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Saddam Feared Getting AIDS in Prison

By SALAH NASRAWI,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-06 07:29:47
Filed Under: Iraq News, World News
CAIRO, Egypt (May 5) - Saddam Hussein feared catching AIDS or other diseases during his U.S.-supervised captivity, a leading Arab newspaper said Monday in publishing excerpts of his prison writings.

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Bob Strong / AP

Saddam Hussein's
Prison Fears

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Excerpts of the diaries Saddam Hussein wrote in prison reveal the former Iraqi dictator feared he would catch HIV or another disease from the U.S. soldiers guarding him. He wrote that he was upset when the soldiers used his laundry line to dry their clothes. Here, Saddam is shown during his trial in 2005.

The London-based Al-Hayat said the comments came in portions of Saddam's prison diaries that it obtained from U.S. authorities. The U.S. military confirmed some of the late Iraqi leader's writings had been released.

When Saddam found out his U.S. military guards were also using his laundry line to dry clothes, he wrote that he demanded they stop, according to the excerpts.

"I explained to them that they are young and they could have young people's diseases," Saddam wrote. "My main concern was to not catch a venereal disease, an HIV disease, in this place." He said some soldiers ignored his request.

A U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Matthew Morgan, declined to describe the writings as a formal diary, but said the former Iraqi president produced thousands of pages of writing while in custody.

"The select material that has been previously released was viewed here by Arabic speakers and reported on accordingly," he said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Saddam was captured by American soldiers on Dec. 13, 2003, just over eight months after his regime was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion. An Iraqi tribunal convicted him of crimes against humanity and he was hanged at the end of 2006.

In the excerpts, Saddam also described having an intimate conversation with his American doctor about women and said his English gradually improved by talking to his captors.

"I was speaking it using my hands and signs if I could not find the exact word," he wrote. "But our language (Arabic) is more beautiful and deeper."

Saddam also wrote how hard it was to have to ask for things, such as once when he requested a flower.

"It was a serious sacrifice from me to ask for the first time in my life," he wrote.

Al-Hayat also published excerpts from what it described as poetry written by Saddam in prison.

In April 2004, the world had the first glimpses of Saddam's cell when two newspapers printed pictures of him emerging from the bathroom in his underwear after washing clothes. The Sun in London and the New York Post said the pictures were provided by U.S. military sources to "undermine the Iraqi rebellion."

Associated Press writer Bradley Brooks in Baghdad contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-05 18:48:30
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 2658
2658 comments

luweegee3 01:01:48 PM May 08 2008

But on the other hand,knowing what saddam really looked like because i have meet the man back in the day,,,the man thats suppose to have been saddam,,isnt saddam,so it looks like to me saddam is still alive,,most likely his double was the one sent to his death,,saddam hussein has to be hiding out with bin-laden.So dont be surprised that when the day comes for bin laden capture,that saddam isnt with him
http://www.wulfram.com?mkid=28031

luweegee3 12:57:08 PM May 08 2008

Since saddam didnt give the iraqian people the proper medical coerage i would beleive that story also,because he knew the other iraq prisoners had Hi ,VD,,
http://www.wulfram.com?mkid=28031

rogershome5 09:44:46 AM May 08 2008

they wold not be a war if they let saddam alone

angedefonce03 06:27:25 AM May 08 2008

wiseone1w-

Really... I'm a liberal, and I believe that? Wow. I guess the GOP must be running my mind now. I'm gonna go look up more slave owners now, since that's all I do. Come on now, that's just not right. It would be like saying every Republican is a white, rich, christian man.

mrsawd1 04:56:50 PM May 07 2008

After all this man did to his own people he would deserve aids with no meds !

fly4fun00l 03:27:17 PM May 07 2008

Why do you report such crap? No one cares about a thing like that.

themalebod 01:01:40 PM May 07 2008

I can't wait to read George Bush's prison diary.

giuliann2 10:31:23 AM May 07 2008

wiseone1w 10:00:19 AM May 07 2008

Report This! danielandrewdavi

Why don't you move back to Afghanistan. I understand your Taliban brothers still need you and I am sure they will accept your islamic deceptions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
hahaha, since YOU with 23% approval ratings... arethe minority.. please join Bushs war.. go ad elist.. age, geder does ot matter.. Bush needs you!
GO the front lines are the perfect place for you!

giuliann2 10:26:32 AM May 07 2008

wise
if it was ot about OIL. then why the first thing our troops secured were the OIL ministry, and the OIL fields.... NOT the aMO siloes( located, sealed and called attention oupon by the inspectors), not the infrastructures, NOT the antiquities, ..etc.. but the OIL fileds and ministry!
interesting isnt??

giuliann2 10:23:20 AM May 07 2008

wise.. remember when heney said: the OIl from Iraq will pay for the war??
and YES it IS about OIL, dominance , greed..
Wolfowitz.... remember him?? admitted: it IS about OIL..
and you though it was about the non existent WMD...
how silly of you...

1 - 10 of 2658
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