Secret photo of a cowering dictator makes waves on the web)

The Daily Telegraph via NewsPundit.net ^ | 1/9/2004 | Brad Clifton

[ex-Texan]

Secret photo of a cowering dictator makes waves on the web

THIS appears to be the moment Saddam Hussein was dragged from his hole and exposed to the world – but it is a snapshot the US military did not want the world to see.

The photograph, apparently taken in the seconds after Saddam's capture near Tikrit last month, appeared for the first time yesterday on a military-related website.

The image shows a US soldier posing for the camera as he pins the bearded dictator's body and face to the dirt.

A clearly-distressed Saddam lies on his stomach as members of the US 4th Infantry Division surround him.

US military officials refused to confirm if the photograph was genuine.

The photo was published on the US website Military.com after it was supplied to one of the site's contributors, former journalist John Weisman.

"This photograph of Saddam Hussein in the moment of his capture was e-mailed to me by a friend in special forces who was damn proud of what his former colleagues in Iraq had accomplished when they pulled the dictator out of his hole," Mr Weisman said. "I thought the photo deserved wide dissemination."

Mr Weisman said he had refused military requests to remove the photograph from the site. The officials had claimed it was a security risk.

"While the soldiers in the field may have loved the idea of showing Saddam au naturel, not everyone felt that way," Mr Weisman wrote on the website.

"In fact, Military.com received a call from an official asking them to remove the photo for national security reasons.

"To me, this official was being myopic and his perception has not been echoed by the guys in the trenches, who obviously know a great picture when they see one.

"I'd like to see this photograph posted in every public building in the US so Americans can be reminded to thank the American soldiers who put their lives on the line every day to keep this nation safe and free."

Military.com spokesperson Anne Dwane insisted the picture was genuine.

"Much of our material comes in anonymously and, given our military membership, we have no reason to doubt it,' Ms Dwane said. "It certainly looks like Saddam."

If the authenticity of the picture is proved, it would have been taken by a member of the 600-strong force that captured Saddam at a farmhouse near Tikrit.

Although official army photographers were on hand to record the moment, the picture may have been snapped by a soldier, many of whom were known to carry small cameras while on patrol.

[MinuteGal]

"A clearly-distressed Saddam lies on his stomach........"

Well, cry me a river. I remember those recent video clips of Saddam's hands-tied victims being shoved off a roof, one after another, to the unforgiving pavement below.

They clearly were "distressed", also. A fact which the critics of our military and country seem to forget.

Boy, does all this sick PC crappioli BURN ME UP!

Leni

[hgro]

pulling Saddam out of the whole ??????????????

What happened to the hole?

[johnb838]

We were talking yesterday and thought they may have been wrapping him up to load into a helicopter. He certainly isn't being "pinned to the dirt."

It's funny, we hear the term "hypocrite" tossed around a lot these days, why don't we ever hear the word "hyperbole"? Sure, we hear its shorthand version; "Hype." But good old Hyperbole gets left out in the cold. IT is such a basic leftist behavior trope. Like saying taking Iraq out makes Dubya tantamount to Hitler.

[kylaka]

He doesn't look distressed to me. If anything he looks a bit sleepy.

[cubreporter]

Let's see? Mass Graves, rape rooms, torture, murder, oy yeah, that's right. Sadaam did all that. So, what's a little discomfort for that scum? I don't feel a lick sorry for him. He ruined lives every single day. Hurt families and children and now the worm has turned. Wonder how he liked it? Who cares. We got him!!!

Whoever doesn't like it that's tough. This is the USA and we got our man. God bless our troops and all they have done for our country. God bless President Bush. We're protecting our own and not doing what other countries want us to do. We take care of our own country.

[Cyber Liberty]

The French? Perhaps. I don't care what they, or the rest of Old Europe thinks. I'm concerned with what our own voters and liberal media would say if the Franco Eff-faces actually *do* complain.

[Tunehead54]

Is that blood in his mouth where the soldier cold-cocked him after getting spit on by this clown? (....as mentioned previously)

---

Either that or Sodamn lost his tooth brush a few months previously! ;-)

[fella]

former journalist John Weisman.

Thes 4 words put a stench all over this story. Does anyone have any information o this guy? I mean, if the media won't keep him ......

[MosesKnows]

Secret photo

What part of this photo was ever secret?

[sergeantdave]

I want to help the left wing loons, so here goes -

The picture is clearly a fake.

It was taken underwater. In the lower right corner is someone wearing a diver's watch and glove. In the back are musky weeds commonly found in lakes in the Upper Midwest. In the lower left corner is a scowling black clam witnessing the torture. This is a picture of the capture of King Neptune by spear fishermen at Buffalo Lake in northern Wisconsin.

[ahadams2]

LOL! hey back when I lived in Wisconsin I went fishing on buffalo lake - seems to me the carp would have gotten rid of anything that ugly...'course even carp have standards so maybe not...

[Marysecretary]

I'm sure the libs will be lamenting over the poor dictator's treatment at the hands of these terrible soldiers. He's not being treated right; he deserves ... blah, blah, blah!!! Heads on pikes, says I!

[ex-Texan]

Howdy Eggs ! Doing just fine !

A Better Photo: Bush Got Saddam !

Sorry, I couldn't resist. A friend sent me that by email.

[eyespysomething]

Sacred Cow Burgers.com, a great parody site!

[americanSoul]

Interesting that the officials have not (as far as I know) made the same request of the NYTIMES publishing the pictures, and home towns, of military snipers!!

WHAT!! This is treasonous. The NY Slimes should be charged.

[CyberAnt]

What ..?? If the military didn't want the world to see it .. why did they put it up on the internet ..?? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Also .. I take note of the white spot on Saddam's left eyebrow (supposedly where he was hit by one of our soldiers). It appears he already has a bandaid on it. Maybe he already got hit with schrapnal or something ..?? Weird.

[CyberAnt]

I don't feel sorry for him either .. and I have heard that Iraqi citizens are already lining up with documents to attest to Saddam's murderous regime. I believe the public is going to be in shock when these people begin to tell their stories.

[cubreporter]

Well, only those who want to belive their stories won't be shocked. The rest of us will for certain.

[ex-Texan]

LOL, LOL. LOL ! I just spilled my coffee all over my keyboard.