The Command Post - Iraq - "Saddam Hussein: A Life Of Evil"

April 11, 2003

"Saddam Hussein: A Life Of Evil"

An interesting history of Hussein's rise to power in Iraq, courtesy the Mirror.

In the dusty playground the chanting children’s voices grew louder and louder, ringing inside the head of a dark-haired boy who stood alone by a crumbling school wall.

“Bastard, bastard, bastard,” the children spat.

The boy tried to run but the taunting continued – just as it did most days for him in the village of Al-Ouja near Tikrit in north central Iraq.

But on this sweltering hot summer’s day the six-year-old had had enough.

The lonely, taciturn child slowly bent down, picked up an iron bar lying on the ground then slashed it through the air towards the other children.

The rag-tag group of boys ran off in fear. And Saddam Hussein first learnt the power of terror.

Posted By Alan at April 11, 2003 07:12 PM | TrackBack

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Paraphrase this story for your children who tease other kids. Or as a preemptive move before they start chiming in, like many of these boys did. You never know what action you take may cause someone to become a criminal.

Posted by: FOG at April 11, 2003 07:24 PM

There is a great article in this month's Vice Magazine about Saddam's life as well...from what I gather its all true, though I didn't think Uday was paralyzed...but then again, most folks didn't know that FDR was mostly paralyzed...

http://www.viceland.com/issues/v10n2/htdocs/saddam.php

Posted by: jovos at April 11, 2003 07:25 PM

Poor Saddam. It's not his fault he turned out how he did. Coming "from a desperately unhappy, impoverished and abusive background", being bullied, unloved by his mother, and beaten by his stepfather, he can't be blamed for turning out bad. Don't blame him. Blame society.

Posted by: Cranky at April 11, 2003 07:27 PM

You, who are on the road must have a code that you can live by.
And so become yourself because the past is just a good bye.
Teach your children well, their father's hell did slowly go by,
and feed them on your dreams, the one they fix, the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
so just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of the tender years can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
and so please help them with your youth, they seek the truth before they can die.
Teach your parents well, their children's hell will slowly go by,
and feed them on your dreams, the one they fix,the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
so just look at them and sigh and know they love you

Posted by: jerry at April 11, 2003 07:31 PM

Dear Officer Kofi
We're down on our knees,
'Cause no one wants a Saddam
with a social disease.

He may be a raper
He's misunderstood!
Deep down inside him
There's a hood.

Posted by: Stephen at April 11, 2003 07:36 PM

Stephen, very good! The full and real lyrics are very good too.

Posted by: jerry at April 11, 2003 07:40 PM

Excellent, Stephen! Could immediately hear the rest:

"He's a hood,
He's a hood,
He's a big, bad hood ..."

Posted by: Alan at April 11, 2003 07:44 PM

The UK Mirror knew all this about Saddam - but never published it as vividly as this.

Instead, it kept leading with John Pilger's anti-American tosh.

But I have heard again today that the Mirror has been losing readership over its anti-war stance.

Posted by: JohninLondon at April 11, 2003 07:53 PM

I figured the Mirror would take this tack - Saddam's not at fault - he was bullied as a kid.

Posted by: Jeremy at April 11, 2003 08:39 PM

The guilty is not the killer but the victim.

Posted by: yo at April 11, 2003 09:14 PM

A good liberal read: Why it's not my fault, it's your's
By eric alterman

Posted by: mark at April 11, 2003 09:58 PM