DATE=1/30/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-35565
TITLE=IRAQ / BRITAIN
BYLINE=ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE=LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SENIOR U-S OFFICIALS SAY THERE ARE INDICATIONS A POWER STRUGGLE IS UNDERWAY IN IRAQ. IN LONDON, V-O-A'S ANDRE DE NESNERA SPOKE TO A LEADING EXPERT ON THE MIDDLE EAST -- HAZHIR TEIMOURIAN -- ABOUT THE AMERICAN STATEMENTS, AND HE FILED THIS REPORT FROM THE BRITISH CAPITAL.
TEXT: OFFICIALS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE U-S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAY IRAQ IS IN THE THROES OF A COMPLEX POWER STRUGGLE. THEY SAY AN INDICATION OF THIS INTERNAL BATTLE IS THAT IRAQI LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS PLACED HIS WIFE SAJIDA UNDER HOUSE ARREST.
A BRITISH EXPERT ON THE MIDDLE EAST -- HAZHIR TEIMOURIAN -- SAYS HE IS NOT SURPRISED THE IRAQI LEADERSHIP HAS RIDICULED THE U-S REMARKS. BUT FOR HIM, THE STATEMENTS RING TRUE.
/// TEMOURIAN ACT ///
VERY MUCH SO. SAJIDA -- WHO HAPPENS TO BE SADDAM'S FIRST COUSIN -- HAS BEEN UNHAPPY FOR MANY YEARS AND SHE IS A WOMAN OF STRONG CHARACTER. I UNDERSTAND SHE IS UNHAPPY THAT HER HUSBAND ARRANGED THE MURDER OF HER SONS-IN-LAW AFTER THEY RETURNED FROM DEFECTION IN JORDAN LAST YEAR.
/// END ACT ///
SOME EXPERTS HERE SUGGEST SAJIDA HUSSEIN WAS DEVASTATED BY HER HUSBAND'S INABILITY TO GET ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT ABROAD FOR THEIR SON UDAY, WHO WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN A DECEMBER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. HE REMAINS PARALYZED IN A BAGHDAD HOSPITAL.
MR. TEIMOURIAN SAYS SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS BEEN DEEPLY AFFECTED BY THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON HIS OLDEST SON.
/// 2ND TEMOURIAN ACT ///
THE GREATEST DEFEAT OF HIS SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS -- WHICH ARE MANY -- HAS BEEN NOT TO BE ABLE TO DISCOVER WHO WAS BEHIND THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF HIS SON WHICH WAS AN ACT AGAINST HIMSELF. SO HE IS VERY PARANOID ABOUT SECURITY. I REMEMBER DURING THE GULF WAR HE WOULD NOT SEE KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN WHO HAD COME ALL THE WAY TO BAGHDAD TO SEE HIM, BECAUSE OF THE FEAR THE AMERICANS COULD DISCOVER -- FROM THE WALKIE-TALKIE VOLUME OF COMMUNICATIONS AROUND THE TWO MEN -- WHERE SADDAM MIGHT BE. SO TODAY, THAT HE IS UNABLE TO TRACE THE ATTEMPTED KILLERS OF HIS SON, HE IS MUCH MORE PARANOID.
/// END ACT ///
MR. TEIMOURIAN'S STATEMENT CONFIRMS REMARKS BY A U-S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL WHO SAID SADDAM HUSSEIN APPEARS TO BE MOVING AROUND MORE IN BAGHDAD -- AN INDICATION HE IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS OWN SECURITY.
/// OPT /// THE BRITISH EXPERT ON THE MIDDLE EAST SAYS THE MAN IN CHARGE OF SADDAM'S SECURITY IS HIS SECOND SON GUSAY WHO MAY CONSIDER HIMSELF TO BE SADDAM HUSSEIN'S HEIR APPARENT NOW THAT UDAY SEEMS TO BE OUT OF ACTION. MR. TEMOURIAN SAYS THAT COULD CAUSE EVEN MORE FRICTION IN SADDAM'S ALREADY DEEPLY DIVIDED FAMILY.
/// OPT // 3RD TEIMOURIAN ACT ///
IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST MEDIEVAL-TYPE RULING FAMILY WE HAVE GOT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AT THE MOMENT. YES -- THEY ARE VERY MUCH DIVIDED AMONG THEMSELVES. THEY ARE TRAINED FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD -- THE SONS ESPECIALLY -- TO BE BRUTAL. THAT IS SADDAM'S IDEA OF LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE AFTER ALL HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AT THE AGE OF SEVEN WHEN HE WAS SENT TO SCHOOL BY HIS RELATIVES WITH A LOADED PISTOL IN HIS POCKET. SO THAT IS HIS BACKGROUND, AND HE IS TRYING TO CONVEY TO THE MINDS OF HIS SONS THAT SAME BACKGROUND AND MENTALITY.
/// END ACT // END OPT ///
MR. TEMOURIAN SAYS IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS SADDAM IS IRRATIONAL -- AND HAS BEEN ACTING IN AN IRRATIONAL MANNER FOR MANY YEARS. HE CAUTIONS AGAINST ATTEMPTS BY ANY WESTERN COUNTRY TO TRY TO REHABILITATE IRAQ AND TOLERATE SADDAM. HE SAYS SUCH A POLICY WOULD BE TERRIBLY MISTAKEN. (SIGNED)
NEB/ADEN/JWH/KL
30-Jan-97 10:50 AM EST (1550 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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