Saddam’s personal physician: Dictator had no regrets
Finnish version of Ala Bashir diaries published
Ala Bashir
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"I do not believe that Saddam Hussein regretted the suffering he caused the Iraqi people", said Ala Bashir, Saddam’s long-time personal physician in Helsinki in Tuesday.
On rare occasions Saddam might admit to having made a mistake during his 35 years in power, but insisted that his decisions were always the only right ones.
The 65-year-old Bashir had been in Saddam’s inner circle for 20 years. In his book Saddam’s Confidant: My Life with Saddam’s Inner Circle, he describes Iraq’s unpredictable and cruel leader on the basis of entries in his diary. The Finnish translation of the book was published on Tuesday.
"He was certainly a psychopath: friendly and polite, but ruthless toward his enemies and challengers", Bashir says.
Saddam would hold lengthy conversations with his doctor, and get sidetracked on insignificant issues. "I told him many times ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’".
Bashir remained loyal to Saddam regardless of the wars, the cruelty, and the persecutions. The persecution never affected him, even though many of the members of the inner circle had to leave.
He did not try to influence Saddam’s decisions, and he accepts no responsibility for the crimes committed by the regime. Bashir emphasises that his role was that of a doctor, whose task it is to treat both the good and the bad. "When asked, I told him my opinion, and the answer was not always to his liking."
Bashir was among the privileged, but quitting the dictator’s inner circle would have been impossible. In Saddam’s Iraq even the privileged were under surveillance. Bashir’s telephone line was tapped, and his family was not allowed to join him on trips abroad.
The doctor says that once he seriously feared for his life. He had enlisted the help of a French doctor to treat Saddam’s brother for gunshot wounds. The doctor was a Jew, and Saddam’s bodyguards learned of this fact. Bashir was shocked when Saddam asked him to stay in the room after the others had left.
Bashir admitted to Saddam that he had invited a Jewish doctor and friend to Baghdad. Saddam responded: "We have nothing against Jews, as long as they don’t attack Iraq". Bashir was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
He nevertheless remained on his guard. When asked of his background, Bashir, a Shi’ite Muslim, and member of Iraq’s largest tribe, the Dijiburei, would say that he lived in Baghdad.
The doctor still avoids directly criticising Saddam. He speaks like a patriot who is loyal to his country and people. In his view, the Iraqi people have suffered under despots, dictators, and outside forces. Iraq’s history gave him faith that Saddam’s time would end some day, as will the present occupation.
Saddam was not able to get Bashir to join him when he fled Baghdad in April last year as US forces were advancing on the city. Bashir went into hiding, fled Iraq in July, and now lives in Qatar.
Saddam now faces trial, and a possible death sentence. Bashir does not think that most Iraqis would care even if he is executed. He believes that Saddam has no more supporters in Iraq, as even most of the members of the ruling Baath party rejoiced at his downfall.
Bashir also expects Saddam to take advantage of his upcoming trial as his last opportunity to defend himself.
Bashir hopes that attempts to bring democracy to Iraq will be successful, but he strongly denounces the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by the occupying forces.
"Soldiers who come from a civilised country act like Saddam’s police." in Bashir’s view, occupiers should know how to look at those they occupy "with the eyes of Christ".
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 19.5.2004 - TODAY |
 Saddam’s personal physician: Dictator had no regrets |
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