Regards, Ivan
Posted on 06/23/2004 10:33:44 PM PDT by MadIvan
SADDAM Hussein has written to his family to tell them his spirit and morale are high and asks relatives to "say hello to everyone", according to Newsweek magazine.
The note was made public by Saddam’s lawyer, who alleged his client might have been mistreated in US custody and had suffered wounds.
The letter was written on a standard International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) form taken when representatives visited him in February.
The magazine reported on its website that it was shown the message by a Jordanian lawyer, Muhammed al-Rushadan, who has been retained by Saddam’s family.
The letter begins: "In the name of God the Merciful", then six lines are blacked out by US military censors.
It goes on: "To my small family and my big family, salaam alekum," before three more lines are blacked out. "As for my spirit and my morale, they are high, thanks to greatness of God."
It adds: "And say hello to everyone."
Mr Rushadan said: "Two-thirds of it are blacked out and there are only 17 words you can read; there’s not enough to understand the meaning very well."
The lawyer claimed Saddam was being held in violation of the Geneva Conventions and being mistreated like some other US prisoners.
"There are fresh wounds on his body," he said, citing a Red Cross document he claims to have.
He appealed to the Red Cross to demand that Saddam be held in compliance with the Geneva Conventions "or you should quit your job".
The note from Saddam was apparently signed by the former dictator and dated 21 January, 2004, more than five weeks after US forces captured him near his home town of Tikrit.
A checklist on the document was also filled out, although it is unclear by whom. One ticked box lists Saddam as being in "good health" while another notes he is "slightly wounded".
Mr Rushadan told the magazine: "These must be fresh wounds."
Listed as a prisoner of war, Saddam is entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions, and the Bush administration has insisted that it is abiding by the rules.
Saddam’s job is listed as "president of the Republic of Iraq" with the rank of field marshal. His place of detention is not listed. The United States has refused to disclose where he is being held.
The ICRC refused to comment on Saddam’s condition, saying that the organisation only discussed the conditions of detention with the detaining authority. The organisation said Saddam was first visited by ICRC representatives on 21 February, and has been seen twice by its officials since.
Mr Rushadan said members of Saddam’s family had been told by the ICRC that he had written more letters, but none had arrived.
The letter now made public was delivered to Saddam’s eldest daughter, Raghed Hussein, in Amman, Jordan.
Yesterday it emerged that the US will hand legal custody of Saddam and some other former regime figures to the interim Iraqi government as soon as local courts issue warrants for their arrest and request the transfer.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Regards
Dan
I had to read this twice... I thought it was a satire!
BTTT
Wait till those "fresh wounds" get blown up by the NYT.
"These must be fresh wounds."
Very determined, and resilient, lice?
When Chavez was overthrown, he was arrested by his senior commanders who jailed him.
The younger officers who were his jailers were Chavists, and promptly released him, provided him with a helicopter, and returned him to his palace where a crowd of supporters were waiting for him.
The coup collapsed within hours of his return.
This may be apples and oranges, but there is a risk in handing Saddam over to Iraqi authorities. I'm sure someone has thought this through, but they need to be prepared for contingencies, such as the one where the soldiers guarding him decide to back him.
If my history is correct, something similar happened with Napoleon.
Raghed Hussein?? Raghed Hussein???? This has got to be from the Onion.
I thought he had lymphatic cancer or something. I guess not.
Don't you suppose that the loudmouthed Jordanian lawyer knows where he is and has blabbed it to all the appropriate people?
The man is a lunatic.
I am beginning to think that it might not be a bad idea to let Saddam out and put him back in power. I fear the Iraqi's need a single strongman to keep the various factions of the country in check.
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