Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 3

By Mojtaba al-Hosseini
Translated into Farsi by: Mohammad Hossein Zavar Kabeh
Translated into English by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

2025-11-2

Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 3

By Mojtaba al-Hosseini
Translated into Farsi by: Mohammad Hossein Zavar Kabeh
Translated into English by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

***

Saddam asked me about the patients. I replied, “Mr. President, I work on the fifth floor and don’t have any information about their current condition.”
At that moment, the ward physicians entered and rescued me from that awkward situation. Feeling distressed and shaken, I returned to my office in the emergency ward.

Saddam then visited the children’s ward and, on the third floor, angrily insulted Dr. Hesham Sultan, striking him in the chest with his fist—imagine, the president of a country physically assaulting a doctor in front of everyone, then firing him on the spot. His bodyguards dragged the humiliated doctor downstairs in a demeaning manner.

About an hour later, Dr. Haidar al-Shama came to me and said, “The President has arrived on the fifth floor.”

In a hurry, I rushed to that floor before him. Saddam entered the fifth floor accompanied by the hospital director and asked me, “Are you the doctor in this ward?”

I replied, “Yes.”

In a commanding tone, he said, “Show me the patients!”

He asked me questions about diagnoses, treatments, and medical tests, as if I were a student being examined by a professor in medicine. However, Saddam had no real understanding of medical matters. I found his presence full of arrogance, ignorance, and hubris.

After visiting a few rooms, the female nurse in charge of the ward arrived and shook hands with the president, but one of the guards pushed her into a room with a strike to her chest and shut the door on her. Readers might find these scenes surprising, but they were truths I witnessed up close.

In one of the rooms, Saddam asked me, “Do you provide diapers for the sick children?”

I replied, “No.”

He asked, “Why?”

I answered, “Mr. President, you can direct that question to the hospital director.”
The manager replied, "Mr. President! The Ministry of Health is not providing us with the necessary supplies."

Saddam, with irritation and a mocking tone, said, "Well, well, the Ministry of Health!! On my behalf, tell the ministry officials to provide the medical supplies to the patients."

The rage and fury were completely evident in his eyes, which were puffy from sleepless nights, drinking, and drug use. [1]

The visit concluded, and after the staff's forced emotional displays and applause, Saddam left the hospital. He got into a white Peugeot 504 and departed with the presidential escort, which consisted of five armored vehicles.

I went home to rest. My friends were very relieved that I had survived that perilous visit, with all the insults and blows from Saddam’s entourage. Believe me, for two whole days I couldn’t sleep due to the severe pain in my shoulder and chest—which I had suffered while accompanying Saddam on that disastrous visit—as well as the terrifying nightmares that kept coming back.

Another incident, which was broadcast on television, involved Saddam’s visit to the Diyala Province east of Baghdad. Farmers in that area complained to Saddam about the oppression and corruption of the staff of agricultural cooperatives and associations. Saddam, while ordering the dissolution of those associations and cooperatives, told the farmers: “From now on, if a cooperative employee comes to you, wrap your turban around his neck and bring him tied up to Baghdad.”
This is the logic of a president ruling at the end of the 20th century. In my view, Saddam educated the people through a regressive, tribal approach, and his competence as the head of a tribe is undeniable.

To gain the loyalty of tribal leaders and some protesters among the general population, Saddam endured their criticisms and reprimands and sent gifts to these groups of Iraqi citizens. The people, hoping to receive these gifts, welcomed him with cheers and celebration. Saddam exploited substantial oil revenues to advance his programs. It is worth noting that after Iran’s oil exports were halted due to the revolution, Iraq was selling four million barrels of oil per day, using the revenue to consolidate the foundations of his government, gain the trust of the army and internal security forces by increasing their salaries, and purchase weapons from both the East and the West through long-term contracts—once described by BBC London as Iraq’s “mad arms buildup.”

In short, through these visits, Saddam was able to deceive a significant number of gullible citizens and secure their support for his aggression against Iran and the Islamic Revolution.

2 – National Cooperation Charter

Saddam personally announced the five articles of the “National Action Charter,” which essentially called on Arabs to join a pagan-style pact and support one another against external threats and against the Islamic Ummah. The Arab rulers outwardly opposed this charter, but secretly approved it and put it into practice during the Iran-Iraq War. The charter hinted at preparation for a significant event being orchestrated by Iraq, which required the support and backing of the Arab states. This was because the charter was given a national and popular dimension.

Workers, farmers, schoolchildren, university students, and other Ba’athists gathered at Baghdad International Stadium. After reading each article of the charter, Saddam asked the audience, “Do you agree with this charter?” The unaware, sheep-like crowd responded in unison: “Yes, sir!”

To illustrate the ignorance and naivety of this group, I will mention a humorous incident I saw on television. Saddam misread the meaning of one of the articles. Even then, the audience again shouted in unison: “Yes, sir, we agree!” Of course, Saddam quickly realized his mistake and corrected it.

To be continued …