| Submit your comments on this article | ||
| Iraq | ||
| Court hears tale of sheepÂ’s blood in attack on Saddam | ||
| 2006-05-27 | ||
| BAGHDAD - A woman marked Saddam Hussein’s car with the blood of a sheep slaughtered in a welcoming ceremony for him to guide gunmen who opened fire on his convoy in an assassination attempt in 1982, a court heard on Wednesday. Saddam’s former personal secretary, Abed Hamid, took the stand for the toppled leader in an attempt to justify a crackdown that led to the execution of 148 Shia men and teenagers after the attack in the town of Dujail. Once one of Saddam’s most feared aides, Hamid told the court how the plot to kill Saddam unfolded as residents in the town north of Baghdad slaughtered sheep in a traditional sign of welcoming for a man accused of punishing disloyalty with death. Hamid’s suspicions were aroused when the woman touched the former president’s car with blood from the sheep on her hand, fearing she was marking it for an ambush. “I ordered the cars to be switched without the knowledge of the president,” he said, adding that five cars in Saddam’s convoy took fire, including the one with the blood stain. The court was later adjourned to May 29.
Standing in a dark suit, Saddam contrasted with the image of him in a military uniform as he personally interrogated terrified Dujail residents after the attempt on his life and told his forces to take them away for more questioning. Hamid, described by Iraqis as one of SaddamÂ’s most powerful enforcers, explained how he, Saddam and other officials escaped death in Dujail. While their convoy headed back to helicopters they came under heavy fire from gunmen hiding in an orchard who killed three soldiers. SaddamÂ’s men discovered a cache of heavy machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades in the area, Hamid said.
| ||
| Posted by:Steve White |