Saddam's Sister Says U.S. Forces Drugged Him

[Purveyor]

Mon December 15, 2003 03:39 PM ET

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's sister said on Monday her brother would never have surrendered meekly and that U.S. forces must have used drugs or gas to paralyze him.

"Saddam Hussein, hero of Arabs, would never surrender like this. He must have been subjected to drugs or nerve gas to paralyze him, for he is not one to surrender in this humiliating manner," Nawal Ibrahim al-Hasan told London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi by telephone from an unidentified Arab capital.

<snip>

"Is it possible for a president to be humiliated like this and for the Americans to comb through his hair for nits?" al-Hasan said in the interview, to be published in the Arabic-language daily's Tuesday edition.

"This is not the Saddam Hussein we know. He must have been drugged or injected with illegal chemicals. What happened is an insult to all Arabs and Muslims," the paper quoted her as saying as she wept.


Link to Reuters Article

[La_Serpiente]

1. Trying to maintain 'Hasham'

[coda]

28. I think he was he treated for cancer in late 2000.

I think it was lymph cancer along with ongoing skin cancer treatments.

Hard to say exactly what shape he's in.

[Just Me]

33. Oh, please,...and how would Bush look,...

,...as if any of these "human beings" are something akin to gods,...good God, already,...they are all flesh and blood with limited cognizance and the luck of a lottery draw, already,...at least, until humanity "gets" the faux "power" that they have ruled us all by,...

It is amazing,...this "reality" we have all bought into,...actually, it is sad,...'cause we can so do better than this!!!

[Just Me]

38. INESCAPABLE BOTTOM LINE - THEY L-I-E-D!!!

,...to the American people, the international community, the soldiers,...

this administation's false pretenses still stand and have been proven a big freakin' LIE,...

,...they are still makin' a "killing" by the blood of our soldiers and the pockets of the Americans who have misguidedly put their trust in them,...

Who gives a rat's ass about Saddam? Not the American people, politically speaking. But,...the way this country publicized his capture,...will have serious repurcusions upon the ME and our country and the world. I mean, hell, think about it,...think about Bush being taken into captivity,...our country beyond our control,...and him being brought out his "former" drunken-looking self,...

Okay,...I'm just kidding,...that "former drunken" is not particularly shocking to those on this board *giggle*. But, I am sure you understand where I am going here

[Character Assassin]

2. Riiiiiiiight. Sounds like she believes his own propaganda

"Saddam Hussein, hero of Arabs, would never surrender like this. He must have been subjected to drugs or nerve gas to paralyze him, for he is not one to surrender in this humiliating manner," Nawal Ibrahim al-Hasan told London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi by telephone from an unidentified Arab capital.

A. He was never a 'hero of the Arabs'.
B. He was a bully, a thug and a punk and ended up like one.

"Is it possible for a president to be humiliated like this and for the Americans to comb through his hair for nits?" al-Hasan said in the interview, to be published in the Arabic-language daily's Tuesday edition.

Well, duh. Yes, it's not only possible, but it (gasp!) actually happened.

"This is not the Saddam Hussein we know. He must have been drugged or injected with illegal chemicals. What happened is an insult to all Arabs and Muslims," the paper quoted her as saying as she wept.

No, it's not an insult to all Arabs and Muslims.

Cry me a river, baby.

[westman]

3. Nothing to add.

You nailed it.

[thebigidea]

4. geez

"B. He was a bully, a thug and a punk and ended up like one."

and you're expecting his freakin' SISTER to say that?

[Character Assassin]

6. No, given that she grew up in the same family as he.....

I expect she would be subject to the same delusional pathologies as him.

[lancdem]

11. I don't think Clinton's hair was combed for nits

but I see your point. :)

[mrfrapp]

23. Straw Man

"A. He was never a 'hero of the Arabs'.
B. He was a bully, a thug and a punk and ended up like one."

True, but it doesn't address her point.

[Character Assassin]

27. Not so.

A. He was never a 'hero of the Arabs'.
B. He was a bully, a thug and a punk and ended up like one

I was not using those points to counter her claim as to whether or not he was drugged. In fact, I didn't affirm or deny its potential veracity.

[thebigidea]

29. uh huh

"In fact, I didn't affirm or deny its potential veracity."

so what do you call your sarcastic "Riiiiiiiiight"?

you're saying that isn't in reference to the potential veracity of her comments?

[Character Assassin]

31. It was in regards to her ridiculous contentions

Amongst others, "What happened is an insult to all Arabs and Muslims".

[mobuto]

5. This is news?

This just in: Joseph Schmo of 314 North Dakota Avenue South, Billings MT believes that Saddam never would have surrendered willingly and declares that he must have been drugged.

[loudnclear]

7. Without a shot. Without a doubt?

Sorry, but I have to agree with sister's assessment.

This appears to be a "special ops" event.
Here's why.

1. We bunker bombed other more public areas on flimsy tips when we thought we had Saddam pegged in an underground bunker. Didn't matter how many civilians we killed in the process. Yet, for his capture we send in the foot soldiers and not a shot was fired...and this happened in a relatively remote area.

2. All the initial reports from those involved stated that Saddam was "very talkitive. This leads me to a strong suspicion that he had been drugged with "truth serum." Excessive talking is one of the outcomes of this drug.

3. There were two men with Saddam and three guns, yet not a shot was fired and we have heard virtually nothing about the two men with him. I say they were more likely his special ops guards rather than fellow Ba'athists. That none of them fired a shot is really unbelievable. The way this came down appears to me to be a set up operation, unknown to the soldiers who found him but well planned to make it look like they had actually found him because of intelligence leads.

4. Saddam's appearance was that of someone not scared but totally out of it. As he came around the news stories changed to "he's not being very cooperative."

5. A Capture just in time for Sunday noon while America was captive to the TV ready for all the football games ...

6. And above all, the very convenient establishment of a war crimes tribunal just in time for this capture...before a government was formed and before there was even a constitution.

I rest my case.

[TolstoyAndy]

9. I hear Ya - Loud N Clear

little to add to that - everything this gov does is based on lies.

[Merlin]

12. You nailed it. This will be common knowledge in 24 hours, I predict.

He was captured, according to reports, with a pistol in his hand. HELLO!!! Here's this brutal, horrible, monstrous thug. He had all those WMDs and never used them. He had a pistol and never used it. He had two body guards but sent them away.

How the hell else can his placid capture be explained? It can't.

When I was in Nam, whenever we came upon a spider hole or tunnel entrance (couldn't tell which until you went down in it), we would never send a tunnel rat (e.g. a small, gutsy GI) down in it until we had first either blown it with a hand grenade or smoked it out with a smoke grenade.

I'm sure that by now the pentagon is smart enough--especially after the Russian hostage episode of 6 months or so ago--to have developed a grenade that releases a sleep or euphoria inducing drug (which is what the Russians used) before sending anybody down into the hole.

That may have been immediately followed by a truth serum, because the reports said they didn't recognize him at first, and when the asked him his name, were shocked to hear his answer.

My guess is this very astute line of questioning will lead quickly to a public consensus that his sister is correct.

[leftchick]

13. thanks Merlin...

Now that makes more sense than any of the shit being spewed by the WH and media hoes....

[54anickel]

21. Your Nam experience would explain why the troops were going to

toss a grenade in the hole. That was the article posted in this other thread.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=271040

I does seem that with each report thing are changed and somewhat embellished. We have come to expect lies and propaganda from the track record of this misadmin to date. I certainly have more that a little doubt that things went down as reported.

[mobuto]

14. Well

We bunker bombed other more public areas on flimsy tips when we thought we had Saddam pegged in an underground bunker.

Not since the end of "major combat operations." We bombed Saddam's suspected bunker precisely because we couldn't have landed troops in the middle of Ba'athist Baghdad. But the situation has changed and infantry are perfectly viable.

2. All the initial reports from those involved stated that Saddam was "very talkitive. This leads me to a strong suspicion that he had been drugged with "truth serum." Excessive talking is one of the outcomes of this drug.

Or it could be that he was delirious. Initial reports are always suspect; follow up reports are often suspect too. But sources today said Saddam was being totally uncooperative, extremely sarcastic, and "a jerk" under interrogation.

3. There were two men with Saddam and three guns, yet not a shot was fired and we have heard virtually nothing about the two men with him. I say they were more likely his special ops guards rather than fellow Ba'athists.

Could be. But if you were surrounded by 600 soldiers, attack helicopters, etc., in the middle of the night, would you and the Sundance Kid try to shoot it out? This isn't Bolivia. Remember also that one or more of Saddam's accomplices could have been a stool looking for the $25 million.

The way this came down appears to me to be a set up operation, unknown to the soldiers who found him but well planned to make it look like they had actually found him because of intelligence

I'm sorry? Well clearly somebody got intelligence at some point. If you don't believe the Pentagon's story - and I won't critcize you for disbelieving it - but if you don't, then how the hell did we capture Saddam?

4. Saddam's appearance was that of someone not scared but totally out of it. As he came around the news stories changed to "he's not being very cooperative."

Dazed and confused seems about right. I think that'd be my state as well in a similar situation.

5. A Capture just in time for Sunday noon while America was captive to the TV ready for all the football games ...

Word first reached the American people at about noon on a Sunday that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Did that actually happen or was the Spec Ops as well?

6. And above all, the very convenient establishment of a war crimes tribunal just in time for this capture...before a government was formed and before there was even a constitution

Yes, that was very convenient. I'm not going to deny that. But I don't know what you'd be arguing by making that observation. It would also appear that some members of the Governing Council are moving away from their own war crimes tribunal and are considering a number of more internationalist alternatives. We'll see what happens.

[Character Assassin]

19. Damn you, stop using logic and reason in your analysis!

It makes people actually have to think.

[pinto]

22. re: war crimes tribunal

It's logical to assume that the Iraq tribunal was set up in time for Mr Hussein's capture. Bremer apparently knew last week we would have him (reports claim tips were recieved 5 days before capture) and legal authority for tribunal was ceded by Bremer last Wednesday...

[loudnclear]

25. We "captured" him and were holding him for the right timing

How we captured him is not the point. The point is merely my opinion that we had him well before this staged event. We won't divulge how he was previously captured for intelligence reasons. My point here is that what we heard about on Sunday was not the real deal.

[mobuto]

42. That's clearly not possible

the army tried to withhold word of the killing of Uday and Qusay and they failed completely - word leaked out almost immediatly. It was because word dribbled out that you had skeptics all over Iraq. And that's why they had to take the unpalatable step of publishing the photos of their corpses. People in the Army have gone on record stating that they've been developing a plan for months in which they'd be ready to get word out of Saddam's death or capture just as quickly as possible so that they could control the flow of information.

And anyway,

1) Saddam is going to be given a public trial. If he were kept for any great period in secret isolation, he'd be sure to reveal that in his trial. So much for the secret

2) Ok, suppose the Bush Administration really did want to exploit the timing of the announcement for maximum poltiical effect. Why not announce it a week before the election? Maybe the night before the New Hampshire primary? Choosing yesterday seems pretty uncreative if you ask me.

[thebigidea]

43. you really believe Hussein will be given a chance to speak?

and that we'll actually hear it?

[mobuto]

45. Why not?

That's what the Governing Council announced would happen, and the Coalition Provisional Authority seems to agree.

[LiberalFighter]

46. Was there anything yesterday to Saddam being flown out of Iraq?

[loudnclear]

55. "The army tried" That's my point...Special ops had Saddam this time

everything was staged even for the soldiers. IMHO

[Matilda]

15. I think you've said it all.

No need to pity Saddam, but the way everything, big or small, is
used by this administration to prop up its lies and deceit, is
just too much. There's heaps about the capture of Saddam that we
haven't been told, I'm sure. And don't forget - most of his most
dreadful crimes were committed when he was an ally of the West,
with the full knowledge of western powers, and the weapons he used
were bought from the west. I have doubts that he will ever be
allowed to stand trial, because he can finger too many other
leaders - I won't be a bit surprised if he's found dead in his cell
one day, "by his own hand".

[Bluerthanblue]

36. why NOT pity this man?

what is pity for except situations like this? i completely agree with those who are NOT taking this capture at 'face value'-

In talking with my 10yr old son about this, and why i wasn't all that thrilled with the news, it turned into a discussion on 'credibility'-

Bush and co continually harp on the 'lies' Hussien tells- yet how many lies have HE and Condolezza and Rummy and Dick had exposed? At this point if our government told me the sun would rise in the a.m. i'd need to see it to believe it-

But pity Saddam? yes, i do- because despite how offensive and evil and cruel he many INDEED have been- for US to act in any way that approaches his 'supposed' style, is to be the hypocrites that we are-

Bush said "this is the man who tried to kill my 'Dad'"- Hussien could say "This is the man who KILLED my sons, and even my teen- age grandson"- Doing evil is evil regardless of whether it is US or THEM- Gandhi understood this Truth so well- but we are slow learners-

(i'll get off the soap box now-)

[Cheswick2.0]

61. No, get back on

You are correct. Pity is not just for people we like.

[pinto]

20. the two men who were with him: mentioned in early reports, then zip...n/t

[Nlighten1]

32. Great post!

This is the reason I come back to DU every day. Excellent insight like this is addictive.

[philosophie_en_rose]

44. .

.

[Tinoire]

54. Add this to your list

((with thanks to Triana))

Tuesday, December 2, 2003
LaHood: Hussein's capture imminent

Pantagraph Staff

BLOOMINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood held his thumb and forefinger slightly apart and said, "We're this close" to catching Saddam Hussein.
Once that's accomplished, Iraqi resistance will fall apart, said the five-term Republican congressman from Peoria who serves on the House Intelligence Committee.

A member of The Pantagraph editorial board -- not really expecting an answer -- asked LaHood for more details, saying, "Do you know something we don't?"

"Yes I do," replied LaHood.

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/120203/new_20031202014.shtml

=========

with thanks to Bucky:

According to his website, here are LaHood's committee assignments:

House Appropriations Committee
..........Agriculture Subcommittee
..........Legislative Subcommittee (Vice Chairman)
..........Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
..........Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee (Chairman)
..........Intelligence Policy and National Security Subcommittee (Vice Chairman)


====

Lagniappe on this creep:

WASHINGTON - The House on Thursday rejected two attempts by Democratic lawmakers for additional inquiries into the handling of intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs.

<snip>

Democrats have questioned whether prewar intelligence was inaccurate or manipulated to back up President Bush's push for war. Republicans have said there is no sign of wrongdoing and have accused Democrats of raising the issue for political reasons.

<snip>

An amendment proposed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas to require the U.S. comptroller general to study U.S. intelligence-sharing with U.N. inspectors was defeated 239-185.

By a 347-76 vote, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio to require the CIA's inspector general to audit all telephone and electronic communications between the CIA and Vice President Dick Cheney relating to Iraq's weapons.

Kucinich, a presidential candidate and outspoken opponent of the war, cited a Washington Post story in which unidentified intelligence analysts said they had felt pressured by Cheney to make their assessments meet administration policy objectives. In debate Wednesday, Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., called Kucinich's proposal the "cheap shot amendment of the year."

<snip>

© 2003 The Associated Press

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0626-10.htm

[pinkpops]

8. Looking at the video , and considering he was described as

"disoriented" it had occured to me that he may have been either very sleepy or drugged. He may well have been tranquilized in some way.
From a propaganda point of view, he couldn't have looked more sheepish than he was portrayed.

[loudnclear]

26. Not to mention that he looked rather well-fed.

Not like someone on the run, hungry, scared.
Keep on thinking folks. Just like Mobuto suggests.

[LiberalFighter]

47. Well fed even though CNN on the spot showed

and explained oranges were rotting.

Of course, the reporter would not investigate to see what food was available at the time and the state/condition of his food.

[loudnclear]

56. Whoa! another good point

Come on gang...I know you can figure this out!

[Old and In the Way]

35. He looked like he was at the end of a 6 month bender.

Perfect photo-op for this administration, no? He was definitely "under the influence". Now that he's sobered up, he's not cooperating.

Don't know the details about his capture; sadly, though, I cannot believe anything that this administration tells me. Whatever the truth is, it's only relevant went it fits the story this administration wants to market.

[okieinpain]

53. my first thought was that he looked like he was ready for a cigarette.

he did'nt looked frightened at all.

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. The BFEE would use DRUGS on a POW ?? - naaah - NEVER !

[SmokeyBlues]

16. Saddam looked sorta like me...

after I got all four wisdom teeth pulled and the 'twilight' was gradually wearing off. Of course my dentist didn't have to check for head lice.

[nolabels]

17. This is your war on drugs, any questions

An ad campaign to deter drug use used the analogy of eggs being fried to show the negative effects on the brain
http://www.cnn.com/fyi/interactive/news/brain/brain.on.drugs.html

[LiberalFighter]

48. That looks like monkey boy and rummy's brains

[notadmblnd]

51. I don't know, but I think fried eggs are good...

except when they are running the country.:shrug:

[TeeYiYi]

18. I agree with the sister . . .

Posted yesterday:


TeeYiYi  (1000+ posts)
Sun Dec-14-03 07:22 PM
Response to Original message

18. Disoriented and chatty . . .

. . . sounds like me when I'm waking up from being under anesthesia . . .

The news whores keep saying that he was disoriented and "chatty, chatty, chatty". All the way to wherever it was they took him. And then he clammed up . . .

He probably did get quiet when the drugs started to wear off. Yeah. Something isn't right here. We're not getting the real story. But then . . . SURPRISE. Who ever thought that we would?

The movie should be out in a couple of weeks. Then we'll know the whole story . . .

TYY


TeeYiYi  (1000+ posts)
Sun Dec-14-03 07:39 PM
Response to Original message

24. A sad but true analogy . . .

. . . at Easter, the adults hide eggs, candy and money and then, when it's time, send the kids out to find the desired booty; kids being clueless that the adults were behind the deception.

I see the coalition troops who found Saddam today in much the same light. Rove and Co. have probably had that egg hidden for months . . .

TYY


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=909505#910048

TYY

[joeunderdog]

24. Here's why it "could" be true.

He was only captured alive because they WANT him that way. For the US, he is quite literally "the face of evil" and his picture is PR evidence that we have slayed the Bogeyman, despite the fact that the small issue of the WMD's is still out there. My guess is that they are trying to milk this image for all it's worth. Saddam's trial will distract US voters while the economy goes down like a Bush cabinet member in a breifing. They will parade Saddam's beaten image for every bit of PR out there. So far, it's the ONLY validation they have for this war.

It may backfire, however, when the world expresses its own values and plans for Saddam. We will look like the aggressors and the ones who have something to hide once again.

Who lied about the WMD's--Bush or Saddam? So far, the facts as they are known say the the shrub is a war criminal. How much more exposure do we need?

[Old and In the Way]

39. Saddam will never get a chance to make his case public.

Take it to the bank.

Does anyone know if Los Vegas is doing book on SH teling his story in open court? I'm feelin' pretty good about this vibe.

[LiberalFighter]

49. Will unbiased interpreters be used?

Or at least interpreters used by the US and by Muslim/Arab?

[Cooley Hurd]

30. Think of the Lynch "rescue" for a minute...

The coalition PR men went to great lengths to stage and film the rescue, and the White House went to great lengths to perpetuate the "rescue" to the press.

Fast forward to May 1st. They kept an aircraft carrier and its crew at sea for two extra days for a cheesy photo op, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of dolars to taxpayers. This, after the crew completed the longest carrier deployment since WW2 - keeping them from their families for two more days. For a photo op...

Thanksgiving. They go to great lengths to whisk (a reluctant) Shrub to Baghdad Airport for another photo op - he stayed with his "pre-selected" troops for 150 minutes and left. Cost of this photo op: Priceless...

For Shrub, capturing Saddam wasn't enough. He wanted to humiliate him. Being the shallow, vindictive son-of-a-bitch he is, he wanted Saddam to be paraded on national TV, hair matted, dirty and emasculated.

Think about it - the propaganda value of a "cowardly" Saddam is almost too great to measure. Like every other fake event in this war, this could've easily been fabricated for public consumption. In fact, given the WH's track record for stagecraft, I think it's likely that Saddam was doped up.

[Frances]

37. Two words: Jessica Lynch

n/t

[lumpy]

34. It is possible

that Saddam has been held captive for quite some time, by whom ?anybody's guess. Yes he appeared to be doped up or simply exhausted from being captive, perhaps sleep deprived or psycho torture. You would think that with the money he had, he was preparing for flight before the invasion and was caught and incarcerated before he could flee to a safe place.

[Old and In the Way]

40. Love to trace those serial numbers.

Kind of strange to have $750K in brand new 100s in a cooler, don't you think? If I was Saddam, I'm sure he has plenty of strong boxes in many banks around the world.

Wonder if this cash has any connection to Halliburton?

[LiberalFighter]

50. Good question...

Wouldn't necessarily need to have the serial numbers.

If they are fairly new. Where and how would he had obtained the currency? Would it had been possible?

I take it that it is US currency. If so, why would they have that much US currency in Iraq at the time? Wouldn't their own currency be the means of transaction?

[pinto]

41. my guess? disorientation is either lack of sleep or extended captivity &

I thought it was interesting that the first thing he said after his name and title was "I want to negotiate". HE wasn't surprised.....

[mbperrin]

52. Gosh, remember how indignant the Bushies*

were when US folks were shown on TV in captivity? It was the worst thing in the world, then.

But like everything else these bastards touch, now it's GOOD!

Bet Bush* is hoping no one remembers a few months ago when he said that SH was not of much interest any more. No luck! I do!

[loudnclear]

57. One thing that makes this "theory" questionable

is that if Saddam had been held for any length of time why wouldn't he be saying that now? Or maybe it was set up in such a way that he didn't even know the true identies of the two men with him?

[Maeve]

58. No matter what you believe or what the truth is, be aware

For many in the Arab world, THIS is the way the truth is perceived and it can only bring more grief to our troops.

[lostnfound]

60. If SH represents (to some Arabs) some kind of hero: more terrorists.

The psychological impact of seeing the dental exam etc. might be seen as the epitome of Western domination over one of the only Arab leaders to stand up to the West.

[CWebster]

59. US troops...are only pawns in this game.

But the Arabs, they are never quite as human as us, never quite as capable, never afforded dignity and respect. Their lives never matter, their children's future, their ability to survive and sustain themselves are always a secondary consideration, if a consideration at all. People think of Arabs as barbarians, but Mesopotamia had written language and courts while the West still lived in caves, modern Iraq had a high standard of living, with a highly cultured and well-educated citizenry. And we bombed Iraq, flattened their country crippled by years of war and sanctions, looted their priceless heritage and impose criminal puppets and thugs to oversee our looting of their natural resources. We should leave and allow them their own autonomy, they are an ancient and capable people. We owe them money to rebuild, but no contarcts for our greedy corps who seek war plunder and get our soldiers out. If they want help from the international community, they can ask. it is up to them and them only.

[jonoboy]

62. anything and everything Bush & Co say is a LIE. I believe sis.