Hiding Saddam Hussein (2023) Movie Script
1
It's not easy.
To hide a person.
It's as if
You will be placed in a chair.
Your hands are tied,
You are blindfolded.
You get a rope around your neck,
and it is attached to a tree.
That which takes your life,
is not that you will be hanged, -
-but that you will be abandoned.
So...
Are you taking your own life?
Why?
Or are you waiting for someone to save you?
Imagine if no one comes.
What do you do then?
I lived like that for 235 days.
When the President of Iraq
Saddam Hussein was my guest.
Here you see a brief glimpse of
The hole where Saddam Hussein was found.
This is Saddam underneath
today's medical examination.
Death to Saddam!
Saddam Hussein and his sons
must leave Iraq within 48 hours.
HE hid SADDAM HUSSEIN
SCREEN MEDIA Borge Johnsen
My father gave me the name Alaa.
And he found a wife for me.
We lived off what the earth gave us.
My father taught me to fish.
And he taught me
How to hide while hunting.
I felt like a big boy.
Who started school.
Who understands that he is an Iraqi.
We followed the news.
While the Americans took Baghdad.
Everyone was scared.
It's early in the morning.
Someone wakes me up.
"Wake up, we have to hurry."
It was my older brother Qais.
I saw in his eyes that he was scared.
I asked what happened.
He said we had guests.
I asked who it was.
He said, "Come, you will
"You'll understand it when you see it."
I stayed with him.
It is about 700 meters
between my house and my brother's.
None of us said anything.
On the way to him.
Because my brother was silent.
When I opened the gate,
I saw three men in the courtyard.
They were dressed in civilian clothes.
With weapons in their belts.
I asked my brother, "Who are they?"
He said, "Go up to the second floor,
"Then you will know."
I went up to the second floor.
When I open the door,
The president is standing in front of me.
My heart is pounding,
and I get a little scared.
"Do you recognize me?"
I replied, "Yes, I do."
He stretched out his hand.
He said:
"Your brother has told me about you."
"That you are a good hunter
who knows the terrain here well."
I couldn't control myself.
I cried.
He patted me on the shoulder.
And encouraged me.
He said, "The Americans are approaching,
Do you know of a place we can hide?"
At that moment
It didn't occur to me...
-that 150,000 soldiers
were looking for him.
Al-Door er
a small town on the Tigris River.
He sent off
two of his bodyguards.
The third guard sat in the back
together with my brother.
When we arrived,
My brother drove the car back.
We went into the forest.
I brought blankets.
And a mattress he could sit on.
I made a bed under a tree
so he was not visible from the air.
He said, "Sit down with me."
I sat down.
He said, "You know
"Why did I come to you?"
I said, "No, sir."
"When I fell asleep out on the road,
I dreamed that someone asked me to...
-"to go to Al-Door"
and the Namuqi family."
As he says this, I think:
"Is this possible?"
What is going to happen?"
I was scared.
I made up his bed.
He lay down.
He fell asleep immediately.
I thought, "How
"Is it possible to fall asleep so quickly?"
With everything happening around us,
with the Americans.
He sleeps as if
nothing had happened.
I was standing 100 meters away.
To keep watch.
I couldn't believe it was true.
That this was Saddam Hussein.
Who?
It was unbelievable.
He woke up at 6:00 AM.
My brother picked us up in his car.
We went to my brother's house.
And ate breakfast.
Saddam's people came back with a car.
He thanked us and said, "I'm leaving."
He got in the car, and they left.
I couldn't sleep.
Imagine if the Americans found out
that Saddam Hussein has been with me.
What is going to happen?
But at the same time, -
-imagine if Saddam Hussein doesn't want
that someone should know about my house?
I was very nervous.
I was thinking about
my family and my children.
I had the feeling
that something was going to happen, -
-and my gut feeling was right.
Because the morning after
my older brother Qais returned.
He said that the president
come back before sunrise.
The problem was that we
didn't know what he was thinking.
We knew nothing about him, -
-what he was really thinking,
and why he came back.
In our Arab culture
We never ask a guest...
-about how long he will stay.
And if the guest is Saddam Hussein...
My brother came in the afternoon.
He said, "The Americans
have taken the city."
We could hear the helicopters.
Which circled over the city.
I run to the president:
"The Americans have come to town."
We quickly gathered his things.
And got us in the car.
He asked, "Where are we going?"
I replied: "Against the Americans."
Because it is
the only way to the Tigris.
I asked him to
to put on some glasses.
I asked him to play sick,
so I could say he was my sick father.
To be honest,
when we came to the Americans, -
-I was scared and my heart was pounding-
-while we were driving slowly.
I thought that
This was my last hour.
We could have been
killed right then and there.
The soldiers looked into the car.
They saw me.
And an old man with glasses.
They waved us on.
We drove towards the Tigris.
It was
a very difficult situation.
It was the first time
we were so close to the Americans.
Then we went into the forest.
We sat down under a tree.
I made sure the planes
couldn't see us from the air.
He shouted at me:
"Come, sit with me."
I was scared.
Naturally enough in this situation.
I sat down.
He said:
"You know I'm a bomb, right?"
I replied, "Yes, sir. I know that."
He said, "If I explode,
"I will kill you and your family."
"I know," I replied.
I said, "You were the one who chose us."
"What happens, happens."
In reality So I had no choice.
Saddam is sitting here, next to me, -
-and the Americans are looking for him.
What can I do?
I had no choice.
I had to do it.
Every day we heard that someone had
been caught, bodyguards, supporters.
We heard that the Americans
collected intelligence.
For the Americans
was to capture Saddam Hussein, -
-they had to find those
who were close to him.
The Americans had information
that his main supporters-
-var in Tikrit, Al-Awja
and the surrounding areas.
But Saddam was on the other side.
Al-Door is on
the other side of the river.
They must have driven at least 50 km around
to get a hold of us.
In May there was no one in the world
who knew where Saddam was-
-with the exception of seven people.
Some of my brothers
and some of his bodyguards.
I saw that he was thinking and writing.
He sat alone a lot.
We lived like this for ten days.
Then we decided to go back.
The first 15 meters of the road
was muddy.
I said, "Lord, you're not coming
"Over here, jump on my back."
I bent down,
and he climbed onto my back.
It wasn't easy to carry him,
it was very heavy.
When we came over, he laughed.
When we returned from the island, -
-we saw the Americans.
We had to hide.
Because the soldiers were approaching.
They were approaching.
They are only ten meters from us.
I saw that he got
an intense expression in the eyes.
The Americans could not pass
without us doing anything.
He raised his weapon against them.
To shoot.
I grabbed his arm without thinking.
And lowered his weapon.
He looked at me with a threatening look.
The American soldiers
passes us and disappears.
Saddam is going back and forth.
I ask myself:
"What have I done?"
How could I do this?
Against him? I was starting to get scared.
I asked myself:
"Do you know who Saddam Hussein is?"
The president is a mythical figure.
No one can know
what he feels or thinks.
When he meets a person
for the first time, -
-he looks them straight in the eye.
He reads you like an open book.
He knows what you're going to think,
even in a hundred years.
He never took any chances.
You could never know.
When Saddam took up his weapon.
Therefore, we lived
in fear and were afraid.
I lived with him, -
-and couldn't put a question mark
by something he decided on.
We were never told
that he was a dictator, -
-killed Kurds with chemical weapons
and persecuted Shia Muslims.
That news never reached us.
We lived a simple life
in a small place, -
-with limited access to media.
We only had one TV channel.
We just found out
that the president was perfect.
He lived in palaces
and lived a life of luxury.
He had the army and the bodyguards.
But all this is in the past.
Now he lives with a farmer
on a small farm, -
-while 150,000 American soldiers
looking for him.
It seemed unbearable to him.
To live this way.
American soldiers
could take us at any time.
I thought a lot about what we didn't know
how long he was going to stay.
Saddam himself didn't even know what
What would happen if he were to leave?
I felt insecure and thought a lot.
What is going to happen?
What if he gets caught at my house?
I thought about my family,
my brothers.
We tried to be careful
so we weren't seen.
Because my relatives
operated the neighboring farms.
Me and my uncles
cultivated the land together.
We sat together,
We had a lot in common.
Should we hide Saddam from
The Americans? From my relatives?
It is easy to spot a stranger, -
-because everyone knows everyone,
and what they own.
I suggested to him
that we stayed on the farm.
It's getting heavy. The temperature
is rising, It's getting warmer.
He agreed.
"Let's look at the farm."
I also suggested that we could
arrange something for crisis situations.
Like a hole.
- Come on.
- Move in!
Come out!
Get out of the way!
There's one over here.
Out!
When the Americans stormed a farm,
or anywhere, -
-lighten them up
the usual hiding places.
We've seen how they work.
Saddam asked where I wanted to dig.
I said, "Right inside the gate."
I built a wall of palm leaves
front and side of the yard.
I started digging
in the shape of the letter T.
Because I wanted it to endure.
A Hummer or a tank.
I used bricks and wood.
I didn't use anything metal.
I placed a plastic breathing tube
under a palm tree.
Then I placed a fan against
another pipe that went up to the roof.
Because the times we saw
Americans are looking for someone, -
-they had dogs with them everywhere.
That's why I thought about all this.
I built the hatch to the hole
into the flower bed.
I used a Styrofoam box, -
-buried it down
and planted some flowers in it.
Same type
as in the rest of the flower bed.
Because American
soldiers don't will
believe that the hatch
is in the flower bed.
I said, "Let's try it."
I went in, and he followed.
I asked my brothers
to close the hatch properly.
We sat there for 5-10 minutes for
to check that the ventilation is working.
The hole was
the first part of the plan.
The next part of the plan
was to turn Saddam into a peasant.
We collected some animals,
cows, sheep, chickens.
We made a kitchen.
We got a stove.
And kitchen utensils.
We made a room for him.
The president was a little calmer,
more satisfied.
He asked me to
to pick up Muhammad Ibrahim.
There is Muhammad Ibrahim
a close relative of the president.
He was a general
in Saddam's security forces.
He was the link between
authorities, army and intelligence.
An important figure in the resistance
movement who knows where the money is.
Muhammad Ibrahim was everything.
Men Muhammad Ibrahim
had a problem.
During the presidency
last TV appearance, in Adhamiyaha, -
-he stood on the roof of the car
together with the president.
They talked for about an hour.
They talked about how to collect
forces for the resistance movement.
How they should
finance the resistance movement.
At the end of June, the president began
to receive good news.
The resistance against the Americans
had been strengthened.
And Muhammad Ibrahim
began to rebuild the army.
The days became calmer.
But at the beginning of July
All hell broke loose.
I hereby promise
a $25 million bounty-
-for information leading to
the capture of Saddam Hussein, -
-and 15 million dollars for information
which leads to the arrest of the sons.
This 25 million dollars
changed everything.
Previously we had only been afraid
for American soldiers,
-but now we were afraid of all of Iraq.
We didn't trust anyone,
not even the closest ones.
We are farmers
with our own traditions.
We can take care of our guests,
Give them respect and security.
I didn't even imagine
the idea of selling him.
It never occurred to me.
We were interested in finding out how
we were supposed to hide and defend him.
Are you giving me the choice between
Saddam Hussein and the Americans, -
-then I choose Saddam Hussein.
I agree with him that we must
defend ourselves against the Americans.
We have no choice,
We must fight the Americans.
Since then, Iraq has become hell.
One day when we had sat down, -
-one of my brothers came running.
"The Americans are coming towards us!"
We saw them coming from the Tigris River
and up the main road.
We got Saddam down in the hole quickly.
And the entrance cover.
- It looks fine.
- Sure.
We served them cookies and Pepsi.
We welcomed them. and asked
if they wanted to stay for dinner.
We managed to divert them.
After they had left,
We opened the hatch to the hole.
We told the president that we
had had the Americans as guests.
He laughed with us.
He asked me to slaughter
and prepare a sheep.
I said, "What's going on, President?"
You look happy."
"Today I have a visitor."
"I am happy because
"I get to see my children today."
He hadn't seen them.
Since the fall of Baghdad.
The sons came together with
Muhammad Ibrahim.
They hugged, they cried.
I cried with them.
They had not imagined that Their
father lived in such miserable conditions.
The president asked me to serve the food.
I said he had made it,
so he should serve it too.
They have it.
I served the food.
They talked about
the resistance movement.
He told his sons
what he had done.
When the visit was over, He was
standing by the kitchen in the backyard.
He looked very sad.
He said, "I believe
I'll never see them again."
I asked why,
He was so happy to meet them.
He said, "I know this
"That was the last time I saw them."
Sergeant,
We are 500 meters north of the target.
Make sure the rockets
hits the building.
On July 22nd I left
to visit a friend.
I saw on TV that
Uday and Qusay had been killed.
They showed pictures of them on the screen.
I went out of the house.
The feelings and thoughts, I didn't know
How should I tell him?
It's not easy to tell him.
That the sons have been killed.
I went back to the farm.
When I arrived, he wasn't there.
I asked my brothers where he was.
They said that Muhammad Ibrahim
and his brother had picked him up.
I was alone.
I finally came back.
To my family and my children.
I had three children.
And another one on the way.
My family knew I had
a guest, but not who it was.
I never forgot what the president said
that he was a ticking bomb.
It's true,
He is a ticking time bomb.
When I saw the children sleeping, I thought
I wondered what the future would bring.
Their future is uncertain,
because I could be killed at any time.
And they knew nothing about this.
It was hard when I saw them sleeping,
when they talked to me and smiled.
But my thoughts
just kept spinning.
Because I was thinking about the future.
What is going to happen?
He returned to the farm
after five days.
We hugged each other,
and I condoled.
He cried.
When I saw him cry,
I also started crying.
He said, "Since my sons are dead,
"You are now my son."
Saddam went to his relatives
several times.
But no one was able to take care of him.
Because 150,000 American soldiers
were looking for him.
No one could let him in,
not even for one night.
He knew that
no one would let him in.
None in all of Iraq.
He sat and mourned for three days.
He sat and thought.
When he returned, he decided
He decided to stay on the farm with us.
I said, "Lord,
"You're one of us, you can live here."
He looked very tired.
I didn't think he would make it.
To continue after the loss of their sons.
But he did.
He asked me to record a speech.
He wanted to show the Americans
that he was still alive.
He wanted to stir up the fight, -
-and he fought against the Americans.
When the speech is released,
They might want to analyze the sounds.
Maybe it was raised on a farm?
Maybe in a city or a desert?
We even thought about the insect sounds.
We started. I started the tape
before he started talking.
When he finished his speech,
I said he could listen to it.
I rewinded.
He was satisfied.
He thought it was a brilliant idea.
When you heard his speech,
Did you hear cars and honking?
It is believed to have been taken up in
an office building or an apartment.
That means he is in a city,
not in the countryside.
Correspondence from June 14, 2003.
I've heard what the Iraqis
says or whispers.
Why we didn't hear
Saddam Hussein's voice for a long time?
Everyone out!
Calm down, clap again!
Come on!
- Get up!
- Speed up!
Outside, come on.
Come on! Now!
There were some intense battles.
Why? Please.
On the one hand, the Americans were
even more determined to find Saddam.
The hunt began, and
they searched everywhere.
This hunt left
even greater pressure on us.
I made a suggestion to him.
Let's get out of here.
Hamrinfjellet is a large area.
It was difficult to survive there.
It was extremely hot.
We became closer, as friends.
I could discuss with him.
And make suggestions.
It became completely normal.
I asked him
What did the Americans want with Iraq?
Why have they invaded?
And destroyed the country?
He said:
"They want the oil first and foremost."
"In addition, they have said that
"I have weapons of mass destruction."
"The Americans
"I know we don't have it."
"The target was the oil,
and the invasion was already decided."
His blood pressure went up and down a lot.
It was extremely hot,
and we had been here for two weeks.
We went back to the farm.
I went to Baghdad hospital.
I asked to learn
to measure blood pressure, -
-inject syringes
and general first aid.
I had to learn it.
Where would we go if he got sick?
I saw him washing himself.
In the bathtub I had filled for him.
He washed himself.
With soap and a scrub.
I walked towards him.
I said, "Can I wash your back?"
"It hasn't been washed in a long time."
He gave me the scrub.
I start scrubbing his back.
While he sits in the water.
When I touch him,
I feel like he's one of us.
I finished.
By washing him.
He said, "Swap places with me."
"I want to wash your back too."
I said, "That's not necessary."
He said, "No, you have to take my place."
He washes and scrubs my back.
It was very special.
He looked upon us as his children,
his friends. We were all he had.
We also felt like he was one of us.
He asked me to get the cigars.
He started smoking again.
Everything started to fall into place.
The situation was good.
He was happy because
He kept getting good news.
He waits for to live this way.
When you saw him, you didn't think that
he had lived in the presidential palace.
I gave the president a newspaper, and there
was a picture of him on the front page.
It said that whoever found him,
would receive $25 million.
It was a fun conversation.
Between us.
He laughed and asked:
"Are you going to sell me?"
I replied, "President, I
"I'll wait a bit until the price goes up."
We had a close and good relationship.
I came up with a suggestion.
If he wanted to get married,
find a wife, it was fine for us.
In Arab culture
You can't live without a woman.
The problem is how
you find a wife-
-to someone who is being hunted
of 150,000 American soldiers.
It's not easy.
To be honest, I am
Saddam Hussein's personal games.
I am Saddam Hussein's hairdresser.
I'm his bodyguard.
I am Saddam Hussein's private driver.
Saddam Hussein's chef, that's me.
He couldn't do it.
Anything without me.
The president asked me to pick up
Muhammad Ibrahim, so I did it.
Saddam sat down with him.
He wanted to get in touch
with the leader of the resistance movement.
He worked more intensively with to manage
the resistance against the Americans.
He spent all his time
on planning.
He wrote letters all the time.
He was happy and content, he felt that they
were on their way to winning the match.
The Iraqis felt that the Americans
hadn't done anything for them.
What is going to happen to Iraq?
Where is Saddam?
People were furious.
He decided
to form a new government.
It was difficult for the Americans
to show off in the streets.
They stayed in their bases.
The fight against the Americans
increased in strength.
Come in!
Watch out!
I had expectations that he would
would quickly return to power.
When it happened,
I was to be his right hand.
It will be October.
The Americans understood that
If this pressure continues,
-had the American soldiers
capitulate.
That was why
they started with bribes.
To obtain intelligence information
about the resistance movement, etc.
American soldiers
hunted wildly for Saddam Hussein.
They were everywhere.
Come out!
Why don't you kill us?
Turn off the cameras.
Many were arrested, they stormed houses.
- What is your name?
- Suhaib.
They were everywhere.
I became scared and worried.
One of Muhammad Ibrahim's brothers
was taken.
He was tortured.
The Americans would
that he should keep quiet about Saddam.
But he didn't know where Saddam was.
I was thinking about
how Muhammad Ibrahim-
-was seen together with
Saddam Hussein in the latest video.
I suggested
that he would be replaced.
This is Muhammad Ibrahim,
Saddam said, "Don't come here again."
He was of course upset, but he
respected the president's decision.
November came, it got colder.
It started to rain.
The kitchen and the bedroom
was not built for winter.
The kitchen ceiling was made of
corrugated iron. When it rains, it leaks.
When winter came,
It became difficult to live there.
In mid-November
Muhammad Ibrahim came to the farm.
I saw that he was stressed.
He brought a letter with him.
He asked me where the president was.
I said he was in his room.
After a few minutes-
-I heard them raise their voices
and the atmosphere was tense.
I was shocked. It was the first time
I heard the president shout.
Muhammad Ibrahim too.
I was shocked.
They continued like that for 15 minutes.
Muhammad Ibrahim came towards me.
He was upset.
He said: "This has been
going on for a very long time."
"We've been living like this for a year."
"Make him sign."
I asked what happened then.
He replied, "If he signs,
"We'll be back in power tomorrow."
This was
something I would also like.
I was hoping everything would be okay.
So we were done with this.
I have no influence on this.
I asked him to calm down.
"You can try again."
when the president calms down."
He said, "No, I can't
talk to the president more."
I said, "Listen, my brother.
I am not a politician."
"You know the president is my guest."
"You know I'm a farmer."
"My job is to hide him
from the Americans."
"I know nothing about politics.
I can't say this."
He stood with me.
For at least 15 minutes.
Then he got in the car and disappeared.
Later we went to the Tigris River.
I saw him burn the letter.
And throw the ashes into the river.
He said: "In this letter they want that
"I'm going to negotiate to give them Iraq."
"I would rather die
before I give Iraq to the Americans."
After the president received the letter,
He changed a lot.
I saw that he was very worried.
He was always angry.
He always wanted to be alone.
He always withdrew
back to his room, alone.
He let his beard grow and cared
no longer about appearance.
We could barely talk to him.
That's why we tried
to keep us in the background.
He asked me to come to him,
and I came.
"What can I do for you?"
He said, "I want
"You'll find a new place."
I said, "What's going on?"
"We need to find a new place quickly."
A lot has changed.
At the beginning of December.
It's me.
We saw that it was
Lots of military activity in the area.
Helicopters in the air,
a lot of military movement on the ground.
We understood that something was wrong.
In the afternoon
I went to see my family.
My son was sick.
And had been to the hospital.
I didn't have
had time to visit him.
I met my son and my family
for just five minutes.
After sunset I left
back to the president on the farm.
As I got closer to him, -
-I saw that he was angry and he shouted:
"Why are you so late?"
"Don't you understand?
The seriousness of the situation?"
He knows very well
What I've been through.
I haven't slept well.
In eight months.
My head was constantly working,
I could be killed at any time.
I kept the Americans away.
I thought about all this.
I am also a human being.
Who has feelings.
He stood close to me and said:
"Don't be sad."
I said, "Lord, don't think about it,
"It'll be okay."
"I'll cook you a meal," he said.
I replied, "No, thank you."
I don't want any food."
But he said:
"No, I'll cook for you."
At the same time we heard
some sounds from heaven.
I walked out of the kitchen.
And looked up at the sky.
I saw satellites in the sky.
"Let's go."
While we were talking,
My brother came running.
He said, "The lights from the Lobsters
coming closer to your area."
When I opened the door,
It was American lobsters everywhere.
There were helicopters in the sky.
I realized that we had
been surrounded without us noticing.
I locked the back door.
And went back to the president.
I said, "The area is surrounded."
I said:
"You have to hurry down the hole."
While I was closing the hatch...
I saw the laser dots.
From the soldiers' weapons on my chest.
They shouted something in English.
Which I didn't understand.
They put me on the ground, put on handcuffs
and tore my clothes off.
They brought an Iraqi
interpreter with them.
They immediately asked:
"Where is Saddam? Where is the hole?"
When I heard them say "hole", -
-I knew that someone
had given them that information.
The captain repeated, "Where is the hole?"
I said, "I don't know."
"We have nothing!"
"We are a family of farmers
with sheep and cows we have to look after."
"Where is the hole? Where is Saddam?"
They hit me in the head.
With the butt of the weapon.
They pulled a black hood
over my head and laced it up again.
Where is Saddam?
The hood was filled with blood.
I started to lose consciousness.
The same thing again: "Where is the hole?"
I said, "We have a hole."
The captain said, "Show us the way."
I answered yes.
I went first,
and we went into the forest.
The word "hole"
can mean several things to us.
There was a place in the forest
with a slope.
In our language
We can also call this a hole.
When we arrived, they asked:
Where is the hole? Here, I said.
Where is Saddam? Here?
The captain said, "Are you kidding us?"
I said, "Here's the hole."
As soon as I said it,
They started beating me again.
Where is Saddam?
They brought two large dogs with them.
Tell the truth, you asshole!
I felt the teeth
penetrate the skin.
One up and one in the leg
who pulled in different directions.
The captain told the dogs to stop.
He said:
"Take us back to where we came from."
The Americans were also afraid.
They believed that many of
Saddam's bodyguards could be here.
We came back
to outside the kitchen.
They said, "You are lying to us."
Then they started beating me again.
Again they pulled a hood over
my head and pulled it tight again.
They saw that I couldn't breathe,
then they opened the hood again.
Find a shovel and start digging.
He must be here somewhere.
I saw that American soldiers
started digging everywhere.
When I saw it, I realized
that they knew about this place.
The captain speaks as they dig:
"Why don't you tell the truth?"
I replied, "What truth?
You are in the wrong place."
"There are several similar farms
nearby."
He replied, "No!"
"You have the hole,
and you have Saddam Hussein."
I said:
These are your words, you are wrong.
They place me against the wall,
The hole is behind me.
I heard someone say "Alaa, Alaa!"
It came from the side.
I lift my head and turn around, -
-and there I see Muhammad Ibrahim!
When I saw him,
I realized it was over.
I thought that
Now I will be killed immediately.
He said:
"My brother Alaa, where is uncle?"
I answered without thinking:
"This morning your brother Salwan took
him to Samarra."
The captain said, "Where in Samarra?"
I said, "I don't know."
"Muhammad Ibrahim's brother took him
to Samarra. I don't know where."
Where is Saddam?
The captain took a shovel
and gave it to Muhammad Ibrahim.
Everyone is looking at Muhammad Ibrahim
to see what happens.
After the first sod
The hatch begins to shake.
Get out of the way! Dig!
"Saddam! Saddam!"
while they open the hatch.
"Who's down there?"
The interpreter also shouts.
He replied immediately:
"I am Saddam Hussein."
Immediately
They throw smoke bombs down the hole.
The president can't breathe.
Because of all the smoke.
I saw him choking.
He couldn't breathe,
he needed air.
They dragged him out immediately.
After he was able to catch his breath...
Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!
Here you see a brief glimpse of
The hole where Saddam Hussein was found.
This is Saddam underneath
today's medical examination.
Death to Saddam!
Abu Ghraib is a large prison.
Some parts are secret,
no one knows about them.
The other day they took me
out of the cell and into the hallway.
I don't remember if we were
three or four, but there were more.
They took off our handcuffs.
And dressed us naked.
We had nothing on us,
just the caps over their heads.
They made fun of us and played with us.
Us, as if we were not human.
It was inhumane treatment,
even an animal is treated better.
At the same time, they tortured us
in the worst possible way.
After a while
this place was discovered.
Committee members, lately
there has been much discussion-
-about who is responsible
for the atrocities at Abu Ghraib.
What happened to
the Iraqi prisoners, was cruel.
After a while, I was questioned again.
They understood that I was
a farmer who knew nothing.
After seven months they decided
to set me free.
When I got home...
I never thought I would see
my family again, my mother and father.
I am responsible for what I say,
towards God and the constitution.
What has happened is behind us.
I hope that we
have learned something from the past.
Someone might be looking at the president
Saddam Hussein as a dictator, -
-but I lived with him for 235 days
and sees him as a friend.
It's not easy.
To hide a person.
It's as if
You will be placed in a chair.
Your hands are tied,
You are blindfolded.
You get a rope around your neck,
and it is attached to a tree.
That which takes your life,
is not that you will be hanged, -
-but that you will be abandoned.
So...
Are you taking your own life?
Why?
Or are you waiting for someone to save you?
Imagine if no one comes.
What do you do then?
I lived like that for 235 days.
When the President of Iraq
Saddam Hussein was my guest.
Here you see a brief glimpse of
The hole where Saddam Hussein was found.
This is Saddam underneath
today's medical examination.
Death to Saddam!
Saddam Hussein and his sons
must leave Iraq within 48 hours.
HE hid SADDAM HUSSEIN
SCREEN MEDIA Borge Johnsen
My father gave me the name Alaa.
And he found a wife for me.
We lived off what the earth gave us.
My father taught me to fish.
And he taught me
How to hide while hunting.
I felt like a big boy.
Who started school.
Who understands that he is an Iraqi.
We followed the news.
While the Americans took Baghdad.
Everyone was scared.
It's early in the morning.
Someone wakes me up.
"Wake up, we have to hurry."
It was my older brother Qais.
I saw in his eyes that he was scared.
I asked what happened.
He said we had guests.
I asked who it was.
He said, "Come, you will
"You'll understand it when you see it."
I stayed with him.
It is about 700 meters
between my house and my brother's.
None of us said anything.
On the way to him.
Because my brother was silent.
When I opened the gate,
I saw three men in the courtyard.
They were dressed in civilian clothes.
With weapons in their belts.
I asked my brother, "Who are they?"
He said, "Go up to the second floor,
"Then you will know."
I went up to the second floor.
When I open the door,
The president is standing in front of me.
My heart is pounding,
and I get a little scared.
"Do you recognize me?"
I replied, "Yes, I do."
He stretched out his hand.
He said:
"Your brother has told me about you."
"That you are a good hunter
who knows the terrain here well."
I couldn't control myself.
I cried.
He patted me on the shoulder.
And encouraged me.
He said, "The Americans are approaching,
Do you know of a place we can hide?"
At that moment
It didn't occur to me...
-that 150,000 soldiers
were looking for him.
Al-Door er
a small town on the Tigris River.
He sent off
two of his bodyguards.
The third guard sat in the back
together with my brother.
When we arrived,
My brother drove the car back.
We went into the forest.
I brought blankets.
And a mattress he could sit on.
I made a bed under a tree
so he was not visible from the air.
He said, "Sit down with me."
I sat down.
He said, "You know
"Why did I come to you?"
I said, "No, sir."
"When I fell asleep out on the road,
I dreamed that someone asked me to...
-"to go to Al-Door"
and the Namuqi family."
As he says this, I think:
"Is this possible?"
What is going to happen?"
I was scared.
I made up his bed.
He lay down.
He fell asleep immediately.
I thought, "How
"Is it possible to fall asleep so quickly?"
With everything happening around us,
with the Americans.
He sleeps as if
nothing had happened.
I was standing 100 meters away.
To keep watch.
I couldn't believe it was true.
That this was Saddam Hussein.
Who?
It was unbelievable.
He woke up at 6:00 AM.
My brother picked us up in his car.
We went to my brother's house.
And ate breakfast.
Saddam's people came back with a car.
He thanked us and said, "I'm leaving."
He got in the car, and they left.
I couldn't sleep.
Imagine if the Americans found out
that Saddam Hussein has been with me.
What is going to happen?
But at the same time, -
-imagine if Saddam Hussein doesn't want
that someone should know about my house?
I was very nervous.
I was thinking about
my family and my children.
I had the feeling
that something was going to happen, -
-and my gut feeling was right.
Because the morning after
my older brother Qais returned.
He said that the president
come back before sunrise.
The problem was that we
didn't know what he was thinking.
We knew nothing about him, -
-what he was really thinking,
and why he came back.
In our Arab culture
We never ask a guest...
-about how long he will stay.
And if the guest is Saddam Hussein...
My brother came in the afternoon.
He said, "The Americans
have taken the city."
We could hear the helicopters.
Which circled over the city.
I run to the president:
"The Americans have come to town."
We quickly gathered his things.
And got us in the car.
He asked, "Where are we going?"
I replied: "Against the Americans."
Because it is
the only way to the Tigris.
I asked him to
to put on some glasses.
I asked him to play sick,
so I could say he was my sick father.
To be honest,
when we came to the Americans, -
-I was scared and my heart was pounding-
-while we were driving slowly.
I thought that
This was my last hour.
We could have been
killed right then and there.
The soldiers looked into the car.
They saw me.
And an old man with glasses.
They waved us on.
We drove towards the Tigris.
It was
a very difficult situation.
It was the first time
we were so close to the Americans.
Then we went into the forest.
We sat down under a tree.
I made sure the planes
couldn't see us from the air.
He shouted at me:
"Come, sit with me."
I was scared.
Naturally enough in this situation.
I sat down.
He said:
"You know I'm a bomb, right?"
I replied, "Yes, sir. I know that."
He said, "If I explode,
"I will kill you and your family."
"I know," I replied.
I said, "You were the one who chose us."
"What happens, happens."
In reality So I had no choice.
Saddam is sitting here, next to me, -
-and the Americans are looking for him.
What can I do?
I had no choice.
I had to do it.
Every day we heard that someone had
been caught, bodyguards, supporters.
We heard that the Americans
collected intelligence.
For the Americans
was to capture Saddam Hussein, -
-they had to find those
who were close to him.
The Americans had information
that his main supporters-
-var in Tikrit, Al-Awja
and the surrounding areas.
But Saddam was on the other side.
Al-Door is on
the other side of the river.
They must have driven at least 50 km around
to get a hold of us.
In May there was no one in the world
who knew where Saddam was-
-with the exception of seven people.
Some of my brothers
and some of his bodyguards.
I saw that he was thinking and writing.
He sat alone a lot.
We lived like this for ten days.
Then we decided to go back.
The first 15 meters of the road
was muddy.
I said, "Lord, you're not coming
"Over here, jump on my back."
I bent down,
and he climbed onto my back.
It wasn't easy to carry him,
it was very heavy.
When we came over, he laughed.
When we returned from the island, -
-we saw the Americans.
We had to hide.
Because the soldiers were approaching.
They were approaching.
They are only ten meters from us.
I saw that he got
an intense expression in the eyes.
The Americans could not pass
without us doing anything.
He raised his weapon against them.
To shoot.
I grabbed his arm without thinking.
And lowered his weapon.
He looked at me with a threatening look.
The American soldiers
passes us and disappears.
Saddam is going back and forth.
I ask myself:
"What have I done?"
How could I do this?
Against him? I was starting to get scared.
I asked myself:
"Do you know who Saddam Hussein is?"
The president is a mythical figure.
No one can know
what he feels or thinks.
When he meets a person
for the first time, -
-he looks them straight in the eye.
He reads you like an open book.
He knows what you're going to think,
even in a hundred years.
He never took any chances.
You could never know.
When Saddam took up his weapon.
Therefore, we lived
in fear and were afraid.
I lived with him, -
-and couldn't put a question mark
by something he decided on.
We were never told
that he was a dictator, -
-killed Kurds with chemical weapons
and persecuted Shia Muslims.
That news never reached us.
We lived a simple life
in a small place, -
-with limited access to media.
We only had one TV channel.
We just found out
that the president was perfect.
He lived in palaces
and lived a life of luxury.
He had the army and the bodyguards.
But all this is in the past.
Now he lives with a farmer
on a small farm, -
-while 150,000 American soldiers
looking for him.
It seemed unbearable to him.
To live this way.
American soldiers
could take us at any time.
I thought a lot about what we didn't know
how long he was going to stay.
Saddam himself didn't even know what
What would happen if he were to leave?
I felt insecure and thought a lot.
What is going to happen?
What if he gets caught at my house?
I thought about my family,
my brothers.
We tried to be careful
so we weren't seen.
Because my relatives
operated the neighboring farms.
Me and my uncles
cultivated the land together.
We sat together,
We had a lot in common.
Should we hide Saddam from
The Americans? From my relatives?
It is easy to spot a stranger, -
-because everyone knows everyone,
and what they own.
I suggested to him
that we stayed on the farm.
It's getting heavy. The temperature
is rising, It's getting warmer.
He agreed.
"Let's look at the farm."
I also suggested that we could
arrange something for crisis situations.
Like a hole.
- Come on.
- Move in!
Come out!
Get out of the way!
There's one over here.
Out!
When the Americans stormed a farm,
or anywhere, -
-lighten them up
the usual hiding places.
We've seen how they work.
Saddam asked where I wanted to dig.
I said, "Right inside the gate."
I built a wall of palm leaves
front and side of the yard.
I started digging
in the shape of the letter T.
Because I wanted it to endure.
A Hummer or a tank.
I used bricks and wood.
I didn't use anything metal.
I placed a plastic breathing tube
under a palm tree.
Then I placed a fan against
another pipe that went up to the roof.
Because the times we saw
Americans are looking for someone, -
-they had dogs with them everywhere.
That's why I thought about all this.
I built the hatch to the hole
into the flower bed.
I used a Styrofoam box, -
-buried it down
and planted some flowers in it.
Same type
as in the rest of the flower bed.
Because American
soldiers don't will
believe that the hatch
is in the flower bed.
I said, "Let's try it."
I went in, and he followed.
I asked my brothers
to close the hatch properly.
We sat there for 5-10 minutes for
to check that the ventilation is working.
The hole was
the first part of the plan.
The next part of the plan
was to turn Saddam into a peasant.
We collected some animals,
cows, sheep, chickens.
We made a kitchen.
We got a stove.
And kitchen utensils.
We made a room for him.
The president was a little calmer,
more satisfied.
He asked me to
to pick up Muhammad Ibrahim.
There is Muhammad Ibrahim
a close relative of the president.
He was a general
in Saddam's security forces.
He was the link between
authorities, army and intelligence.
An important figure in the resistance
movement who knows where the money is.
Muhammad Ibrahim was everything.
Men Muhammad Ibrahim
had a problem.
During the presidency
last TV appearance, in Adhamiyaha, -
-he stood on the roof of the car
together with the president.
They talked for about an hour.
They talked about how to collect
forces for the resistance movement.
How they should
finance the resistance movement.
At the end of June, the president began
to receive good news.
The resistance against the Americans
had been strengthened.
And Muhammad Ibrahim
began to rebuild the army.
The days became calmer.
But at the beginning of July
All hell broke loose.
I hereby promise
a $25 million bounty-
-for information leading to
the capture of Saddam Hussein, -
-and 15 million dollars for information
which leads to the arrest of the sons.
This 25 million dollars
changed everything.
Previously we had only been afraid
for American soldiers,
-but now we were afraid of all of Iraq.
We didn't trust anyone,
not even the closest ones.
We are farmers
with our own traditions.
We can take care of our guests,
Give them respect and security.
I didn't even imagine
the idea of selling him.
It never occurred to me.
We were interested in finding out how
we were supposed to hide and defend him.
Are you giving me the choice between
Saddam Hussein and the Americans, -
-then I choose Saddam Hussein.
I agree with him that we must
defend ourselves against the Americans.
We have no choice,
We must fight the Americans.
Since then, Iraq has become hell.
One day when we had sat down, -
-one of my brothers came running.
"The Americans are coming towards us!"
We saw them coming from the Tigris River
and up the main road.
We got Saddam down in the hole quickly.
And the entrance cover.
- It looks fine.
- Sure.
We served them cookies and Pepsi.
We welcomed them. and asked
if they wanted to stay for dinner.
We managed to divert them.
After they had left,
We opened the hatch to the hole.
We told the president that we
had had the Americans as guests.
He laughed with us.
He asked me to slaughter
and prepare a sheep.
I said, "What's going on, President?"
You look happy."
"Today I have a visitor."
"I am happy because
"I get to see my children today."
He hadn't seen them.
Since the fall of Baghdad.
The sons came together with
Muhammad Ibrahim.
They hugged, they cried.
I cried with them.
They had not imagined that Their
father lived in such miserable conditions.
The president asked me to serve the food.
I said he had made it,
so he should serve it too.
They have it.
I served the food.
They talked about
the resistance movement.
He told his sons
what he had done.
When the visit was over, He was
standing by the kitchen in the backyard.
He looked very sad.
He said, "I believe
I'll never see them again."
I asked why,
He was so happy to meet them.
He said, "I know this
"That was the last time I saw them."
Sergeant,
We are 500 meters north of the target.
Make sure the rockets
hits the building.
On July 22nd I left
to visit a friend.
I saw on TV that
Uday and Qusay had been killed.
They showed pictures of them on the screen.
I went out of the house.
The feelings and thoughts, I didn't know
How should I tell him?
It's not easy to tell him.
That the sons have been killed.
I went back to the farm.
When I arrived, he wasn't there.
I asked my brothers where he was.
They said that Muhammad Ibrahim
and his brother had picked him up.
I was alone.
I finally came back.
To my family and my children.
I had three children.
And another one on the way.
My family knew I had
a guest, but not who it was.
I never forgot what the president said
that he was a ticking bomb.
It's true,
He is a ticking time bomb.
When I saw the children sleeping, I thought
I wondered what the future would bring.
Their future is uncertain,
because I could be killed at any time.
And they knew nothing about this.
It was hard when I saw them sleeping,
when they talked to me and smiled.
But my thoughts
just kept spinning.
Because I was thinking about the future.
What is going to happen?
He returned to the farm
after five days.
We hugged each other,
and I condoled.
He cried.
When I saw him cry,
I also started crying.
He said, "Since my sons are dead,
"You are now my son."
Saddam went to his relatives
several times.
But no one was able to take care of him.
Because 150,000 American soldiers
were looking for him.
No one could let him in,
not even for one night.
He knew that
no one would let him in.
None in all of Iraq.
He sat and mourned for three days.
He sat and thought.
When he returned, he decided
He decided to stay on the farm with us.
I said, "Lord,
"You're one of us, you can live here."
He looked very tired.
I didn't think he would make it.
To continue after the loss of their sons.
But he did.
He asked me to record a speech.
He wanted to show the Americans
that he was still alive.
He wanted to stir up the fight, -
-and he fought against the Americans.
When the speech is released,
They might want to analyze the sounds.
Maybe it was raised on a farm?
Maybe in a city or a desert?
We even thought about the insect sounds.
We started. I started the tape
before he started talking.
When he finished his speech,
I said he could listen to it.
I rewinded.
He was satisfied.
He thought it was a brilliant idea.
When you heard his speech,
Did you hear cars and honking?
It is believed to have been taken up in
an office building or an apartment.
That means he is in a city,
not in the countryside.
Correspondence from June 14, 2003.
I've heard what the Iraqis
says or whispers.
Why we didn't hear
Saddam Hussein's voice for a long time?
Everyone out!
Calm down, clap again!
Come on!
- Get up!
- Speed up!
Outside, come on.
Come on! Now!
There were some intense battles.
Why? Please.
On the one hand, the Americans were
even more determined to find Saddam.
The hunt began, and
they searched everywhere.
This hunt left
even greater pressure on us.
I made a suggestion to him.
Let's get out of here.
Hamrinfjellet is a large area.
It was difficult to survive there.
It was extremely hot.
We became closer, as friends.
I could discuss with him.
And make suggestions.
It became completely normal.
I asked him
What did the Americans want with Iraq?
Why have they invaded?
And destroyed the country?
He said:
"They want the oil first and foremost."
"In addition, they have said that
"I have weapons of mass destruction."
"The Americans
"I know we don't have it."
"The target was the oil,
and the invasion was already decided."
His blood pressure went up and down a lot.
It was extremely hot,
and we had been here for two weeks.
We went back to the farm.
I went to Baghdad hospital.
I asked to learn
to measure blood pressure, -
-inject syringes
and general first aid.
I had to learn it.
Where would we go if he got sick?
I saw him washing himself.
In the bathtub I had filled for him.
He washed himself.
With soap and a scrub.
I walked towards him.
I said, "Can I wash your back?"
"It hasn't been washed in a long time."
He gave me the scrub.
I start scrubbing his back.
While he sits in the water.
When I touch him,
I feel like he's one of us.
I finished.
By washing him.
He said, "Swap places with me."
"I want to wash your back too."
I said, "That's not necessary."
He said, "No, you have to take my place."
He washes and scrubs my back.
It was very special.
He looked upon us as his children,
his friends. We were all he had.
We also felt like he was one of us.
He asked me to get the cigars.
He started smoking again.
Everything started to fall into place.
The situation was good.
He was happy because
He kept getting good news.
He waits for to live this way.
When you saw him, you didn't think that
he had lived in the presidential palace.
I gave the president a newspaper, and there
was a picture of him on the front page.
It said that whoever found him,
would receive $25 million.
It was a fun conversation.
Between us.
He laughed and asked:
"Are you going to sell me?"
I replied, "President, I
"I'll wait a bit until the price goes up."
We had a close and good relationship.
I came up with a suggestion.
If he wanted to get married,
find a wife, it was fine for us.
In Arab culture
You can't live without a woman.
The problem is how
you find a wife-
-to someone who is being hunted
of 150,000 American soldiers.
It's not easy.
To be honest, I am
Saddam Hussein's personal games.
I am Saddam Hussein's hairdresser.
I'm his bodyguard.
I am Saddam Hussein's private driver.
Saddam Hussein's chef, that's me.
He couldn't do it.
Anything without me.
The president asked me to pick up
Muhammad Ibrahim, so I did it.
Saddam sat down with him.
He wanted to get in touch
with the leader of the resistance movement.
He worked more intensively with to manage
the resistance against the Americans.
He spent all his time
on planning.
He wrote letters all the time.
He was happy and content, he felt that they
were on their way to winning the match.
The Iraqis felt that the Americans
hadn't done anything for them.
What is going to happen to Iraq?
Where is Saddam?
People were furious.
He decided
to form a new government.
It was difficult for the Americans
to show off in the streets.
They stayed in their bases.
The fight against the Americans
increased in strength.
Come in!
Watch out!
I had expectations that he would
would quickly return to power.
When it happened,
I was to be his right hand.
It will be October.
The Americans understood that
If this pressure continues,
-had the American soldiers
capitulate.
That was why
they started with bribes.
To obtain intelligence information
about the resistance movement, etc.
American soldiers
hunted wildly for Saddam Hussein.
They were everywhere.
Come out!
Why don't you kill us?
Turn off the cameras.
Many were arrested, they stormed houses.
- What is your name?
- Suhaib.
They were everywhere.
I became scared and worried.
One of Muhammad Ibrahim's brothers
was taken.
He was tortured.
The Americans would
that he should keep quiet about Saddam.
But he didn't know where Saddam was.
I was thinking about
how Muhammad Ibrahim-
-was seen together with
Saddam Hussein in the latest video.
I suggested
that he would be replaced.
This is Muhammad Ibrahim,
Saddam said, "Don't come here again."
He was of course upset, but he
respected the president's decision.
November came, it got colder.
It started to rain.
The kitchen and the bedroom
was not built for winter.
The kitchen ceiling was made of
corrugated iron. When it rains, it leaks.
When winter came,
It became difficult to live there.
In mid-November
Muhammad Ibrahim came to the farm.
I saw that he was stressed.
He brought a letter with him.
He asked me where the president was.
I said he was in his room.
After a few minutes-
-I heard them raise their voices
and the atmosphere was tense.
I was shocked. It was the first time
I heard the president shout.
Muhammad Ibrahim too.
I was shocked.
They continued like that for 15 minutes.
Muhammad Ibrahim came towards me.
He was upset.
He said: "This has been
going on for a very long time."
"We've been living like this for a year."
"Make him sign."
I asked what happened then.
He replied, "If he signs,
"We'll be back in power tomorrow."
This was
something I would also like.
I was hoping everything would be okay.
So we were done with this.
I have no influence on this.
I asked him to calm down.
"You can try again."
when the president calms down."
He said, "No, I can't
talk to the president more."
I said, "Listen, my brother.
I am not a politician."
"You know the president is my guest."
"You know I'm a farmer."
"My job is to hide him
from the Americans."
"I know nothing about politics.
I can't say this."
He stood with me.
For at least 15 minutes.
Then he got in the car and disappeared.
Later we went to the Tigris River.
I saw him burn the letter.
And throw the ashes into the river.
He said: "In this letter they want that
"I'm going to negotiate to give them Iraq."
"I would rather die
before I give Iraq to the Americans."
After the president received the letter,
He changed a lot.
I saw that he was very worried.
He was always angry.
He always wanted to be alone.
He always withdrew
back to his room, alone.
He let his beard grow and cared
no longer about appearance.
We could barely talk to him.
That's why we tried
to keep us in the background.
He asked me to come to him,
and I came.
"What can I do for you?"
He said, "I want
"You'll find a new place."
I said, "What's going on?"
"We need to find a new place quickly."
A lot has changed.
At the beginning of December.
It's me.
We saw that it was
Lots of military activity in the area.
Helicopters in the air,
a lot of military movement on the ground.
We understood that something was wrong.
In the afternoon
I went to see my family.
My son was sick.
And had been to the hospital.
I didn't have
had time to visit him.
I met my son and my family
for just five minutes.
After sunset I left
back to the president on the farm.
As I got closer to him, -
-I saw that he was angry and he shouted:
"Why are you so late?"
"Don't you understand?
The seriousness of the situation?"
He knows very well
What I've been through.
I haven't slept well.
In eight months.
My head was constantly working,
I could be killed at any time.
I kept the Americans away.
I thought about all this.
I am also a human being.
Who has feelings.
He stood close to me and said:
"Don't be sad."
I said, "Lord, don't think about it,
"It'll be okay."
"I'll cook you a meal," he said.
I replied, "No, thank you."
I don't want any food."
But he said:
"No, I'll cook for you."
At the same time we heard
some sounds from heaven.
I walked out of the kitchen.
And looked up at the sky.
I saw satellites in the sky.
"Let's go."
While we were talking,
My brother came running.
He said, "The lights from the Lobsters
coming closer to your area."
When I opened the door,
It was American lobsters everywhere.
There were helicopters in the sky.
I realized that we had
been surrounded without us noticing.
I locked the back door.
And went back to the president.
I said, "The area is surrounded."
I said:
"You have to hurry down the hole."
While I was closing the hatch...
I saw the laser dots.
From the soldiers' weapons on my chest.
They shouted something in English.
Which I didn't understand.
They put me on the ground, put on handcuffs
and tore my clothes off.
They brought an Iraqi
interpreter with them.
They immediately asked:
"Where is Saddam? Where is the hole?"
When I heard them say "hole", -
-I knew that someone
had given them that information.
The captain repeated, "Where is the hole?"
I said, "I don't know."
"We have nothing!"
"We are a family of farmers
with sheep and cows we have to look after."
"Where is the hole? Where is Saddam?"
They hit me in the head.
With the butt of the weapon.
They pulled a black hood
over my head and laced it up again.
Where is Saddam?
The hood was filled with blood.
I started to lose consciousness.
The same thing again: "Where is the hole?"
I said, "We have a hole."
The captain said, "Show us the way."
I answered yes.
I went first,
and we went into the forest.
The word "hole"
can mean several things to us.
There was a place in the forest
with a slope.
In our language
We can also call this a hole.
When we arrived, they asked:
Where is the hole? Here, I said.
Where is Saddam? Here?
The captain said, "Are you kidding us?"
I said, "Here's the hole."
As soon as I said it,
They started beating me again.
Where is Saddam?
They brought two large dogs with them.
Tell the truth, you asshole!
I felt the teeth
penetrate the skin.
One up and one in the leg
who pulled in different directions.
The captain told the dogs to stop.
He said:
"Take us back to where we came from."
The Americans were also afraid.
They believed that many of
Saddam's bodyguards could be here.
We came back
to outside the kitchen.
They said, "You are lying to us."
Then they started beating me again.
Again they pulled a hood over
my head and pulled it tight again.
They saw that I couldn't breathe,
then they opened the hood again.
Find a shovel and start digging.
He must be here somewhere.
I saw that American soldiers
started digging everywhere.
When I saw it, I realized
that they knew about this place.
The captain speaks as they dig:
"Why don't you tell the truth?"
I replied, "What truth?
You are in the wrong place."
"There are several similar farms
nearby."
He replied, "No!"
"You have the hole,
and you have Saddam Hussein."
I said:
These are your words, you are wrong.
They place me against the wall,
The hole is behind me.
I heard someone say "Alaa, Alaa!"
It came from the side.
I lift my head and turn around, -
-and there I see Muhammad Ibrahim!
When I saw him,
I realized it was over.
I thought that
Now I will be killed immediately.
He said:
"My brother Alaa, where is uncle?"
I answered without thinking:
"This morning your brother Salwan took
him to Samarra."
The captain said, "Where in Samarra?"
I said, "I don't know."
"Muhammad Ibrahim's brother took him
to Samarra. I don't know where."
Where is Saddam?
The captain took a shovel
and gave it to Muhammad Ibrahim.
Everyone is looking at Muhammad Ibrahim
to see what happens.
After the first sod
The hatch begins to shake.
Get out of the way! Dig!
"Saddam! Saddam!"
while they open the hatch.
"Who's down there?"
The interpreter also shouts.
He replied immediately:
"I am Saddam Hussein."
Immediately
They throw smoke bombs down the hole.
The president can't breathe.
Because of all the smoke.
I saw him choking.
He couldn't breathe,
he needed air.
They dragged him out immediately.
After he was able to catch his breath...
Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!
Here you see a brief glimpse of
The hole where Saddam Hussein was found.
This is Saddam underneath
today's medical examination.
Death to Saddam!
Abu Ghraib is a large prison.
Some parts are secret,
no one knows about them.
The other day they took me
out of the cell and into the hallway.
I don't remember if we were
three or four, but there were more.
They took off our handcuffs.
And dressed us naked.
We had nothing on us,
just the caps over their heads.
They made fun of us and played with us.
Us, as if we were not human.
It was inhumane treatment,
even an animal is treated better.
At the same time, they tortured us
in the worst possible way.
After a while
this place was discovered.
Committee members, lately
there has been much discussion-
-about who is responsible
for the atrocities at Abu Ghraib.
What happened to
the Iraqi prisoners, was cruel.
After a while, I was questioned again.
They understood that I was
a farmer who knew nothing.
After seven months they decided
to set me free.
When I got home...
I never thought I would see
my family again, my mother and father.
I am responsible for what I say,
towards God and the constitution.
What has happened is behind us.
I hope that we
have learned something from the past.
Someone might be looking at the president
Saddam Hussein as a dictator, -
-but I lived with him for 235 days
and sees him as a friend.