Third Interview: Resistance in the South and the Jessica Story

Opinion, October 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Al-Sahaf Talks about the US-UK War on Iraq

Jassem Obaid of Abu Dhabi TV interviewing Muhammed Sa'id Al-Sahaf, the former Iraqi Minister of Information

A Summary Translation By Dr.Hassan El-Najjar

Al-Jazeerah, 10/1/03

Question 1: The fourth day of the war, March 23, 2003, was the US black day because of many losses and also because of the display of prisoners of war on TV. This made America angry. Why did this happen?

Al-Sahaf: The high command ordered the display of the five prisoners of war. However, the US started displaying prisoners of war first. People all over the world saw how Iraqi prisoners of war were mistreated in front of video cameras (Video shown of Iraqi soldiers mistreated).

Question 2: What about fighting in An Nassiriya?

Al-Sahaf: The US strategy was to speed up the campaign towards Baghdad. But they were surprised by the Iraqi resistance on the roads to Baghdad. Iraqi surveillance officers disguised themselves as shepherds and reported US forces to their units, which attacked them. The US announced the fall of An Nassiriya on March 23, when it was not fallen yet. Most of those who attacked US forces were small groups of volunteers.

Question 3: Did Iraqi soldiers put on civilian clothes while fighting?

Al-Sahaf: No, they didn't. Only intelligence officers did and they didn't fight.

Question 4: What is the truth about rescuing Jessica?

Al-Sahaf: Doctors in the hospital and eyewitnesses from An Nassiriya reported to several satellite TV stations that the whole episode was fake. They enacted it for the sole purpose of propaganda.

Two female wounded US prisoners of war were brought to the hospital by Iraqi soldiers who then left to their units. They were given the best health care available in the hospital.

When Iraqi hospital guards left, as a result of the collapse of resistance, US soldiers came to rescue Jessica while there were no Iraqi soldiers to rescue her from.

In fact, they asked the Iraqi doctors, nurses, and employees to participate in videotaping the so-called rescue operation as if it were happening during hostilities. The fact is that the whole city was fallen into the hands of US forces by that time. The whole scene was flakily enacted.

Question 5: Why wasn't Jessica transferred into another place, to be hidden from US forces?

Al-Sahaf: There was no specific or central place to transfer prisoners of war into. They really staged a play. Jessica herself was cut off during an interview when she started telling the truth. After that, nobody heard of Jessica again, not a single interview of Jessica in the US media.

Question 6: That was the US propaganda piece, what about the Iraqi piece, the story of downing a US helicopter in Karbala by the Iraqi farmer, Ali Obaid Mingash? Iraqi media claimed that he downed it with his old rifle. How did you receive the news and what was your reaction?

Al-Sahaf: I was surprised for downing a helicopter with such an old rifle. That's why I asked for double checking. The military confirmed that the farmer fired at the helicopter but they couldn't explain how could he down it. Probably the pilot became confused as a result of Ali's fire or the helicopter had technical problems.

Question 7: Farmer Ali Obaid Mingash told us that the helicopter landed first in an emergency. Only after he had seen the two pilots getting out, he fired at them. Then, the two pilots went to the village knocking at the villagers' doors to give themselves in. Then, Iraqi civilians arrested them.

The question is: Do you think it was appropriate for President Saddam Hussain to mention Ali Obaid Mingash in a speech as the person who downed the US helicopter?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, it was appropriate then. There was a downed plane and a man who fired at it. Nothing was wrong with mentioning it, given these facts.

Question 8: President Saddam Hussain met with the Ba'ath leadership of Basra during the war (a video showing the meeting). They talked about how two British journalists from ITN TV were killed by a US Apache helicopter. Did Ba'ath leaders from various provinces come to meet with Saddam regularly during the war?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, they did. They would come and report to him in person, one delegation after another.

Question 9: How did you learn about the fall of Basra airport?

Al-Sahaf: When the US-UK forces reached the airport, they were met with fierce resistance. Then, they took it. However, Iraqis took it back three times.

Question 10: Didn't the leadership in Baghdad fear that people in the South may revolt during the war, like what happened in 1991?

Al-Sahaf: No, not at all. Iraqis in the South were defending their country. The Shi'a in the South were patriotic as anybody else. The Iraqi army was actually predominantly Shi'a. There was real fighting in the South, nobody can deny it. However, there were some political parties, which were anti-Saddam.

Question 11: I want your reaction to the complaints raised by this Iraqi woman. (A video is played showing an Iraqi woman complaining that the fighting is happening at night in the Basra residential neighborhoods because Iraqi military positions were firing from these neighborhood. She said that she was leaving Basra to a neighboring town to save the life of her children).

Al-Sahaf: This is a war of cities. Iraqi forces would get out of the city to attack then come back to the city to neutralize the air supremacy. The lady was telling the truth. The Russians fought it the same way in Stalingrad.

Question 12: Then, how can you blame the US-UK forces for firing at residential neighborhoods?

Al-Sahaf: Their attacks on civilians was intentional. When we were weakened, they intensified their air raid and their shelling at residential areas, like Al-Sha'ab neighborhood, to frighten people to the extent of surrender.

Question 13: Why did you take journalists to Al-Sha'ab neighborhood, in particular?

Al-Sahaf: It was an example of what was happening but I told journalists to other places by themselves.

Question 14: As Iraqi forces were fighting from areas close to residential neighborhoods, don't you think that some injuries were caused by Iraqi returning shells?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, some injuries were cause by Iraqi returning shells but that was the exception. The vast majority of civilian injuries were caused by US air raids, missiles, and shelling.

Question 15: (A video is played about a US missile attack at Al-Sha'ab neighborhood, in which 14 Iraqi civilians were killed and 30 were injured). US central command refused to comment on this incident, which was part of the "shock and awe" strategy, as represented in this scene. What's your comment?

Al-Sahaf: After their failed attack on An Nasiriya, I asked Defense Minister, Sultan Hashem, and his officers about it. Their estimate was that the attackers were doubling and applying more fierce power because of their surprise for our resistance. That's why they started to attack civilians, in an attempt to break the will to fight among the military.

Question 16: How did this affect the military officers?

Al-Sahaf: It affected them and they started to leave to other places where there was no fighting, like Ba'aquba, in the countryside.

Question 17: Didn't the leadership fear that people may direct their anger against it?

Al-Sahaf: No, people knew that the war was unprovoked, they wouldn't blame the leaders.

Question 18: What went wrong, didn't you have second thoughts?

Al-Sahaf: I never had a second thoughts. All what I was thinking about was what could we do to win.

Question 19: Did you say let's stop it, we're paying a high price?

Al-Sahaf: No, we never thought about surrendering.

Question 20: Defense Minister, Sultan Hashem Ahmed, appeared with you in several press conferences.

(A video is played in which the Defense Minister was talking about Al-Faw, which was still in the hands of the Iraqi forces despite the advances of the US-UK forces to the north. Suddenly sounds of explosions are heard as a result of missile attacks)

What did you think about during that press conference? Did you fear for your life?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, I did.

Question 21: Did you write a will?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, I wrote it before the war.

Question 22: Did you see your family?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, twice.

Question 23: Did you go to the front?

Al-Sahaf: I did. Once, I went to Al-Latifiya, I wanted to have a real look.

Question 24: After the press conference, what did you say to Sultan?

Al-Sahaf: It was about US forces in Western Iraq, protected by helicopters and jets. Sultan said we treated them. I knew about that before the news conference. Sultan did not give a complete answer. After the conference, he said he had sent special forces and volunteers to confront them. That area is full of caves and hills, you can hide tens of thousands of people there. I asked about what was really going on? He said they were trying to confront these forces. In brief, it was a negative development because it cut off the Baghdad-Amman highway and invited speculation about the siege of Baghdad.

Question 25: Did you fear being bombed during the press conference with Sultan.

Al-Sahaf: No, by the way, the press conference was recorded.

Question 26: What does Sultan represent to you?

Al-Sahaf: A friend, not just a colleague.

Question 27: When did he show concern?

Al-Sahaf: When some party leaders would interfere in the planning. He would also be concerned from inaccurate demands for arms.

Question 28: How the Qussai-Sultan relationship?

Al-Sahaf: It wasn't (as tense as you think) because the Republican Guard was commanded by the president, not by the Defense Ministry or the commanders of the armed forces.

Question 29: Where are your friends and colleagues? Are they in prison? Dead?

Al-Sahaf: I feel sad about everything.

Question 30: Did you wish that the end was better than what happened?

Al-Sahaf: Yes, he (Sultan) was an honest person?

Question 31: (Vice President) Izzat Ibrahim was appointed as the military ruler of the north. However the Kurdish forces, the Bishmerga, attacked Kirkuk and took the positions of the Iraqi forces there. You said in an interview with Abu Dhabi TV that there was no retreat? How do you explain it now?

(video played showing Al-Sahaf denying the fall of Kirkuk in the hands of the Bishmiraga)

Al-Sahaf: I based my answer on the information I got from the local commander in Kirkuk. The Baghdad command confirmed that few positions only were taken.

Question 32: Large numbers of Iraqi forces were positioned in the North. Defense Minister, Sultan Hashem Ahmed, said that Iraqi basic forces (75% of them) did not participate in fighting. What happened to theses forces?

Well, we have no more time. See you next Wednesday.

First interview, Background to the War on Iraq.htm

Second Interview, The 48 Hours Before and Early Days After the War.htm

Third Interview Resistance in the South and the Jessica Story.htm

Fourth Interview Fall of southern cities, oil wells, and Israel.htm

Sixth Interview 9th of April, 2003 and live questions from viewers.htm

Seventh Interview: More live questions from viewers

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).