Saddam's sorcerer says he'll be found, but dead

Washington Times ^ | Aug 15, 2003 | Niko Price

[FairOpinion]

HEET, Iraq

[FairOpinion]

IT gives you an idea of the culture there...

[farmfriend]

lol!

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

The wrinkled old man sprays perfume around the sparse, dingy room, then holds out his hands and feet and instructs one of his visitors to tie him up, knot the cloth three times and blow on it.

In his dingy Baghdad house, Sayed Sadoun Hamid el-Moussaoui al-Refai, 56, squats on cushions wearing a traditional Iraqi robe and skullcap. To demonstrate his prowess, he pushes a kebab skewer through his cheek and wipes away the blood.

Geez, give the guy a break ya jerk! So he dosent live as well as YOU! Lets see how well you live after living in a country with a ruthless dictator.

[FairOpinion]

I guess the author was too lazy to use a thesaurus... LOL

I liked this part:

"We use the genies or the angels," the magician says. "But we prefer the angels, because the genies lie 75 percent of the time."

Maybe there is a future for Clinton as a genie...

[McGavin999]

Properly used, that could really work to our advantage.

[FairOpinion]

Yes, we need to take into account the culture and their belief system to be able to see things from their perspective, that would make us much more effective in our dealings with them.

Maybe one of those sorcerers could announce that those things that supposedly protect Saddam have lost their power -- since Saddam believes in that stuff, maybe that would make him do rash things and we could nab him.

[rockfish59]

And his source is?

[FairOpinion]

"And his source is? "

I hope it's not those genies who lie 75% of the time. LOL

[McGavin999]

Ah, but you see, the angels (as opposed to the evil genies who worked with Saddam) have made a pact with the angels who guard and protect the United States to free their ancient land and bring their people prosperity. For years they wept as they watched what was being done, but they could do nothing because the evil genies were being strengthened by the blood of the many good Iraqis that Saddam slaughtered. The angels and the good genies are in a fierce battle with the evil genies in the (where ever it is they live) and that battle is being reflected on earth in the battle between the evil followers of Saddam and the good and noble soldiers of America. Good must win or the people will go back into slavery and this time, no one will be able to save them.

[FairOpinion]

"Ah, but you see, the angels (as opposed to the evil genies who worked with Saddam) have made a pact with the angels who guard and protect the United States to free their ancient land and bring their people prosperity."

--

Hey, this is real good! I mean it. Quick, translate it to Arabic and become a US public relations representative in Iraq!

All kidding aside, this kind of thing would be stuff they could relate to.

[Pro-Bush]

Mr. Al-Asadi reckons that more than half of Iraq's 24 million people use some sort of magic, and a tour of magicians in Baghdad bears out his words.

I see we are dealing with the dark side!

[FairOpinion]

Don't miss post #9 on this thread!

[Pro-Bush]

Thanks, I need to think a bit re: #9.

[FairOpinion]

You may want to read the earlier posts to see how that came about -- but I think we need to take into account where they are coming from and how they lived for the past 35 years, kind of like "a country that time forgot" at least to some extent.

[jaykay]

"Islam's abhorrence of witchcraft notwithstanding. Saddam's oppressive rule actually made the magicians stronger, academics say."

If the practitioners of witchcraft are half as violent as the adherents of Islam, maybe we should get them focused on each other. An Iraqi killing other Iraqis is an Iraqi who isn't killing Americans. One's enemies fighting among themselves is a good thing according to Sun Tzu.

[R. Scott]

Saddam's sorcerer says he'll be found, but dead

It doesn’t take much sorcery to come up with that statement.

[tictoc]

Lt. Gen. Ricard Sanchez (top right in this AP picture), joined by Col. Guy Shields (top left), Lt. Larry Hagman (below), and the latest addition to his staff, Spc. Barbara Eden.

[TrueBeliever9]

Thousands of magicians, fortunetellers and faith healers make up a huge world of Iraqi spirituality that thrives despite being considered by many Muslims to be sinful.

AT LAST - something is a sin to Muslims. It is not a sin to kill Jews, Christians or anyone else who is not a Muslim. It is not a sin to lie or steal. It is not a sin to have multiple wives - and marry children. But it is a sin to go to a magician - interesting! Is this hocus pocus?

[xzins]

David Copperfield is chagrined. :>)

[Democratshavenobrains]

Hey, the Sorcerer sounds like the most balanced person in Iraq. Too bad we can't get belief in magic to replace Islam there.