the first place: The account of the generals being summoned to the Tikrit Palace, where they encountered the gathering of poets and artists, is based on author’s interview with Ra’ad al-Hamdani, July 30, 2015.
“Isn’t loneliness the worst enemy”: Hussein, Zabiba and the King, 81.
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Dialogue from the trial in this chapter is based on pool media coverage provided by trial observers.
Khamis al-Obeidi had recently been gunned down: Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State, 162.
“terrified that Saddam would die”: Author’s interview with William Wiley, March 12, 2015.
one of Saddam’s deputies . . . not a political hack: The account of Saddam’s hunger strike, and its resolution, is based primarily on the author’s multiple interviews with William Wiley.
Ramadan had previously achieved notoriety: “Bush Challenged to ‘Duel’ with Saddam,” BBC News.
Meanwhile, closing arguments . . . over their security: Newton and Scharf, Enemy of the State, 167.
Saddam had long considered the trial a sham: Author’s interview with Ramsey Clark, April 16, 2015. Other trial observers and participants, such as Dr. Najeeb al-Nuaimi and William Wiley, echo the view that Saddam was not interested in legal minutiae, instead focusing on using the trial as an opportunity for political theater.
Saddam’s fiery call to kill Americans: Army oral history interview with Saddam’s interpreter Joseph, March 13, 2007.
“he left it in the courtroom”: Army oral history interview with Tucker Dawson, February 2, 2007.
“yelling and swinging his arms”: Author’s interviews with Steve Hutchinson, September 3, 2015, and November 23, 2015.
“exhausted from the show”: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, September 3, 2015.
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The account of the run-in with the lieutenant over who got to use the television in the Crypt is based on my interviews with Steve Hutchinson. The supporting details of what life was like while at the IHT are based on virtually all of the Army oral history interviews with the Super Twelve, as well as on my interviews with a number of them.
Hutch noticed that Saddam’s cell: The account of some of the soldiers taking it upon themselves to create an “office” for Saddam at the Rock is based primarily on multiple interviews I conducted with Steve Hutchinson. The more general sentiment that the soldiers tolerated Saddam’s eccentricities and found themselves impressed by the respect with which he treated them—and were therefore more eager to please him—recurred throughout the Army oral history interviews as well as the interviews I conducted.
“the people . . . may know the facts”: “Tour of Prison Reveals the Last Days of Saddam Hussein,” CNN.com.
Hutch would later recall: From Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2007.
“It’s the palace calling”: The account of Shameem Rassam being summoned to Saddam’s palace is based primarily on interviews I conducted with her on March 14, 2015, and January 15, 2016. Many of the details of her experience are consistent with descriptions provided by others of surprise audiences with Saddam that can be found in various biographies and articles.
he was even reported: Duelfer, “Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence on Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
the Anointed One, as he was sometimes called: Bowden, “Tales of the Tyrant,” The Atlantic.
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The streets of Baghdad . . . an exhausting life’s journey: Some of the details of the heightened security the day of Saddam’s sentencing come from Burns and Semple, “Hussein Is Sentenced to Death by Hanging,” The New York Times. I relied on the website Weather Underground (www.wunderground.com) for historical daily weather conditions for Baghdad. Finally, I drew upon my own experiences as an infantryman deployed to Iraq to capture the sensation of what it felt like when enemy activity seemed likely.
Anxious to get started, Judge Rauf: As is the case elsewhere, the dialogue of the trial is based on pool media coverage/transcription provided by trial observers. Additionally, video footage of the sentencing from various media outlets can be found on YouTube.
“Saddam was often charming”: Author’s interview with a former senior Jordanian official who met with Saddam on many occasions and requested anonymity prior to discussing his experiences, August 1, 2015.
As they rode down . . . what God wants, God does: Army oral history interview with Tucker Dawson, February 2, 2007.
I’ve been sentenced to death before: Army oral history interview with James Martin, February 2, 2007.
“he was going to get out”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
“He
deserves credit for taking it like a man”: Army oral history interview with Jeff Price, February 2, 2007.
Shiite neighborhoods . . . unjust sentence: Some details of Iraq’s reaction to the sentence are from Burns and Semple, “Hussein Is Sentenced to Death by Hanging,” The New York Times.
“Any means are justified”: Hussein, Zabiba and the King, 30.
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As Hutch sat watching . . . “I was letting him talk”: The key elements of this chapter—Steve Hutchinson’s relationship with his grandfather, how his interactions with Saddam triggered these memories, and the time he fell asleep and Saddam gently woke him—all stem from many hours of interviews I conducted with Hutchinson.
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Overnight temperatures dropping into the high thirties: Weather Underground, www.wunderground.com.
As Adam Rogerson sat outside: The account of Adam Rogerson’s wife sending him candles, and Saddam asking for one to carve poems and messages on, comes from the Army oral history interview with Adam Rogerson, February 2, 2007; additional interviews I conducted with Rogerson; and the Army oral history interview with James Martin, February 2, 2007.
Saddam’s odd observance . . . “pretty nice”: The episode of Saddam asking to watch The Passion of the Christ is from the Army oral history interview with Jeff Price, February 2, 2007.
“When I’d see the trial going on” . . . “more like a grandpa”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
Saddam would write an additional poem: Army oral history interview with Jeff Price, February 2, 2007.
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Chris Tasker remembers: Author’s interview with Chris Tasker, October 21, 2015.
Saddam had just enjoyed: Army oral history interview with James Martin, February 2, 2007.
Saddam had gained weight: Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2007.
A few hours later, Saddam said good night . . . didn’t bother him: In piecing together the sequence of events on Saddam’s final night, I relied on all of the Army oral history interviews—which focused heavily on his last hours—as well as my own interviews with Steve Hutchinson, Chris Tasker, Adam Rogerson, and Paul Sphar. The chronology as presented here is based on overlapping details in their accounts, which I found to be far more similar than different as I cross-checked them against each other. Unlike a few other events recounted in this book that relied heavily—by necessity—on the recollections of one or two individuals, the account of his final night is based on the collective memories of almost all of the participants.
“more of a friendship than that of criminal and translator”: Army oral history interview with Saddam’s interpreter Joseph, March 13, 2007.
Stephen Hadley, President Bush’s national security advisor: Associated Press, “Bush: Saddam’s Execution Will Not End Violence in Iraq.”
“last stand at the Alamo”: Author’s interview with Chris Tasker, October 21, 2015.
little more than “babysitters”: Army oral history interview with Jeff Price, February 2, 2007.
two of them chuckled: Army oral history interviews with Art Perkins and Andre Jackson, February 2, 2007.
Saddam asked to bathe: Many of the Super Twelve’s accounts made note of how Saddam chose to bathe prior to dressing and preparing for his execution.
finding the right pair of socks: Army oral history interview with Andre Jackson, February 2, 2007.
Saddam spent some time: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, April 29, 2015.
“My friend” . . . final night ran smoothly: The account of Saddam giving his watch to Steve Hutchinson on the eve of his execution is based on a number of interviews I conducted with Hutchinson.
“You could smell him from a mile away”: Army oral history interview with James Martin, February 2, 2007.
Standing tall . . . tears sliding down his face: Army oral history interview with Jeff Price, February 2, 2007. Price’s account was echoed by a number of the other soldiers who were there as Saddam prepared to leave his cell for the last time.
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one of the coldest mornings . . . descending step: Many of the Super Twelve recall that the morning of the execution was one of the coldest they would spend in Iraq. Exact temperatures can be found at Weather Underground, www.wunderground.com. The details of the transportation to the execution site, as well as the security outside of it, are based on accounts provided by many of the Super Twelve in their oral history interviews, as well as in interviews conducted by me.
Specialist Rogerson would later say: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
The Super Twelve waited: Author’s interview with Chris Tasker, June 11, 2015. Descriptive details of the execution site are also based on accounts provided by Tucker Dawson in his February 2, 2007, Army oral history interview, as well as interviews I conducted with Adam Rogerson and Steve Hutchinson.
Rubbaie received . . . “Doctor, this is for men”: Agence France Presse, “Man Who Oversaw Hanging Recalls Dictator’s End.”
The former president was then escorted . . . “The hell that is Iraq?”: The scene of Saddam being led to the gallows and hanged was filmed—despite what was supposed to be a prohibition on cameras at the execution site—and leaked to the press. His final words are audible and translated with subtitles. The execution can be viewed on YouTube and his final words were widely reported in media across the world (though English translations differ slightly).
“preserve the last scene”: Author’s interview with Ra’ad al-Hamdani, July 30, 2015.
“typical Saddam”: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, April 29, 2015.
“If you listen to the video” . . . “wasn’t scared”: Ibid.
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The Super Twelve were quiet: The fact that the Super Twelve’s reaction to the execution was one of somber silence was repeated by just about all of them during their Army oral history interviews—even those who did not grow as close to Saddam as some of the others did—and in interviews with me.
like a bomb going off: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, April 29, 2015.
“A criminal? True”: Agence France Presse, “Man Who Oversaw Hanging Recalls Dictator’s End.”
The Super Twelve stood by . . . “ ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’ ”: The chaotic scene following the execution was described similarly by many of the soldiers in their Army oral history interviews and reinforced by Adam Rogerson, Chris Tasker, Paul Sphar, and Steve Hutchinson in their interviews conducted by me. Rogerson’s quote is from his interview conducted by me, May 18, 2015. There is also abundant open source media reporting that reinforces their accounts and describes the manner in which the Iraqis handled the execution and its immediate aftermath.
“I was raised tough”: Author’s interview with Steve Hutchinson, September 3, 2015.
grabbed the big man from behind: Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2015.
The sectarian violence: Descriptions of the violent aftermath of the execution are based on information provided by www.icasualties.org and details found in Burns, “Hussein Video Grips Iraq; Attacks Go On,” The New York Times.
The sun was beginning to come up . . . by his lawyers: The description of the Super Twelve’s departure from the execution site and return to the Rock to clean up Saddam’s cell is based on accounts many of them provided in their interviews. They were generally consistent, though there were a few differences, notably over how Saddam’s body was removed from the execution site. A few recalled that they loaded it into a vehicle and transported it to another base for onward movement to Tikrit, while others contend that it was immediately loaded onto a helicopter and that they returned to the Rock by themselves. These discrepancies can perhaps be explained by the fact that none of them had slept that night and that they had just participated in a traumatic and disorienting event. In this case, as well as with a few other discrepancies, I developed my narrati
ve around the account that was most common and consistent with news reports.
Meanwhile, a helicopter . . . “God bless you”: Agence France Presse, “Man Who Oversaw Hanging Recalls Dictator’s End.”
he later asked for, and kept, the noose: Martin, “Dr Mowaffak al Rubaie on the Dictator’s Last Moments,” The Independent.
the head of his Albu Nasir tribe: “Bomb Kills Head of Saddam’s Tribe,” BBC.com.
“an important milestone”: President Bush, “White House Statement,” December 30, 2006.
“President Bush arose” . . . “pondering his next steps in Iraq”: Associated Press, “Bush: Saddam’s Execution Will Not End Violence in Iraq.”
“It didn’t really hit us”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, May 18, 2015.
“It was the first time I’d ever seen death” . . . “It was a mission”: Army oral history interview with Tucker Dawson, February 2, 2007.
“Will I miss Saddam the brutal dictator?”: Army oral history interview with Saddam’s interpreter Joseph, March 13, 2007.
“Big Man upstairs” . . . resolved to get out of the Army: Army oral history interview with Steve Hutchinson, February 2, 2007.
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The soldiers’ transition . . . to the “Regular Twelve”: Author’s interview with Adam Rogerson, February 2, 2007.
It was a chilly St. Patrick’s Day: The account of Chris Tasker’s return from the Saddam mission and the impact it had on him is based on extensive interviews I conducted with Chris over the course of a year, as well as on an interview with his father, Steve, on March 21, 2016. Detail on his hometown of Amherst, Ohio, is based on my visit to meet Chris there.
Paul Sphar was no longer a guard: The account of Paul Sphar’s return from the Saddam mission, and his subsequent struggles with substance abuse and PTSD, is based on extensive interviews I conducted with Paul. Detail on his new home and job in Texas is based on my visit to meet him there.