[lit-ideas] Re: Hitchens' Hypothetical Iraq War
- From: Eric <eyost1132@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 11:51:24 -0500
Here's general information about some activities
of the pre-invasion "Fedayeen Saddam."
http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iraq/fedayeen.htm
Saddam's Martyrs ["Men of Sacrifice"]
Fedayeen Saddam
The paramilitary Fedayeen Saddam (Saddam's `Men of
Sacrifice') was founded by Saddam's son Uday in
1995. In September 1996 Uday was removed from
command of the Fedayeen. Uday's removal may have
stemmed from an incident in March 1996 when Uday
transfered sophisticated weapons from Republican
Guards to the Saddam Fedayeen without Saddam's
knowledge. Control passed to Qusay, further
consolidating his responsibility for the Iraqi
security apparatus. The deputy commander was Staff
Lieutenant General Mezahem Saab Al Hassan
Al-Tikriti. According to reports, control of
Saddam Hussein’s personal militia was later passed
back to his eldest son, Uday.
The Fedayeen, with a total strength reportedly
between 18,000 and 40,000 troops, was composed of
young soldiers recruited from regions loyal to
Saddam. The unit reported directly to the
Presidential Palace, rather than through the army
command, and was responsible for patrol and
anti-smuggling duties. Though at times improperly
termed an "elite" unit, the Fedayeen was a
politically reliable force that could be counted
on to support Saddam against domestic opponents.
It started out as a rag-tag force of some
10,000-15,000 "bullies and country bumpkins." They
were supposed to help protect the president and
Uday, and carry out much of the police's dirty work.
The Fidayi Saddam included a special unit known as
the death squadron, whose masked members performed
certain executions, including in victims' homes.
The Fidayi operated completely outside the law,
above and outside political and legal structures.
It is difficult to establish the exact date when
the beheading of women campaign began in Iraq.
Witness accounts report the public beheading of
women from June 2000 through to May 2001. Saddam’s
Fidayi conducted the beheading operations, which
took place in two stages. Accompanied by the
leaders of the Ba’th party, the Fidayi made a
night raid on the district. The latter was gone
through with a fine toothcomb to eliminate any
hints of revolt and in order to discover any
weapons. The population was summoned for the next
day at prayer time. They arrived at the stated
hour at the home of the victim, who was dragged
out in the clothes she is wearing. She was then
stretched out on an iron bench, her head hanging
down, in front of her children, her family and the
whole population of the district. The executioner
and his assistants were dressed in brown bearing
the logo ‘Saddam’s Fidayi’ and usually did not
come from the district or the region. The Feddayi
detailed to carry out the beheading took his sword
held out by an assistant and cut’s the victim’s
head off. According to the scenes described, the
head was exhibited or the body and the head are
thrown into black boxes and taken away. Women
belonging to families suspected of being hostile
to the regime or whose members are in prison as
“opponents” (the term of course covers a
considerable number of definitions) were
particularly targeted.
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