When he returned to the modest home: The account of Doc Ellis’s return from the Saddam mission, and his struggles with its aftermath, is based on material found in the book Caring for Victor: A U.S. Army Nurse and Saddam Hussein, which he cowrote with Marianna Riley, as well as a number of interviews that I conducted with both of them.
FBI Agent Rod Middleton and his thirteen-year-old son: The account of Rod Middleton’s return home from his role interrogating Saddam in Baghdad is based on extensive interviews and email correspondence that I had with Middleton.
Jeff Rogerson knew that his son Adam: The account of Adam Rogerson’s return home is based on extensive interviews with him and his father, Jeff, as well as on his February 2, 2007, Army oral history interview. The descriptions of his hometown of North Ridgeville, Ohio, are based on my visit there to meet him and his father.
“To this day, I still hear”: The account of the impact his time with Saddam had on Steve Hutchinson is based on numerous interviews I conducted with him, as well as on his February 2, 2007, Army oral history interview. The description of his Georgia home is based on my visit there to meet with him.
His Albu Nasir tribesmen: Associated Press, “Saddam Hussein’s Tomb Destroyed as Battle for Tikrit Rages.”
INDEX
A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.
Abd al-Rahman, Rauf, 138
as second chief judge at Saddam trial, 116–19, 150, 162–63
Abu Ghraib prison, 158, 160
abuses by Iraqi guards at, 85
abuses by U.S. guards at, 17
Ad Dawr, 43, 44
Afghanistan:
Tasker’s deployment in, 23–24
U.S. military police in, 6
Albu Nasir tribe, 20, 188, 205
Al-Faw Palace, 28
Al-Khuld Conference Center, 34–36, 37
Almacy, David, 188
Al-Medina Al-Munawara Republican Guard Division, 130
Al Qaeda, Saddam’s supposed relationship with, 66, 67
Al-Sharq, 164
Amanda (pseud.; Tasker’s girlfriend), 24, 193–94
American Airlines Flight 11, 5
American Psycho (Ellis), 3
Amherst, Ohio, 23–24, 25, 195
Amin, Rizgar, as first chief judge at Saddam trial, 80–83, 85–86, 116–17
Amman, Jordan, 71
Andy Griffith Show, The (TV show), 89
Anfal offensive (Kurdish genocide):
Chemical Ali as mastermind of, 17–18, 139
witnesses’ testimony on, 139–40, 173
WMDs in, 15, 17–18, 139, 173
Apache helicopters, 133
Awja:
brutality and violence of, 20–22
Saddam’s childhood in, 21–22
“Axis of Evil,” 27
Aziz, Tariq, 123
Azzaman, 164
B-1 bombers, 133
Baath Party, 15, 18
1979 purge of, 34–36, 37
Baghdad, 102
Freedom Village in, 8
Green Zone in, 10, 80
hajji mart in, 93–94
insurgency in, 80
Sadr City in, 164
Sunni-Shiite violence in, 25, 187
Baghdad Boat Club, 97
Baker to Vegas Law Enforcement Relay Race, 201–2
Bakr, Ahmed Hassan al-, 34
“Ballad of Reading Gaol, The” (Wilde), 69
Bandar, Awad al-:
as chief judge of Iraq’s Revolutionary Court, 83
as codefendant in Saddam trial, 82–83
Baram, Amatzia, 20
Bashir, Ala, 57, 78, 113–14
Battaglia, Chris (pseud.), 7
and announcement of Saddam guard duty, 14
and Saddam execution, 176
bin Laden, Osama, 66
Black Hawk helicopters, 1–2, 90, 163
Blige, Mary J., 32
Blood Meridian (McCarthy), 41
bodies, dumping of, 122
Bush, George W., 74, 164
Saddam execution and, 177, 188
Bush, Laura, 188
Bush administration, 80
WMD claims of, 63
Camp Cropper, 27
Saddam’s interrogation at, see CIA, Saddam interrogation by; FBI, Saddam interrogation by
Camp Justice, 181
Camp Taji, 130
Camp Victory, 90
Coalition Café dining facility at, 175
as former palace complex, 28
Saddam’s prison at, see Rock
Castro, Fidel, 120
Cayman Islands, 198, 199
Chalabi, Ahmed, 80, 117
Chalabi, Salem, 80
CIA:
Hamoud interrogation by, 141
Saddam interrogation by, 47, 49, 122
Clark, Ramsey:
as member of Saddam’s defense team, 73, 75, 77, 103, 149
on Saddam’s relationship with Raghad, 103–4
CNN, 201
Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), 80
Cohen, Dave, 109
Cohiba cigars, 30–31, 53, 56, 94, 100, 112, 119, 170, 199, 200
countdowns, 127
Cozumel, 198
Crypt (IHT holding cells), 15, 87, 163
Chemical Ali at, 17–18
closed-circuit TV surveillance at, 17, 120
media room at, 153–54
roving guard patrols at, 17
Saddam in transfers between Rock and, 87–91, 115, 167
Super Twelve’s daily routine at, 153–54
Super Twelve’s DVD player and PlayStation at, 154
underground recreation area at, 115, 119
Dawa Party, 182
Dawson, Tucker (pseud.), 6, 7, 90, 154, 163, 172
and announcement of Saddam guard duty, 14
in early interaction with Saddam, 28–29
at Saddam execution, 189
Saddam’s conversations with, 39–40
on Saddam’s courtroom personality vs. interactions with Super Twelve, 152
Saddam’s relationship with, 129–30
Sphar’s relationship with, 126–27
teasing of Perkins by, 12
in trips to hajji mart, 93–94
De-Baathification Commission, 117
Delta Force, Saddam captured by, 43, 44–45
Duelfer, Charles, 40
Dujail, killing of Shiites at, 15, 71, 84, 138–39, 150, 182
Dulaimi, Khalil al-, 75
as member of Saddam’s defense team, 76
Eid al-Fitr, 177
Ellis, Bret Easton, 3
Ellis, Larry, death of, 64–65, 200
Ellis, Rita, 56, 64, 198, 199–200
Saddam’s poem for, 55, 200
Ellis, Robert “Doc”:
brother’s death and, 64, 200
cancer of, 199–200
in Caribbean island cruise, 198–99
conflicted feelings of, 58, 65
in life after Saddam duty, 198–200
mother’s death and, 58, 200
Saddam’s cigars supplied by, 53–54
Saddam’s daily medical examinations by, 51, 52
Saddam’s relationship with, 51–58, 63–65, 142, 199
F-16 Fighters, 133
Farouq Palace, Tikrit, Saddam’s poetry salon at, 144–45
FBI:
Anfal offensive file of, 139–40
case against Saddam built by, 67
FBI, Saddam interrogation by, 201
Baghdad Airport as base for, 47
concerns about lack of results in, 59–60
Middleton in, see Middleton, Rod
Neer in, see Neer, Tom
Piro in, see Piro, George
and Saddam’s denial of Al Qaeda relationship, 66
Saddam’s insistence on being addressed as president in, 48–49
Saddam’s lack of remorse in, 50
Saddam’s lies and denials in, 49–50
and Saddam’s rejection of WMD claims, 66
Saddam’s wariness in, 49
team’s low-key approach in, 48–49, 59
fear, Saddam’s use of, 36, 37
“Fireman” (song), 126
1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, U.S., 44
551st Military Police Company, U.S.:
in deployment to Iraq, 6–7
see also Super Twelve
Flanagan, Tom (pseud.), 7, 127, 203–4
Fort Campbell, Ky., 6–7, 24, 93, 203
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., 37
4th Infantry Division, U.S., 44–45
Freedom Village, 8–9
Göring, Hermann, 78
Green, Jeff, 49
Guantánamo Bay detainees, Nuaimi as lawyer for, 71
Gulf War, First, 17, 114
Hadley, Stephen, 177, 188
Hamdani, Ra’ad al-, 40, 106–7, 183
at Farouq Palace poetry salon, 144–45
Kuwait invasion opposed by, 130–35
Saddam’s late-night meeting with, 131–35
Hammashi, Sa’eed al-, 117
Hamoud, Abed Hamid, 106, 131, 132, 135
CIA interrogation of, 141
Hassan the Liar (Saddam’s stepfather), 22, 32, 57
Hays County Jail, 196
helicopters:
Apache, 133
Black Hawk, 1–2, 90, 163
Hellfire missiles, 133
Hemingway, Ernest, xi, 40
Hussein, Hala, 101
Hussein, King of Jordan, 107
and defection of Saddam’s son-in-law, 107–8
Manners’s meeting with, 107–8
Saddam’s relationship with, 123
Hussein, Qusay, 96, 113
death of, 188
Kuwait invasion and, 130–31
and 1995 defection of Saddam’s son-in-law, 106–7
Hussein, Raghad, 149
Amman villa of, 72
books sent to Saddam by, 128
care packages sent to Saddam by, 115
Hussein Kamel’s marriage to, 105
in 1995 defection to Jordan, 72, 105–8
Nuaimi’s meeting with, 71–74
Saddam’s relationship with, 101–2, 103–4
Hussein, Rana:
in 1995 defection to Jordan, 105–8
Saddam Kamel’s marriage to, 105
Hussein, Saddam:
artistic salons held by, 144–46
in assassination attempt on Qasim, 40, 44
assassination attempts against, 15, 43–44, 71, 139, 150, 182
birth and brutal childhood of, 21–22
books written by, 143–44
capture of, 37–38, 43, 44–45
Castro and, 120
charisma of, 33, 56
chess played by, 128–29
Christmas observed by, 172–73
daughters’ relationships with, 101–2, 103–4
Dujail killings ordered by, 15, 71, 84, 138–39, 150, 182
English spoken by, 31
fear as weapon of, 36, 37
fishing enjoyed by, 121–24
germaphobia of, 56, 125, 155, 158
as good listener, 78
Hollywood westerns enjoyed by, 169
honest human interaction craved by, 143, 146
hunt for, 43–44
Kamel brothers lured back to Iraq by, 111
Kurdish genocide campaign of, see Anfal offensive
Kuwait invasion ordered by, 130–35
marshes drained by, 50, 55
murder of Kamel brothers ordered by, 112–14, 128
narcissism of, 143, 150
1979 Baath Party purge by, 34–36, 37
paranoia of, 143, 158
poetry written by, 171, 172, 173, 174, 200
psychological profile of, 19, 48
Rassam’s meeting with, 156–60
religious faith of, 18
schooling of, 32–33
secret reburial of, 205
simple tastes of, 57
Stalin’s influence on, 35
Uday’s relationship with, 96, 100
wives of, see Shahbandar, Samira; Talfah, Sajida
work ethic of, 158
Hussein, Saddam, execution of, 175, 176, 177, 181–84, 200–201, 204
Saddam’s stoicism at, 181, 182–83, 184, 186
security cordon at, 181
Shiites and, 182, 184, 185, 186–87, 205
Sunni-Shiite violence following, 187
Super Twelve’s reactions to, 189–90
Hussein, Saddam, as prisoner, 181
advice on managing occupation given by, 142
birds fed by, 55, 136
books sent by Raghad to, 128
candle poems of, 171, 172, 174
charged with crimes against humanity, 67
CIA interrogation of, 47, 49, 122
cigars smoked by, 30–31, 38, 53–54, 56, 66, 75, 93–94, 95, 115, 119–20, 152, 168, 199
cluttered cell of, 154
codefendants’ visits with, 115
contentment of, 28, 38–39, 57
daily medical examinations of, 39, 51, 52
daily prayers of, 18, 38–39, 48, 52
daily routine of, 115–16
Dawson’s conversations with, 39–40
Dawson’s relationship with, 129–30
Ellis’s relationship with, 51–58, 63–65, 142, 199
English spoken by, 52
exercise bike of, 39, 56–57, 95
FBI interrogation of, see FBI, Saddam interrogation by
high-blood pressure of, 52
hunger strike by, 147–49
Hutchinson’s conversations with, 95–96, 102–3, 105–6, 121–23, 136–37, 167–69
Hutchinson’s relationship with, 178–79
on Iran, 136–37
Joseph’s relationship with, 142–43, 165, 176, 189
last meal of, 175
Martin’s conversations with, 141–42
meals of, 153
Nuaimi’s first meeting with, 75–78
Perkins’s last interaction with, 176
personal possessions of, 178, 187
physical ailments of, 168
post-sentencing stoicism of, 163–65, 172, 178
radio of, 32, 56, 156, 176
Raghad’s care packages to, 115
Rock “office” of, 155–56
Rogerson’s conversations with, 98–99, 100, 170–71
Rogerson’s relationship with, 176, 202, 203
Sphar’s chess game with, 128–29
Sphar’s first conversations with, 32–33
Super Twelve and, see Super Twelve
Tasker’s conversations with, 39, 119
in transfers between the Rock and the Crypt, 87–91, 115, 167
watch given to Hutchinson by, 178–79, 205
weeds watered by, 30, 55, 87, 121, 136, 164
Hussein, Saddam, trial of, 71
Amin as first chief judge in, 80–83, 85–86, 116–17
appeals in, 166, 170, 172
Bandar as codefendant in, 82–83
Barzan as codefendant in, 116–19
and call for killing Americans, 151
charges prosecuted at, 83–84
closing arguments in, 149–51
and defense lawyers’ decampment to Jordan, 147, 148
defense team for, 73, 75–77, 103, 147, 148–50
denial of appeal in, 173
Dujail witnesses at, 84–86
Koran carried by Saddam at, 79, 162
Moussawi as chief prosecutor at, 79, 83–84, 92
Nuaimi at, 84
Nuaimi’s blunt assessment of outcome of, 74, 77–78
opening session of, 79–80
Ra
uf as second chief judge in, 116–19, 150, 162–63
replacement of defense team by court-appointed lawyers at, 117–18, 147, 149–50
retribution against witnesses and attorneys at, 84, 147
and Saddam’s claim of mistreatment by U.S. guards, 92–93
Saddam’s cross-examination of witnesses at, 85–86
and Saddam’s demand for execution by firing squad, 151
Saddam’s outburst during reading of verdict in, 162–63
Saddam’s outbursts at, 117, 118, 119, 138
Saddam’s refusal to recognize authority of, 81–82
verdict in, 161–63
videos in, 137–38
Hussein, Uday, 27, 72, 110–11, 112, 113
car collection of, 97–98, 99, 100
death of, 188
Saddam’s relationship with, 96, 100
savagery and sexual predation by, 96, 99–100
Hutchinson, Steve, 7, 11, 29, 89, 90, 124–25
and announcement of Saddam guard duty, 13, 14
and creation of Saddam’s Rock “office,” 154–55
in decision to leave Army, 190, 204
in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, 6
family emails of, 153–54
in first shift at Crypt, 15–19
and grandfather’s death, 166–67
impact of 9/11 on, 5–6, 204–5
Jackson confronted by, 154
in life after Saddam duty, 204–5
Saddam’s conversations with, 31–33, 95–96, 102–3, 105–6, 121–23, 136–37, 167–69
on Saddam’s courtroom personality vs. interactions with Super Twelve, 152
and Saddam execution, 177, 182, 183, 186–87, 189–90, 204, 205
Saddam’s gift of watch to, 178–79, 205
Saddam’s interest in Native American heritage of, 31–32
Saddam’s relationship with, 178–79
on Saddam’s relationship with Super Twelve, 156
Ibn Khaldun, 128
Ibn Sina Hospital, 113–14
Imam Ali Mosque, Najaf, 8
Iran-Iraq War, 133, 136, 183
WMDs in, 49, 60
Iraq:
insurgency in, 129, 141
Kuwait invaded by, 49–50, 108, 130
Marsh Arabs in, 50, 55
Shiite-dominated government of, 166, 177
Sunni-Shiite violence in, 8, 122, 164, 182, 187, 205
tribal codes in, 22
U.S. invasion of, 6, 63
U.S. occupation of, 8, 38, 63–64, 117
WMD program of, 15, 17–18, 47, 63, 66–67, 108, 110, 116
Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT), 183
combination of international and Iraqi law in statutes of, 80
holding cells at, see Crypt
Saddam trial of, see Hussein, Saddam, trial of
The Prisoner in His Palace Page 24