CIA 'loots' villa where Saddam's sons died

The Independent on Sunday (U.K.) ^ | 08/10/03 | Cécile Hennion

[Pokey78]

The four-storey house in Mosul where Saddam Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, made their last stand has been demolished to prevent it being made into a shrine by Iraqis nostalgic for their father's rule. But before the bulldozers moved in, the site was picked over by American souvenir hunters.

Four armed CIA men in plain clothes were prowling through the rubble in Mosul's Chalalat Street last week. One, a bald man with an automatic rifle slung over his shoulders who said he was from Colorado, admitted he was collecting souvenirs for himself and his colleagues. He and other armed Americans were removing pieces of blue and pink marble from interior walls and stacking them in the back of their vehicle.

The Americans spent two hours in the rubble, watched silently by Iraqi workers and resentful local residents. Some said the demolition was unnecessary and compared the CIA men to looters. "They act with no honour," said one of the Iraqis bulldozing the house.

Onlookers also condemned the owner of the house, Nawaf al-Zaidan, for "selling" Uday and Qusay, who died along with Qusay's son Mustafa, 14, and a bodyguard. "What he did is against Arab traditions," said Fida Ibrahim el-Uqadi, one of the workers demolishing the villa. "This is going to give us a very bad reputation among Arab countries and the rest of the world. Eventually, the $30m Nawaf got from selling his brothers will kill him."

Two shopkeepers on the other side of the street who witnessed the end of Saddam's sons expressed similar views, even though they thought Uday and Qusay were indeed "bad guys". The two brothers, they said, made a fatal mistake by staying in the same house for 23 days.

"At the beginning, we didn't know they were hiding there, but we knew something was wrong when Nawaf decided to transfer all his valuable furniture out of the building, claiming to neighbours that he was moving to a new apartment," a grocery shop owner said. He was still afraid to give his name. "Just call me Salwan," he said.

He added that Mr al-Zaidan watched Saddam's sons meet their end. "They say Nawaf took his millions to Kuwait or the Emirates. But he still owed me 40,000 dinars [£27]."

[Arkinsaw]

Now thats funny. The owner of the villa transferred all of his expensive stuff out of the house before calling the Americans.

I can just see it. "Yes Uday, I am moving all of my valuable things out of the house to make more room for you and your things great one."

"Qusay, oh great one, will you help me carry all of my valuables out to the truck? I am taking them into town to have them cleaned to serve you better."

What a couple of dimwits, to stay in a house 23 days with the US Army is looking for you and the owner moves his stuff out for some reason. LOL

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

"What he did is against Arab traditions,"

Is it me or is everything we do "against Arab traditions"?

[Monty22]

"Is it me or is everything we do "against Arab traditions"?"

I sure hope so..

[A Navy Vet]

This is such a non-story. Some pieces of tile...BFD. What is with the UK press?

[spoiler2]

"is everything we do 'against Arab traditions'?"

Probably so, since most Arab traditions are contrary to Western traditions!

[JustAnAmerican]

You just had to know it was a leftist article with "Loots" in the title.

[kayak]

bttt

[habs4ever]

That house was bought and paid, 30 million times over.They can do with it what they wish.

[Dog]

Looting like hell....its called gathering intel...:-)

[Howlin]

I wasn't under the impression that the CIA identified itself to news sources, were you?

[kayak]

ROFL at your tag line!!!

[billhilly]

If Howlin didn't post would FR exist? #;^D

[Howlin]

You bet. Long after I'm gone.

[gr8eman]

T"is article is total BS! The author is just sore at the fact that the boys took out Saddam's brood! "Got to read between the lines..."

[Tijeras_Slim]

Is it me or is everything we do "against Arab traditions"?

It is a vast crime for an infidel to loot Arabs, they hate the competition.

Sorta reminds me of Indians here in the Southwest... all their land is sacred except where they want to put the casino.

[Gringo1]

They make them up as they go along.

[Squantos]

Uday and Qusay's surviving brother "Ebay" sent em ! Marble ashtrays bids start any minute !

Stay Safe !

[texas booster]

"They act with no honour," said one of the Iraqis bulldozing the house.

They (the Americans) act with no honor, but I (noble Iraqi) will gladly take their money to bulldoze this house.

Note that these are the same Iraqis that complained about the terrible looting in Iraq, and then complained that no one was buying anything at their "garage sales". This guy is probably mad because he couldn't strip the last of the copper from the house before bulldozing.

I am glad that the Guardian checked out their CIA badges before posting this story. I'm also glad that Guardian reporterettes aren't gullible.