Tales of superman Saddam
Bulletproof gem, magician mother among the myths
'He has fortune tellers tap into the spirit world'Back to the War on Saddam Hussein Page
Apr. 13, 2003. 01:00 AM
MARK MAGNIER
SPECIAL TO THE STARBASRA—He has a special gem implanted in his arm that makes him bulletproof. He has connections in the spirit world. His mother is a magician.
As U.S. troops occupy vast stretches of downtown Baghdad, Iraqis weaned for three decades on stories of Saddam Hussein's invincibility admit they're still having trouble believing that Saddam won't somehow come out unscathed.
"I wouldn't believe he was dead even if I saw his body on television," says Aboud Muttar, 60, a shepherd. "I won't believe it unless I see it with my own eyes."
The news on Monday that one of Saddam's suspected lairs was hit by several tonnes of American bombs, followed by reports he was killed, followed by other reports that he wasn't, only added to Iraqi skepticism.
People here can be forgiven for taking rumours of the dictator's demise with a grain of salt.
Despite dozens of coup and assassination attempts, and top-of-the-hit-list status at many overseas spy agencies, Saddam has endured.
"He has seven lives," says Ahmed Ali, 23. "You can't kill him."
As one tale would have it, that's because of the gem in his arm, which some say is red but others believe is blue. It is said to have been tested on a chicken, which lost just a few feathers when shot at point-blank range.
"I first heard about it around the time he took power," says retiree Jasim Waay, 54, thinking back to Saddam's takeover of the ruling Baath party in 1979.
"Is it strong enough to work against the British and American military? Only God knows for sure."
A mother's love — and her ability to weave powerful spells — has protected Saddam with a magic aura, another legend goes.
"He's in touch with the occult," says Saad Abdel Reda, a 19-year-old farmer. "And he has fortune tellers tap into the spirit world and tell him when people are trying to kill him."
Other bits of folklore bolster Saddam's reputation for brutality and cunning.
In one, a soldier standing five rows behind the president attempted to kill him, but his gun jammed. Saddam calmly walked over to the soldier, grabbed the weapon and said: "This is how you do it." Then, he shot the soldier dead.
There are also stories about a citizen who spat on his television screen whenever Saddam's face appeared. This went on for years, until the man and his daughter saw the president in person, at a parade. "That's the man you always spit on," the little girl said, at which point soldiers within earshot took the man away and executed him.
Mohamed Sadek, a 43-year-old teacher, believes the regime has fuelled the fables to keep Iraqis in check. "That way, he explains, "he seems stronger and keeps people scared."
`I wouldn't believe he was dead even if I saw his body on television' Aboud Muttar, Iraqi shepherd
Other Iraqis ascribe Saddam's ability to survive to plain old paranoia.
Saddam is known to sleep in a different location every night, trust only a few members of his inner circle, periodically purge his honour guards and rely on relatives who are themselves subject to execution.
The president is also said to employ at least seven doubles, leading to widespread "Where's Waldo?" media speculation every time his image appears on state television.
Is it the real Saddam or a stand-in? Is the footage fresh or shot before the war?
"No one ever sees him, so there aren't many chances to kill him," says Ibrahim Mohamed Ali, 53.
The fact that Saddam was written off by many during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, only to come roaring back to exact deadly revenge against those who opposed him, has made Iraqis wary. Even if he's out of power, if he's out there somewhere. And that terrifies many Iraqis.
"How can we really be sure he's gone for good?" asks Hassam Sahar, a 45-year-old engineer. "We can't trust the U.S. and Britain. They left once before."
The tall tales of Saddam's power have dovetailed with an overactive propaganda machine that presents him as superhuman — a great engineer, tremendous hunter, expert marksman, world-class swimmer, brave fighter, brilliant equestrian and standard-bearer for the Arab world.
"His picture is everywhere — on our schoolbooks, our mosques, government buildings and our money," says Karim Kasem, 34.
Last week, when Iraqis learned that U.S. troops had thundered into Baghdad and their government was on the run, they started speculating on what move the big man might make next.
Some said he would stay and fight to the death. Others thought he'd take his own life rather than suffer the indignity of being paraded before the world, perhaps even tried at The Hague for war crimes.
"He'd rather commit suicide than be caught," said Badi Saleh Abdullah, a shepherd tending his flock along the road near Azubair, in southern Iraq.
Others continue to say it will never come to that because Saddam is long gone. They believe he fled even before the war started, knowing his own people would tear him apart if they got hold of him.
"I don't think they'll be able to kill him," maintains Sadek, the teacher. "He'll get away, like Osama bin Laden. He's had lots of time to plan his escape."
As news reports spoke of more Saddam symbols being toppled, government officials and paramilitary fighters fleeing and Iraqi cities falling to coalition troops, however, many Iraqis said they are finally starting to believe he is vulnerable.
"Every human being has a set lifetime," said Ali Abdul Wahed, 35. "Even Mussolini and Hitler fell eventually."
Los Angeles Times
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