High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam (2026) s01e04 Episode Script

1
♪
- Mr. President, you're a
prisoner of the Coalition
You're just gonna stand here
and slap me around
if he doesn't answer?
- Asshole.
- [Laughs] He should.
♪
[ Lock clicks open ]
♪
[ Door slams ]
- [Quietly] Mr. President,
you're a prisoner of the
Coalition Provisional Authority.
I'm about to interrogate the man
who terrorized Iraq for
23 years
- There had been talk
of Saddam Hussein being tried
in absentia.
- invaded Kuwait,
fought against Iran,
the man who, six days
after taking power,
called an emergency session
of the Ba'ath Party.
In front of TV cameras,
he declared that there are
68 conspirators here among us.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- They were all
then marched to the door
and then to their
swift execution.
That became the
Saddam Manifesto.
Death awaits you
if you don't stand with me.
♪
[ Chair clatters ]
- [ Polly exhales sharply ]
- [ Handcuff clicks ]
[ Handcuff clicks ]
[ Door creaks and shuts ]
[ Lock clicks ]
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- Sit.
- [Scoffs] Like he's the boss.
- Please.
- M-Mr. President,
you're a prisoner
of the Coalition Provisional
Authority,
and, uh, you need to answer
my questions.
Is that clear?
[ Clears throat ]
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- Or what?
- [Stammering] We're not
interested in threats. So--
- Who are you?
- You can call me Steve.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- This is Ali.
So I have questions--
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- How are you?
- Uh, I'm-- well, thank you.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- Just continue, please.
- Hmm.
- So, Mr. President, um,
we're wondering, how did you
contact the insurgency?
Was there an intermediary?
[ Samir translating ]
- Um, we don't really understand.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- He's asking for your pen.
- Yeah.
Um, so we didn't find any
radio transmission equipment
at the farm, so that--
we're wondering--
- [ Speaks Arabic ]
Sir, p-please answer my
questions.
I'll-- I'll ask again.
How did you contact
the insurgency?
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- There are no insurgents,
only freedom fighters.
- The pen. Please.
- Don't.
- Nixon knows he
can't do that.
Son of a bitch!
- Hold, hold.
- Get ready to go in--
- Hold, hold, hold!
- Paper.
[ Clears throat ]
- What the hell is he doing?
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- He had money.
- While you were hiding?
- 750,000 American dollars.
US soldiers say this.
- It's a lot of cash.
That's a big bag of money.
[ Chuckles ]
- They lie.
- "I, President Saddam Hussein,
hereby testify
that at the time of my capture
by those enemies of God
and humanity,
the American imperialists,
that I was in possession
of $1.5 million."
- It was 750,000.
- Soldiers steal my money.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- He's demanding
an official investigation.
- Goddamn it.
I told him no contact.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- He wants his money
from those thieves.
- We'll investigate.
Now, um, Mr. President, please,
uh, I have to ask for
my pen back.
- Can I keep?
I write every day.
- I'm, uh, familiar.
Uh, you-- you published
three novels, right?
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- He's written
a fourth one as well
that should have been
in print by now.
- I've read it.
"Fortified Castle."
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- More than 700 pages.
Epic work.
He's very impressed
that you've read it.
- It's a very nice story,
Mr. President.
Please, I have to ask
for my pen back.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
[ Pen clicks ]
- Thank you.
- [ Pen clicks ]
Now, um, let's--
let's discuss in the way
that you contacted the
insurgents
'cause we-- we don't believe
that you were isolated--
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- Who are you? You are nothing.
- I have to remind you
of the obvious fact
that you're president
of nothing.
You're a prisoner of the
Coalition Provisional Authority.
- Why answer?
- [ Samir speaks Arabic ]
- You're my enemy.
You're my enemy. You will kill
me. That will happen.
- No.
- [ Bangs table ]
- Time for prayers.
- No. It's not.
No, sit down, please.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- Fourth of the Geneva
Convention, Article 38,
third paragraph gives me
the right to pray.
- We'll give you prayer time.
So please sit down--
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- He's talking about his latest
book that will
explain everything that's
going on at the moment,
historically and culturally.
- We're not here to discuss
literature or history.
- Then how you understand
anything?!
- He's got what he wanted.
He filed the claim.
- Guard!
[ Lock clicks ]
t, Nixon.
You were told not to
hand anything to the prisoner.
- He made a request,
not a demand, you know?
It-- it was an opening.
- Yeah, some opening, John.
[ Doyle whistles ]
- It was a pen,
not a Bowie knife.
- All those "please" and "thank
you, Mr. Presidents"
are very romantic.
We don't need his love
and respect.
Just his WMDs.
Saddam played you.
Because of your insubordination,
he's filed a written complaint.
[ Vehicle rumbles away ]
- This is bullshit.
I don't believe anybody would
steal $750,000.
- Well, it doesn't matter
what you believe.
He's filed an official
complaint.
Look, this is what Saddam does, okay?
He manipulates people.
- It was the first meeting. We're
getting to know each other.
- Just be careful.
[ Vehicles rumbling ]
[ Plane flying overhead ]
[ Motor revving ]
[ Vehicle horn honking ]
- That guy's in a hurry.
You got something to say, Samir?
- What?
- You got something to say?
- I'm not sure I can do this.
I'm not sure I'm the guy.
- Hey, I understand how you feel.
- Really?
You understand how I feel?
- Yeah.
- How do you understand
how I feel?
How do I feel?
Tell me how I feel.
You don't know how I feel. Okay?
You don't know how I feel.
You have no idea what you're
talking about.
Saddam Hussein was
everywhere,
on all the billboards.
Every morning in school, we
had to praise him.
Every evening, he was on the TV.
Every night, he walks in my,
in all Iraqis dreams.
And now, standing next to him
in that room
I can smell him on my clothes.
- He'll be gone in
six months anyway.
He-- he can't do anything
to you.
[ Bells clanging ]
[ Men speaking global language ]
[ Camel bellows ]
[ Vehicle horn honks ]
[ Honking ]
- Sorry, Polly. I lose my head
when I talk about Saddam.
[ Honking ]
♪
- You see that smoke?
- Slow down, Samir.
[ Helicopter chuffing ]
Doyle was ahead of us.
♪
♪
[ Soldiers shouting ]
- Stop the car!
- Stop your car!
- Captain. Captain! Army
Intelligence!
[ Soldiers shouting ]
- Keep going!
- Wait!
- He's gone. Get the next one.
- Shit.
Major. Doyle.
- Pull it this way!
- Soldier
Oh my God.
Just stay with me.
He's alive!
Hey. Hey. Look at me.
Come on! Hurry up! Hurry up!
♪
- Come on, come on! He's alive!
♪
- You're gonna be okay.
♪
- Go, go, go.
♪
- Good, lift.
♪
- Major.
Hey. Hey.
Look at me. I'm with you.
I'm with you. You're
gonna be okay.
♪
♪
[ Explosion blasts ]
[ Soldiers shouting ]
♪
- I feel numb.
- He'll make it.
Just out of spite, he'll make
it. You know Doyle.
- Amira, you're on the morning
shift. Go get some sleep.
- I'm not going anywhere.
- So-- any news?
- He's gonna make it.
- Oof.
- [ Samir exhales ]
- Yeah.
- Good stuff.
- Beers, everyone?
- Yeah, definitely.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, on him.
- You still owe me for those
Springsteen tickets in '95.
- You still owe me for the
Redskins tickets from last year.
- [ Laughter ]
- Well, cheers to Doyle.
- Yeah. To Doyle
- To Doyle.
- To Doyle.
- [ Bottles clink ]
- Asshole.
- That, too.
[ Laughter ]
- Asshole.
- That, too.
,
winter's calling ♪
Christmas ♪
Church bells ringing,
children singing ♪
- I want everything perfect.
[ Phone rings ]
Snowmen waking,
Grandma's baking ♪
Christmas ♪
- Hello?
- Hey. It's me.
- Oh! John.
I was just thinking
about you.
- Yeah?
So, uh, what are you thinking
about?
- Mm, I was just thinking that
Santa wants to know
if you've been naughty or nice,
but I want to know
if you'll be nice and naughty.
- I heard that.
How's my boy?
- Is he moving in?
What the hell's happening?
- He's helping me decorate.
I can't wait for you
to get here, it's--
it's gonna be a white Christmas.
- Honey
[Sighs] Listen, something's
come up and, uh
I'm gonna have to stay
a while longer.
- I understand.
- Look, um, I'm so disappointed.
- Every day on the news,
we see people getting killed.
I hate you being there.
- To be honest,
I did volunteer to help
some soldiers
hanging up Christmas lights,
and I fell off the ladder.
- You get hurt?
- What happened?
- Oh, John fell hanging
Christmas lights.
- Oh, that's typical.
That's John.
Yeah.
- Not a word about my condition.
You promised.
Call me soon.
- [Clears throat] Well--
I guess no eggnog for you.
- Yeah. Hey, Pops,
thanks so much for helping
out with Becks.
I really appreciate it.
[Sighs] We'll see how long
I gotta stay, but
I'm not sure right now.
- You do what you got to do,
and I'll look after her.
- Okay.
Thank you.
- Guess on the bright side,
I have more presents for me.
Christmastime ♪
- Alright. Bye.
Is for all the world ♪
[ Holiday pop music playing ]
[ Prayers calling ]
- John?
- Yeah.
- Coffee.
- Ah, thank you.
- I saw Doyle this morning.
He looks like a mummy.
- Yeah. Big-ass mummy.
- You staying with him really
made a difference.
- You think?
- Oh, yeah.
- John Nixon.
- That's Winthrop,
Baghdad FBI chief.
- Winthrop.
- Hey.
- Pleasure to meet you.
- Good morning.
- So, what have
you achieved so far?
- Uh, so far we-- we only
had one session.
Nothing much of note, really.
Just feeling out the process.
- The less Saddam says,
the better.
Anything he says of substance,
we'll have to document.
- [ John scoffs ]
- And that's not what we want?
- We'd have to appear in court.
That's the last thing we want.
So talk to Saddam, by all means,
but remember,
your mission is to ensure he
says absolutely nothing
incriminating.
Keep Saddam warm until our guys
get here and ready to--
ready to take over so we can
try him and convict him.
- Sir, what-- what are you
saying?
- My guys will be
here any day now.
Okay?
- I mean, he did file
a written complaint.
Some missing money.
- Mm, that would be problematic,
if only the statement
hadn't been lost.
- So you don't care
if it's true?
- The truth is a blur.
Tell me, how are we to know
for certain
how much money was
ever actually there?
Did he inflate the amount?
Does it even matter?
Whose truth is it?
- You visited Abu Ghraib?
- No.
- You should.
[ Footsteps approaching ]
[ Door unlocks,
creaks open ]
At ease.
- Leave us.
- [Coughs]
- How are you?
[ Door slams ]
- No sleep.
They play music loud.
- I'll look into that, alright?
Look, we're here to talk about
your weapons program.
So the sooner we have
that information,
the sooner we can discuss
your situation. Okay?
[ Samir translating ]
- It's-- it's definitely in
the interest of the Iraqi people
that you answer my question.
- You're here for Iraqi people?
- In a sense. Uh
the outcome is definitely
gonna benefit them.
- Mm. Mm.
- Will President Bush read this?
- Yes.
He's aware of this
conversation.
- [Speaks Arabic]. Ask.
[ Clears throat ]
- Well, the key piece
of information
that could save thousands
of lives is
where are your chemical
and biological weapons located?
- Where they always are.
- Where-- where is that?
- Your president's mind.
Seven years I cooperate
with UN,
who came to Iraq looking
for chemical,
biological, nuclear
[speaks Arabic]-- weapons.
Why no one find anything?
- Well-- well, you had these
weapons, Saddam.
[ Samir translates ]
You've used them--
- [ Speaking Arabic ]
After September 11th--
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- Been here for nine months,
what did you find?
- You want peace?
Go home!
[ Loud blasts nearby ]
[ Electricity crackles ]
[ Alert wailing ]
[ Loud blasts ]
Mm.
[ John clears throat ]
[ Helicopter chuffing nearby ]
- He's tired.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- He needs to stretch his legs.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- All right. It's fine.
It's fine.
- Where I run?
- It-- Ali, it's okay.
He's not going anywhere.
- Huh?
- [ Winthrop chuckles ]
- I don't see the funny part.
They're gonna watch
this tape in Washington.
- I, Saddam Hussein,
hold Iraq together.
Sunni, Shia, Kurd,
all lives together.
No Saddam, who protect?
Al Qaeda will enter.
Shia will want own state.
Well, Akrad will want also.
You released all the evil
but you cannot contain them.
No.
You bring me Bush, I talk.
You no bring Bush
I sleep.
♪
- Damn it.
♪
- [ Banging on door ]
- Open up.
♪
[ Banging on door ]
♪
- Goddamn it!
♪
- What are you doing in there,
John?
Saddam has you dancing
around in circles.
- They kept him up all night.
- Everybody's watching.
The White House.
Seventh floor.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, Stillwell set you up.
- I know the stakes, alright?
Alright? He's not some insurgent
in Abu Ghraib, you know.
It's Saddam Hussein.
You don't break him with sleep
deprivation and Metallica.
That's insane.
- Okay, then you better
figure it out.
- Yeah, I'm trying to get
something real.
- I warned you not to volunteer.
Now, just get him to talk.
Find an angle.
♪
♪
[ Door creaks and slams ]
[ Lock clicks ]
[ Chair scrapes ]
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- He says, "Bless you."
[ Lighter flicks ]
[ Exhales slowly ]
- Mm. Mm.
[ Exhales ]
[ John and Saddam laugh ]
Ah.
- Mr. President, I-I have
a question that's
more for my own personal
curiosity than anything else.
You knew that you couldn't
defeat the US Army, right?
So-- so why didn't you
cooperate?
What did you expect
was going to happen?
- You interested in history?
- A little bit, yeah.
- What came before
Saddam Hussein?
- You're referring to
the military dictatorship?
- No. Before.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- Monarchy.
- Monarchy.
Who gave this monarchy power?
[ Speaks Arabic ]
- The British.
- British, yeah.
- [ Speaks Arabic ]
You see?
A nation of scholars.
Before Saddam Hussein, three
quarters of Iraq cannot read.
When the British take Baghdad
from [speaks Arabic]--
Ottomans,
you know what
their general said?
- "Our armies do not come
as enemies or conquerors,
but as liberators."
- Sound familiar?
- A little bit, yeah.
- Doesn't he know this is
a frickin' interrogation,
not a Q and A?
- [ Speaking Arabic ]
- Before the revolution, the
Iraqis were running around
barefoot.
- Under Saddam,
health care, security,
schools, roads, electricity.
- So you're saying that to
understand your leadership,
we gotta go back like
a hundred years.
- One thousand years.
- So teach me.
- Iraq teach the world to write.
Okay?
Maps. Clocks. Mathematics.
First chemical industry.
First written law.
- Alright, I'm done with
history lessons, professor.
- [ Winthrop laughs ]
- I actually did my MA
at the University of
Nebuchadnezzar.
He's very misunderstood.
- Then you know how I feel.
[ Loud bang on door ]
[ Loud bang on door ]
- What the hell do you think
you're doing?
I was connecting with him.
- What are you doing?
What's next? Johnnie Walker?
- He prefers Jack Daniels.
- Hey, John, screw you.
We need answers, not ramblings.
- What do you suggest I do?
- I suggest you stop coddling him
and go for the jugular.
- Yeah, well, let me do my job.
Just get out of my way.
- Well, Stillwell,
the White House,
the whole world wants to know
where the WMDs are,
and so do I.
- Yeah, well, maybe they
don't exist.
So what's he gonna say?
- Hey. That's all for today.
Guards took him to his cell.
Come on, John, let's go.
- Go without me.
- He's manipulating you.
- We're manipulating each other.
- Nah, he speaks and speaks
and speaks,
but he tells you nothing.
He's not saying anything.
It's not an interrogation.
It's a goddamn talk show.
- Look, it's-- it's a technique.
You know, uh, a happy prisoner's
gonna be much easier
to catch off guard.
- John-- John, you're lying.
You're lying to yourself.
You want him to like you.
- You don't understand
what I'm trying to do.
- No, you don't understand.
There are two Saddam Husseins.
There's Amo Saddam--
Uncle Saddam--
he likes to tell stories.
He's a funny guy. He likes kids.
And then there's Saddam Hussein.
The monster.
[ Tires screech ]
[ Vehicle horn honking ]
- What are you doing?
Why are you turning around?
- I'll show him to you.
♪
[ Somber music playing ]
♪
I got lucky.
My uncle
my father, my two brothers
were not.
My grandmother was only able
to identify my dad.
She remembered the buttons
on his coat.
- At least you got
some closure, right?
- They were just buttons.
Could have been anyone's.
[ Fronds rustling in breeze ]
♪
♪
♪
[ Birdsong ]
- Oh, no, no, no, no.
Base point, base point.
[ Grunts ]
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
- Hey, Langley.
- [ Camera shutter clicks ]
If you're looking for
cheerleaders,
they're about 6,000 miles
that way.
- Come on, man. I'm taking them
for my kids.
- You're leaving Baghdad, huh?
That true?
You sure you don't
want to hang around,
catch some more bad guys?
- Nah, man. I'm out.
- What do you say we grab
a burger?
- Yeah, I want to grab a burger.
- [Chuckles]
Just don't show up in that
country club thing, yeah?
[ Jerry laughs ]
♪
♪
- Saddam's regime made
Halabja hell on earth.
They wiped out thousands
of civilians,
poisoning their own people
with toxic gas.
And then there's Najaf,
Karbala, Basra.
Each one a site
of mass executions.
[ Gunshots ]
Saddam didn't spare his friends
or family either.
Not his cousin and
defense minister,
Ali Hassan al-Majid al-Tikriti,
not his son-in-law,
Hussein Kamel, both doomed.
Saddam's truth was simple--
only he could rule Iraq,
so only his life was precious.
♪
[ Door slams, lock clicks ]
- Let's just-- cut the bullshit,
Saddam.
Where are the weapons?
- You no longer speak to me
like president.
- You're no longer president.
Where are the WMDs?
[ Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated"
playing ]
Twenty, twenty, twenty-four
hours to go ♪
I wanna be sedated ♪
Nothing to do,
nowhere to go-oh ♪
I wanna be sedated ♪
Just get me to the airport,
put me on a plane ♪
Hurry, hurry, hurry
before I go insane ♪
I can't control my fingers,
I can't control my brain ♪
Oh, no, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
- You are not here for weapons.
You're here because sons live
in their father's shadows.
- You think Bush invaded Baghdad
just 'cause his father
wouldn't do it?
- Fathers and sons.
It is natural.
- Okay, fine, let's talk about
your sons.
And how they abused your people.
- Lies and propaganda.
You know better.
- Propaganda?
- Your son Uday ripped the
toenails out of a soccer player
just because he lost a game.
Raped 12 year old girls.
He murdered your food taster,
Kamel Hana, just 'cause
he introduced you to your
second wife, Samira.
[ Scoffs, speaks Arabic ]
- Saddam doesn't need help
to find women.
[ Speaks Arabic ]
You disrespect their memory.
You disrespect me.
Bah, bah, ba-bah, ba-bah, bah,
ba-bah ♪
I wanna be sedated ♪
Bah, bah, ba-bah, ba-bah, bah,
ba-bah ♪
I wanna be sedated ♪
[ Vehicle horn honks ]
Bah, bah, ba-bah, ba-bah, bah,
ba-bah ♪
I wanna be sedated ♪
Bah, bah, ba-bah, ba-bah, bah,
ba-bah ♪
I wanna be sedated ♪
- You have another son
with Samira.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- Yeah. Ali, a fine boy.
- Yeah, we haven't found him yet.
Where is he? With his mother?
You know, we'd love to
talk to him.
- If I tell you, you kill him,
too, torture him.
- You never met
your real father, right?
- That is why Saddam became
a great leader.
- You never felt his affection
and that made you strong?
Why?
- No.
Because I would not know
my stepfather.
- Ah, your stepfather.
He abused you.
And you ran away to Baghdad
to escape his abuse, right?
- Lies.
- Lies?
Everyone knows that your
stepfather abused you
just like you abused your
people, right, Saddam?
So I guess it is true,
what you were saying.
Fathers and sons.
Yeah, that makes sense.
- Ibrahim al-Hassan was
a great man.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- Just stories about
how great he was.
- I don't care.
The truth is, Saddam,
that you and your sons
committed atrocities
against your own people.
- Go into town real quick.
- [ Atkins chuckles]
- Just want to pick up something
for my kids.
- Now?
[ Middle Eastern pop music
playing on radio ]
♪
[ Stallholder speaking global
language ]
- Oh, man! Look at these toys.
Pull over, pull over!
My daughter loves camels.
- Look, be quick, all right?
- Thank you.
You want me to
get you something?
- I'm good.
- Souvenir?
- I'm good.
- I've seen the graves.
I've been to Basra.
Thousands of graves.
In Halabja,
you gassed 5,000 men,
women, children.
- I have nothing
to do with this.
- 10,000 more got injured.
Decades of cancer, pollution.
- I never gave order.
One of my generals--
- Your general?
- Ali Hassan al-Majid.
- You don't control
your generals?
Saddam Hussein doesn't
control his generals?
Tell him about your family.
Tell him.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- I didn't kill them.
I didn't give any orders.
- It was Iran.
So Khomeini can say,
"Look, Saddam, the butcher."
- Your generals, Iran,
everyone but you.
[ Speaking Arabic ]
- You want to know?
You want me to tell you
where to find most dangerous
weapons in Iraq?
- Yes.
Here.
Fear.
Humiliation.
Hunger.
You here bring shame to Iraq,
and we will fight war
against it.
You here bring shame to Iraq,
on radio ]
♪
- This?
- A still water.
[ Speaking global language ]
♪
- Cal! Eh?
♪
- You know humiliation you cause?
Not only every Iraqi.
[Speaks Arabic] Arab!
Every Arab!
We will fight for every street,
every piece of sand
before we submit to
your occupation.
- I'm trying to end
the bloodshed.
- You cannot.
♪
- [ Shouts in global language ]
- [ Gunfire ]
- Shit!
[ Gunfire and screams ]
[ Shouting in global language ]
[ Gunfire ]
- Cal!
- It was not me who tore Iraq.
It is you , not me,
abuse my people.
It is you !
If not for Saddam Hussein,
Iran now control all Arab world.
This what you want?
- We'll deal with Iran.
- The Iranians only understand
message when he is dead!
[ Gunfire ]
- Here! Car!
- Go! Go, go, go!
Run!
[ Gunfire ]
- Aah!
[ Glass shatters ]
- I campaigned for
nuclear-free Middle East.
You opposed it!
- You kept buying missile tubes.
- I signed Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Who refused?
Pakistan and your friend--
Israel.
- D-Do you understand why we
need your weapons, Saddam?
- Of course. Because you have
no other excuse to invade.
♪
[ Gunfire continues ]
- Move, Jerry! Jerry, let's go!
- Otherwise, they'll end up
in the hands of terrorists.
- I fight these terrorists
[ Gunfire continues ]
- Here! Get down, get down!
- I keep religion out of
politics
[ Gunfire continues ]
I fight the Iranian
extremists
but you attack me.
Why?
Why?!
[ Window shatters ]
- Go, go, go! Go!
♪
[ Power clicks off ]
- What the hell is that?
[ Alarm blaring ]
- Get me the hell out of
this country, man.
I wanna see my kids.
♪
[ Explosion blasts ]
[ Crashing ]
[ Vehicles rumbling nearby ]
- You hear?
They're coming for me.
Then-- it will be you
in chains.
[ Wordless singing ]
♪
[ Vehicles rumbling nearby ]
♪
♪
♪
♪