Iron Maiden Found in Uday's Playground (No, not the heavy metal band, the medieval torture device)

Time ^ | 4/19/03 | APARISIM GHOSH/BAGHDAD

[Steven W.]

No profile of Uday Hussein, the psychotic elder son of Iraq's deposed dictator, is complete without a mention of his sadistic reign as Iraq's sports czar. In his capacity as head of Iraq's Olympic committee and also of its soccer federation, he is known to have ordered the torture of athletes who performed below his expectations.

A bad day on the field for a player on the national soccer squad could result in savage retribution: Players had their feet scalded and toenails ripped off for failing to win tournaments. Allegations of torture had even resulted in investigations by international sports governing bodies, most notably soccer's FIFA, but these had failed to produce conclusive evidence — hardly surprising, since no player would dare admit to suffering such abuse, for fear of even worse.

On Saturday, however, TIME found what may be the first tangible evidence pointing to torture in Uday's own backyard, the administrative compound of the Iraqi national Olympic committee in central Baghdad. Hidden in a pile of dead leaves, not 20 yards from the building housing the Iraqi Football Association, was that must-have appliance of every medieval dungeon: an iron maiden.

Around 7 feet tall, three feet across and deep enough to house a grown man, the sarcophagus-shaped device is essentially a large, metal closet with long spikes on the inside door that closes to impale its victim. Its name derives from its mummy shape and the beatific woman's face depicted on its headpiece. The one found in Baghdad was clearly worn from use, its nails having lost some of their sharpness. It lay on its side within view of Uday's first-floor offices in the soccer association. Ironically, the torture device was brought to TIME's attention by a group of looters who had been stripping the compound of anything of value. They had left behind the iron maiden, believing it to be worthless.

[Steven W.]

[MEG33]

I had seen that picture and hadn't noticed what it is. What monsters!

[NEWwoman]

And the peaceniks still protest the bad old U.S. ...

[IronJack]

Now we know who the high bidder was at Torquemada's garage sale.

[Calpernia]

Well, If SH and sons really are still alive, and we catch them, I see their cell is now ready.

[bigfootbob]

Admit it, you'd love to see Bubba Clinton or Michael Moore become a victim, (I hate that word), of this device. I sure would.

[AAABEST]

Strange World
Steve Harris

The only place where you can dream, living here is not what it seems.
Ship of white light in the sky, nobody there to reason why.
Here I am, I'm not really there, smiling faces ever so rare.
A let's walk in deepest space, living here just isn't the place.
 
Stalks of light come from the ground, when I cry there isn't a sound.
All my feelings cannot be held, I'm happy in my new strange world.
Shades of green grasses twine, girls drinking plasma wine.
A look at love, a dream unfolds, living here, you'll never grow old.
 
Don't you hear me call? Ooh

[uglybiker]

Micheal Moore wouldn't fit in there.

[NathanR]

That kid had better not have a cat jump on him. (Appologies to Mark Twain.)

[Steven W.]

Also brought to mind is the scene in "Bill & Ted" where the king says "Bring in the Iron Maiden" to which Bill & Ted respond, "Excellent!". Then the King clarifies, "Execute Them!" and Bill + Ted reply, "Bogus!"

[tutstar]

ping

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Ummmmm...ping.

[Mr. Buzzcut]

MAIDEN! MAIDEN! MAIDEN!

[Joe 6-pack]

"Admit it, you'd love to see Bubba Clinton..."

In that case it would be an Iron Intern, and the spikes, no doubt, would be short and bent slightly to the left.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Iron Maiden? Excellent!


Chad "Let he who hath understanding, reckon the Number of the Beast, for it is a human number..." Fairbanks

[Rocko]

There's a Bram Stoker story called "The Squaw" that deals with a a cat's revenge using the famous IM.

[AmishDude]

Not me. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. But if there are "after" photos of the victims, I wouldn't mind at all if they were forced to look at them like a criminal in the police interrogation.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Did you not see the thread? We don't use 'Squaw' anymore... ;0)

[NathanR]

I have never actually read anything by Bram Stoker.

[Osage Orange]

Looks to me like Uday's IM....has a "happy face"...!

FRegards,

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Nice tag. Martha Stewart?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Why yes. How did you guess?

[LibKill]

Micheal Moore wouldn't fit in there.

Not without some trimming. :)

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Well, I'd say I watch Martha Stewart and subscribe to her magazine, but I sorta don't want to admit to that...so instead, I'll lie and say I've tried it myself (after having gotten the tip from my brother, the scientist).

Less embarrassing, you know.

[billbears]

Up the irons!!

[archy]

The original Iron Maiden of Nuremburg was believed destroyed by an Allied bombing raid in 1944. But I wouldn't put it past the Germans to have sold a reproduction to the Hussein family, though the illustration doesn't quite match the description of the more mechanical original device's inscription.

There was once in Nuremburg a famous automaton known as the Iron Maiden. The Countess Bathory bought a copy for her torture chamber in Csejthe Castle. This clockwork doll was of the size and colour of a human creature. Naked, painted, covered in jewels, with blond hair that reached down to the ground, it had a mechanical device that allowed it to curve its lips into a smile, and to move its eyes. The Countess, sitting on her throne watches. For the Maiden to spring into action it is necessary to touch some of the precious stones in its necklace. It responds immediately with horrible creaking sounds and very slowly lifts its white arms which close in a perfect embrace around whatever happens to be next in it- in this case, a girl. The automaton holds her in its arms and now no one will be able to uncouple the living body from the body of iron, both equally beautiful. Suddenly the painted breasts of the Iron Maiden open, and five daggers appear that pierce her struggling companion whose hair is as long as its own. Once the sacrifice is over another stone in the necklace is touched : the arms drop, the smile and the eyes fall shut, and the murderess becomes once again the Maiden, motionless in its coffin.

[BlackVeil]

I have never actually read anything by Bram Stoker.

You are not the only one. He is such a famous writer, but it is based on well-known titles, rather than frequently read books. There was an article about the novel Dracula called "The Curse of the UnRead."

[tracer]

The man clearly lacked imagination and originality.....

[SuperSonic]

I would have thought he was a Slayer fan.

[ChemistCat]

Oh, but Bush is worse...regime change...blah blah blah....

/sarcasm

[billbears]

No having an Iron Maiden in your backyard is pretty sick. With that alone, I think the Hussein regime just surpassed every other dictator for the past forty years on ic nature

[billbears]

sadistic nature that is reminder don't type while sneezing

[Billthedrill]

Good Lord, somebody protect that priceless antiquity! Quick!

[k2blader]

Sick.

[Anamensis]

Admit it, you'd love to see Bubba Clinton or Michael Moore become a victim, (I hate that word), of this device. I sure would.

What? Oh nonsense! None of us would ever... well, we wouldn't close the door ALL the way... well, not for, like, HOURS or anything...

[Anamensis]

Micheal Moore wouldn't fit in there.

Well, not at first.

[Anamensis]

I would have thought he was a Slayer fan.

Now he's a Deadhead.

[Mike-o-Matic]

"Put them in the iron maiden..." Excellent!!

"EXECUTE THEM!!" Bogus!!!

[Mike-o-Matic]

Believe it or not, I read right past your post. D'oh! Anywho, I had the same thought!

[Steven W.]

hilarious!