posted on July 26, 2004 05:21:55 PM new
Report: Saddam Gardens, Writes Poems In Prison
LONDON -- Saddam Hussein appears depressed and demoralized in solitary confinement, spending his time writing poetry, tending a garden and reading the Quran, according to a report published Monday in The Guardian newspaper.
One of Saddam's poems is about George Bush, though the report did not specify whether that referred to President George W. Bush or his father, President George H.W. Bush, Saddam's foe in the 1991 Gulf War.
The newspaper quoted Bakhtiar Amin, the human rights minister in the new Iraqi government, who said he had visited Saddam's cell on Saturday. Amin said he did not speak to the former Iraqi leader.
Bakhtiar said Saddam appeared "in good health and being kept in good conditions," but he "appeared demoralized and dejected," The Guardian reported.
Saddam's air-conditioned cell in a U.S. military prison is 10 feet wide and 13 feet long, Amin said. Saddam is not allowed to mix with other prisoners.
Amin had little to report on Saddam's poetry. "One of the poems is about George Bush, but I had no time to read it," Amin said.
He reported that Saddam was being treated for high blood pressure and a chronic prostate infection, and was gaining weight after losing 11 pounds during a time when he resisted all fatty foods.
Saddam and other detainees get an MRE (meal ready to eat) breakfast, and hot food twice a day, Amin said. Dessert might include oranges, apples, pears or plums, but Saddam also likes American muffins and cookies, The Guardian quoted Amin as saying.
Saddam is not allowed newspapers, TV or radio, but has access to 145 books -- mostly travel books and novels -- donated by the Red Cross.
Amin said Saddam tends a garden during his daily three-hour exercise period.
"He is looking after a few bushes and shrubs and has even placed a circle of white stones around a small palm tree," said Amin. "His apparent care for his surroundings is ironic when you think he was responsible for one of the biggest ecocides when he drained the southern marshes."
Amin, a Kurd from Kirkuk, was reportedly the first member of the new Iraqi government to visit Saddam.
During his visit, Amin said he met Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as Chemical Ali, who allegedly ordered the use of chemical weapons against Kurds in the late 1980s; Saddam's half-brother, Barzan al-Tikriti, a former intelligence chief who was Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva until 1998; and Saddam's personal secretary, Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti.
Amin said he was approached by al-Tikriti, who was standing next to Ali Hassan al-Majid.
"Minister, what am I doing here?" Amin quoted al-Tikriti as saying. "I am not like the others, I am not like Ali Hassan al-Majid." Al-Tikriti asked that the message be passed on to Kurdish leaders and to new Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
"I tried to control my emotions, but to be honest I wanted to vomit," The Guardian quoted Amin as saying.
"There before me were the men responsible for the industrial pain of Iraq -- mass murderers who were responsible for turning Iraq into a land of mass graves."
I think they should at least give him a radio, it just doesn't seem right, he's gardening, reading, and in an air conditioned cell, I think he should have at the least a radio, to see what is going on out there
posted on July 26, 2004 06:40:43 PM new
NTS, I know what his poem read, it went something like this;
I am after a few bushes and shrubs
?But I missed that big Bush and here I cant have my normal
Iraquie grub
Oh, how I wish, how I wish
I was President
Hussein once again.
lol lousy poem!!
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[ edited by neroter12 on Jul 26, 2004 06:41 PM ]
posted on July 26, 2004 07:39:53 PM new
There once was a man from Tikrit
Who got himself in a bit of a snit
Right now he's in the can
For being such a vicious man
But pretty soon he'll be nothing but wormshit.
posted on July 26, 2004 07:54:43 PM new
There once was a rich man from Iraq
Who's soul was so dark it was black
Right now he's in jail
And he can't even make bail
He just wishes he could take it all back.
posted on July 26, 2004 09:19:59 PM new
easily amused
That's just one of the many things that I like about you NTS.
You can post any cuss word and get it past the censors if you attach it to another word, but I advise that this be used sparingly or the Vendio police might come and arrest you, or give you a vacation.
posted on July 26, 2004 09:26:06 PM new
I'm easily amused too! Thanks, yellowstone. I just write what I think and rely on Vendio to bleep what they want. Works for me.
posted on July 26, 2004 09:30:47 PM new
I won 5th place (just outside of the prizes) in a poetry writing contest in school in the 9th grade. They couldn't give me a higher placement because of the poem that I wrote, but it seems they still liked it. Here it is;
There once was a young maid from Patras
Who had a most magnificent ass
It wasn't all pretty and pink
As you probably think
It was gray, had long ears and ate grass.
posted on July 27, 2004 01:42:18 AM new
Yellowstone, that was pretty good!!
Kraft, I like yours: simple and to the point.
NTS, Saddamm gets muffins!?? Holy Moly!! What happened to bread and water? Just to read he is in an air conditioned cell would pizz me off to no end, if I were a solider out there in the desert!
posted on July 27, 2004 06:07:24 AM newI won 5th place (just outside of the prizes) in a poetry writing contest in school in the 9th grade. They couldn't give me a higher placement because of the poem that I wrote, but it seems they still liked it. Here it is
I see your poem is based on first hand experience. Nice to know authors still have it in them to write about themselves.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
All Things Just Keep Getting Better
------------------------------
We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
posted on July 27, 2004 07:16:30 AM newNice to know authors still have it in them to write about themselves.
.....and what do you have inside of you right now Logansdad?? No, wait, on second thought I think we all don't really want to know the answer to that question.
posted on July 27, 2004 09:17:49 AM new
Nero, not only muffins, but American Cookies!!!! Wondering if its Oreos or Chips Ahoy?
Yeah, I wonder if the other high officials of Saddam that are in prison have Air Conditioning..... hell, WE don't have A/C yet, and just went through a hellatious (sp?) heatwave.... the A/C guy is coming this week for estimates though
) get past the censors! LOL
)
