Interesting Article on details of Saddams capture!

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 5, 2004, 11:00 am

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/ ... index.html

Pulled from spider hole, Saddam asks: "America, why?"
Thursday, August 5, 2004 Posted: 1:46 AM EDT (0546 GMT)

Saddam Hussein after his capture

(CNN) -- After an extensive search of an Iraqi farm on December last year, U.S. Special Forces and a translator named Samir brushed aside leaves and dirt from one area of the farm, uncovering the spider hole where Saddam Hussein was hiding.

"I grabbed him," Samir told CNN in a recent interview. "I was like I am not going to let him go."

"I told him that if you're a real man, you should have killed yourself," he added.

At one point, Samir said the former dictator called him a traitor and a spy -- words that resulted in the once-ruthless dictator getting punched in the face.

"He made me really upset and I had to punch him. I was so angry," he said, adding that the Special Forces made him stop after a couple of blows.

Samir spoke to Ron Young, a special contributor to CNN, on condition that only his first name be used due to security concerns.

Samir said he knew immediately that it was Saddam in his grasp, even though the former Iraqi leader looked ragged.

"I told them, 'This is Saddam.' They didn't believe me at first. They said, 'Ask him his name.' I said, 'This is Saddam.' They said, 'No, ask him,'" Samir recalls with a laugh.

"I asked him, 'What's your name?' First, he said, 'Uh.'

"I said, 'What's your name?' He said, 'I'm Saddam.' ... I had to really yell at him and stuff. He said, 'I am Saddam Hussein.'"

Samir said the former dictator only spoke two words of English: "America, why?" -- a line Saddam said three times.

"I remember one of the forces told me to tell him, 'The reason we are here (is) because President Bush sent us to find you,'" Samir said.

"His response was, 'My shoes' -- he said in Arabic -- 'My shoes are better than you and your family.'"

For Samir, the journey to the farm in Saddam's homeland was a long, difficult and unlikely trek. A Shia in the Iraqi town of Nasiriya, he grew up hating the Iraqi dictator.

During the 1991 Gulf War, he and other Iraqis rebelled against Saddam's Baath Party, but when the American forces left, Samir feared retribution.

He first went to the Iraqi-Kuwait border. He says the Saudi government then set up a refugee camp for thousands of Iraqis and he stayed there for a couple of years.

Eventually, the United Nations granted him refugee status and he made his way -- with "six bucks in my pocket" -- to the midwestern U.S. city of St. Louis. He learned English in St. Louis and later became a U.S. citizen.

'Little bitty dirty hole'
When he heard President George W. Bush talking of going to war against Iraq, Samir wanted to help. He applied for a job as a translator and got it. He arrived in Iraq after the fall of Baghdad in April 2003.

It would be a few months later when his life would change forever.

Samir said he and the U.S. Special Forces were led to the Iraqi farm by one of Saddam's former bodyguards.

"We had his bodyguard. He's the one we were looking for, because we knew he would lead to Saddam. I was the translator for this guy. And he started crying. He said, 'Don't kill me. I'll show you where Saddam is.' And we got him to the farm by 8 o'clock p.m. on a Saturday night.

"Forces went inside and they searched the whole farm, and there's no sign of Saddam."

Samir said the bodyguard then pointed to the "little bitty dirty hole" and said, "Dig in here." The hole had been covered by leaves and dirt.

"When you think about looking for Saddam Hussein, that dictator, the one who has the power over all of his people, it just doesn't cross your mind. But he was there. He was there," Samir said.

Forces fired in the hole and Saddam "started yelling inside. And they said Samir come talk to him, tell him to come out. And he starts yelling, 'Don't shoot, don't kill me, don't shoot.'"

Once Saddam was in his hands, Samir said he looked at the former dictator and said, "You call yourself a hero and a leader of the Arab nation, you are a nobody."

Last month, Samir met Bush. He showed the president a famous picture of him on top of Saddam during the capture.

"I told him, 'Sir, this is me on Saddam.' And he said he saw it. He saw the picture."

For Americans who say the war was not worth it, Samir has this message, "I want to tell them what they do in Iraq is the right thing, because they save a life, they are changing the Iraq."

Take a long hard look at the last paragraph

miir · Post by **miir** » August 5, 2004, 11:16 am

A comment said by a translator working for the American military...
I'm sure an Iraqi in the employ of the US government would not have any bias.

I find it funny that the supporters of this invasion and occupation of Iraq have to actively search out and post 'pro war' comments... almost as if they feel the need to justify their support.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 5, 2004, 11:33 am

miir wrote:A comment said by a translator working for the American military...
I'm sure an Iraqi in the employ of the US government would not have any bias.

I find it funny that the supporters of this invasion and occupation of Iraq have to actively search out and post 'pro war' comments... almost as if they feel the need to justify their support.

Didnt have to actively seek out anything, this one dropped in my lap. But go ahead ignore the fact that this man was and still is of Iraq decent.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » August 5, 2004, 11:53 am

'My shoes are better than you and your family.'

miir · Post by **miir** » August 5, 2004, 11:55 am

I'm not ignoring it.

I'm just weighting the opinion of one Iraqi working for the US government with the possible opinions of the 10k+ dead Iraqis and their families.

'My shoes are better than you and your family.'

Foreign language insults can be totally hallarious when literally translated into english.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » August 5, 2004, 1:27 pm

Sionistic wrote:
'My shoes are better than you and your family.'

America = pwned!

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » August 5, 2004, 1:30 pm

miir wrote:I'm not ignoring it.

I'm just weighting the opinion of one Iraqi working for the US government with the possible opinions of the 10k+ dead Iraqis and their families.

I also think it's funny that any time someone says that they are happy, 5 people who aren't there pipe up and say that they really aren't. My family and friends never ran into anyone who wasn't glad to see them there. I have seen some of the pictures, and just by looking at the people it looks like they were friends before any of the actions in Iraq and Afghanistan ever started.

miir · Post by **miir** » August 5, 2004, 1:37 pm

I also think it's funny that any time someone says that they are happy, 5 people who aren't there pipe up and say that they really aren't. My family and friends never ran into anyone who wasn't glad to see them there. I have seen some of the pictures, and just by looking at the people it looks like they were friends before any of the actions in Iraq and Afghanistan ever started.

Nobody is doubting that there are many Iraqis who are happy that Saddam was removed... My point is why do supporters of the invasion feel the need to post threads like this?

Is it to justify the invasion?
Is it to ease thier conscience that the death of 10k+ Iraqis is somehow justified so long some Iraqis are happy?

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » August 5, 2004, 1:39 pm

Maybe it's to give those that disagree something to flame since they haven't posted anything showing their own point.

I don't post the things, but I will respond if I feel that I should. I think I posted one story about the war since it started, and that was just a "rumor" about NBC weapons possibly being found within the first month or so.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » August 5, 2004, 1:53 pm

You forgot to bold the line:

During the 1991 Gulf War, he and other Iraqis rebelled against Saddam's Baath Party, but when the American forces left, Samir feared retribution.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 5, 2004, 3:58 pm

Aslanna wrote:You forgot to bold the line:

During the 1991 Gulf War, he and other Iraqis rebelled against Saddam's Baath Party, but when the American forces left, Samir feared retribution.

Yeah Thanks U.N

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » August 5, 2004, 4:10 pm

It was George Bush who called on Iraqis to revolt, and it was George Bush who made the call to abandon them. The UN had nothing to do with it.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 5, 2004, 4:14 pm

why let facts muddy the waters?

miir · Post by **miir** » August 5, 2004, 4:17 pm

It's sh

cking that a Kurd would be happy that Saddam was removed from power.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 5, 2004, 4:48 pm

kyoukan wrote:It was George Bush who called on Iraqis to revolt, and it was George Bush who made the call to abandon them. The UN had nothing to do with it.

Under pressure from the U.N.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » August 5, 2004, 4:50 pm

Man what would Republicans do if they actually had to take some responsibility and not blame everything on the UN!

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 5, 2004, 4:55 pm

Kelshara wrote:Man what would Republicans do if they actually had to take some responsibility and not blame everything on the UN!

Not listen to the U.N.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » August 5, 2004, 7:23 pm

Being in country at the time my view only has the value of the fact that I actually KNOW what was going on, versus the Kyoukantude of always knowing what is going on. We stopped moving in Iraq because we were beating them so badly that the UN, and the US government feared a general jihad being declared against the US. The so called highway of death was so complete a victory of arms that we wer ebeing accused of rubbing it in.

Now on the other hand, if the Kurds wanted to be free they should have done it themselves by now.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » August 5, 2004, 10:33 pm

so how does that change the fact that your president encouraged the population to rise up against saddam and then abandon them to be murdered, gi joe?

and what is this "in country" fucking bullshit. so you sat around in a desert and watched a few hundred stealth bombers blow the holy christ out of baghdad. you aren't a fucking vietnam vet.

I'm still 90% sure you're full of shit anyway. last I saw not even the US army was recruiting obese morons with mouths bigger than their brains.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » August 5, 2004, 10:46 pm

kyoukan wrote:
and what is this "in country" fucking bullshit. so you sat around in a desert and watched a few hundred stealth bombers blow the holy christ out of baghdad. you aren't a fucking vietnam vet.

What a fucking moronic thing to say.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » August 5, 2004, 10:52 pm

I defer to the expert on fucking morons.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » August 5, 2004, 11:24 pm

Umm Kyoukan you are a raving piece of shit.

While you were whoring around somewhere in the frozen north I was participating in the liberation of a country held captive by a foreign power..I would not have wanted to fight that war without air power and would never deny that, but I hate to break the news to your ignorant ass, but I have done more to help the so called helpless and downtrodden while serving in the Military for 8 years than you have in your entire bitter pathetic life.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » August 5, 2004, 11:27 pm

yes I'm sure sweating in a tent with a couple dozen other repressed homosexuals watching CNN to see how well the air force is doing vs. Iraq's WW2 anti aircraft guns really gives you impetus to brag about how much of a hero you are.

the truth is, your military abandoned the iraqis to be slaughtered by saddam right when they needed you the most, which makes you party to their deaths as far as I'm concerned.

so when your arm gets tired from patting yourself on the back are you going to answer my fucking question?

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » August 6, 2004, 12:10 am

kyoukan wrote:
the truth is, your military abandoned the iraqis to be slaughtered by saddam right when they needed you the most, which makes you party to their deaths as far as I'm concerned.

With your stupid ass screaming for us to get out the entire time. Idiots like you are the reason we had to go back a second time.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 6, 2004, 12:12 am

kyoukan wrote:yes I'm sure sweating in a tent with a couple dozen other repressed homosexuals watching CNN to see how well the air force is doing vs. Iraq's WW2 anti aircraft guns really gives you impetus to brag about how much of a hero you are.

the truth is, your military abandoned the iraqis to be slaughtered by saddam right when they needed you the most, which makes you party to their deaths as far as I'm concerned.

so when your arm gets tired from patting yourself on the back are you going to answer my fucking question?

Listen up Sally Slut you know as well as anyone the UN requested the US to leave, So blame your beloved Kofi Anus.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » August 6, 2004, 12:43 am

Cartalas wrote:
kyoukan wrote:yes I'm sure sweating in a tent with a couple dozen other repressed homosexuals watching CNN to see how well the air force is doing vs. Iraq's WW2 anti aircraft guns really gives you impetus to brag about how much of a hero you are.

the truth is, your military abandoned the iraqis to be slaughtered by saddam right when they needed you the most, which makes you party to their deaths as far as I'm concerned.

so when your arm gets tired from patting yourself on the back are you going to answer my fucking question?
Listen up Sally Slut you know as well as anyone the UN requested the US to leave, So blame your beloved Kofi Anus.

You really are a twit

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » August 6, 2004, 2:53 am

Cartalas wrote:Listen up Sally Slut you know as well as anyone the UN requested the US to leave, So blame your beloved Kofi Anus.

And they also requested us not to invade a year and a half ago. So which is it? You can't have it both ways.

And yes you are a twit.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 6, 2004, 8:39 am

Aslanna wrote:
Cartalas wrote:Listen up Sally Slut you know as well as anyone the UN requested the US to leave, So blame your beloved Kofi Anus.
And they also requested us not to invade a year and a half ago. So which is it? You can't have it both ways.

And yes you are a twit.

Well Seeing they made a bad decision ( Th UN I mean ), On the First Gulf war, It was time for us to finish the job.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » August 6, 2004, 8:56 am

Kyoukan if you feel we did it wrong or right, at least we tried

I did not see you over there.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » August 6, 2004, 9:42 am

so does this mean you aren't going to answer it? cause "at least we tried" isn't a very good excuse for when you promise revolutionaries support, wait for them to revolt and then pack your bags and leave while they get slaughtered like animals.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » August 6, 2004, 10:56 am

Just curiours, Cartalas did you ever serve? You use the "we" a lot which I personally would think only a vet would do.

And as I've said before.. I might not agree with what decissions are made, but that doesn't mean I respect the vets. Even Kylere. Even Kerry!

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » August 6, 2004, 12:25 pm

kyoukan wrote:so does this mean you aren't going to answer it? cause "at least we tried" isn't a very good excuse for when you promise revolutionaries support, wait for them to revolt and then pack your bags and leave while they get slaughtered like animals.

Hmm wasnt Canada part of that coallition of force, Yes Yes I think they were so was 90 % of the free world did I see them stay there, Nope I didnt. It was the UN's decision to leave not the US's. Looking back I wished the US would of finished the job then,

And no Kelshara I never served, But if I was called upon I would.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » August 6, 2004, 12:29 pm

I think her entire argument is that it was the US and only the US that asked them to revolt, then did not help. How can you not agree with that being a slimy thing to do?

Thess · Post by **Thess** » August 6, 2004, 12:53 pm

/agree Krimson