Iraqi refugees: Al-Sahaf committed suicide

Albawaba.com ^ | April 15, 2003 | albawaba.com

[conservababeJen]

Iraqi refugees: Al-Sahaf committed suicide 15-04-2003, 11:46

Iraqi refugees who have taken shelter at Iraq's borders near the Iranian town of Dehloran over the week have claimed that Information Minister Saeed al-Sahaf had committed suicide, the Iranian newspaper, Mardomsalari reported Tuesday. A similar report was published in Iran's Arabic newspaper, Al Wifaq.

According to these reports, al-Sahaf hanged himself a few hours before Baghdad fell to US forces on April 9th. The refugees gave no source to confirm their claim.

In his press briefing on Monday, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, said the US government believed former Iraqi leaders, including deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz and al-Sahaf, may be hiding in Syria. (Albawaba.com)

[Slings and Arrows]

Thank you. Bob would have wanted it that way.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Historically the same card. Of course the Tarot Fool has a deep wisdom not allotted to the sane.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Just got home and logged in. What a bummer! This guy was the only comic relief in the war coverage. Just what appealed to all of us is hard to say. His "through the looking glass" view of the war made me want to ask what dose of Paxal he was on. Whatever he was taking, I want! Talk about an optimist. Too bad. He was truly cute in a pathetic sort of way.

[laz17]

Baghdad Bob: "I have NOT committed suicide. This is a lie. It is the American and British aggressors and losers who are committing suicide. They are committing suicide as I speak. Come with me and I will show you where they are committing suicide by the hundreds. Soon they will all have committed suicide, and our forces will reclaim Baghdad in the name of his excellency Saddam Hussein. And I have information that tells me that Bush and Blair have committed suicide, but I will wait until I have confirmation of this, which will be soon."

[Grampa Dave]

It goes so well with your tag line. I "borrowed" it, and you can "borrow" it too.

[Grampa Dave]

My wife looked at it and just grinned. She doesn't care for cats, but had to laugh at how the picture tied in with the theme of this thread when I told her.

[patriciaruth]

Baghdad Bob and Tariq Aziz (but not Saddam) were killed in the restaurant strike.

We're following the Three Strikes rule here. This is the second reported death of Tariq Aziz, who was also seen dead the previous week.

This is also only the second reported death for Baghdad Bob. One hanging and one restaurant death.

Until they get the Third Strike, they aren't dead.

[Grampa Dave]

My wife looked at it and just grinned. She doesn't care for cats, but had to laugh at how the picture tied in with the theme of this thread when I told her.

Glad it helped to relieve the saddness of income tax day and no more Baghdad Bob. However, I wouldn't count on him being gone.

[patriciaruth]

The cat doesn't care. It is hitting his foot wanting to know where its dinner is. Cats don't care.

;-)

[Grampa Dave]

I wasn't being mean to cats. I just know cats and what they are really like.

The cat probably ignored Baghdad Bob hanging around until it got hungry.

[ambrose]

This is how they're reacting to this story over on the DU:

scarletwoman (3242 posts)
Apr-15-03, 07:06 PM (ET)
Reply to post #11
13. I suppose people will think I'm crazy,
but this news has started me crying...
Who knows what kind of man he actually was -- maybe he did terrible things, maybe he helped Saddam's regime imprison, torture and murder people. But what brings me to tears is the image of the comi-tragic nobility of this man; who, until the bitter end, stood unbowed before his countrymen, attempting to rally to them to resist the foreign invaders of their homeland.

Yes, there was the clear ridiculousness of his futile efforts, but there was also the sublime. A man facing the end of everything he had served and believed in, a man who no doubt fervently wished that his useless fictions were true -- who stood there in unflinching denial of that which he simply would not and could not abide.

So, I mourn him. As I mourn all the uncounted dead in this atrocity that our country has so willfully wrought. All humankind is my family, and a life ended in sorrow and despair grieves me no matter that that person is unknown to me.

Farewell, Ali. You did what you could, you stood fearless before the juggernaut and refused to accept its power over you.

Allah akbar, as-salem alaykum...
sw

[ambrose]

Flubadubya (1939 posts)
Apr-15-03, 07:26 PM (ET)
Reply to post #13
15. Well scarletwoman...
I'm not at all surprised at your reaction to this. That's the way sensitive, caring people feel about these things. I think it is quite admirable and am glad that you expressed how you felt. Now, if only about another 3 or 4 billion people could be that way.
Remember the line from the BeeGee's little tune that went something like this:

"I started a joke, that started the whole world crying..."

Thank you scarletwoman, thank you very much.

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scarletwoman (3242 posts)
Apr-15-03, 07:42 PM (ET)
Reply to post #15
17. Thank you for your kind words.
It bothers me, it hurts my heart, to see people trivialising a life -- any life.
I'm not a Christian, but I respect the teachings of Jesus: "Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do to Me."

sw

[ambrose]

arikara (455 posts)
Apr-16-03, 01:51 AM (ET)
Reply to post #13
20. I don't think you're crazy at all.
I feel sad too and hope it isn't true. We don't know what type of person he was/is, but he certainly was one of the few bright spots to come out of this terrible tragedy. I like to think he had a huge sense of humor and I have found a lot of goodness in people with humor.

[conservababeJen]

Update....

Al-Sahaf in suicide riddle

Annie Lawson
Tuesday April 15, 2003

Al-Sahaf: unsubstantiated reports of suicide

It may well be the ultimate in spin from the Iraqi minister of information, but this afternoon there are reports circulating that Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has committed suicide.

Two Iranian newspapers today published reports of the minister's demise, which came from Iraqi refugees who took shelter at Iraq's borders near the Iranian town of Dehloran over the past week.

They said that Iraq's famed information minister took his own life just hours before Baghdad fell into the hands of the coalition forces last Wednesday.

The Iranian newspaper Mardomsalari and Iran's Arabic newspaper, Al Wifaq, both carried claims that al-Sahaf hung himself a few hours before Baghdad fell to US forces on April 9. However, the refugees did not provide any source to confirm the claim.

But White House press secretary Ari Fleischer yesterday said the US government believed former Iraqi leaders, including deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz and al-Sahaf, may be hiding in Syria.

More @ MediaGuardian.co.uk

[blackie]

"I'm sure that if you was hanging on the rope and and it was their time to eat, they would be pawing your feet for their food"

Dry food and water are available 24/7 in two separate places in the house.
When they want treats, roast beef or canned "Tasty Feast" they let us know ... if I was hanging they would ignore me and pester my wife. :):)

[Grampa Dave]

"I was hanging they would ignore me and pester my wife. :):) "

If they wanted to play with you, they might bat your swinging feet with their paws or use you as a hanging/swinging scratch pole.

[rs79bm]

This from Baghdad Bob:

"I can say, and I am responsible for what I am saying, that they have started to commit suicide under the walls of Baghdad. We will encourage them to commit more suicides quickly."

Hmmmm....we know that at least one person was listening!

[TheSpottedOwl]

I think that Baghdad Bob sent out this lie, to get the folks off of his back. I'll bet with you. The last I read of Baghdad Bob, he left with $200,000 of foreign journalist's money.

Do you all remember that bank robber, DB Cooper(I think that's his name)? Baghdad Bob is going to end up the same way. A huge legend.

I really do hope the guy didn't kill himself. I don't know why, but I grew rather fond of the guy. I know he's bad news, but I was hoping ABC would grab him and sit him next to Peter Jennings. He could resurrect SNL for that matter...

[TheSpottedOwl]

Ever since I read the piece by Eason Jordan about CNN's unethical behavior re Iraq, I cannot forget that he said that a previous Information Minister had no fingernails. I kind of feel for good ol' Baghdad Bob. He may have been just another one of Saddam's victims. He had been conditioned to get Saddam's propaganda out convincingly, or else.

I've had this thought also. Take a reasonably intelligent, educated adult, then listen to the crap come out of his mouth. I wonder if someone was holding a gun to his family's head? I wouldn't be surprised...

[patriciaruth]

The cat probably ignored Baghdad Bob hanging around until it got hungry.

I am a cat lover, but I have never been delusional about cats.

;-)