Namiq to Asharq Al-Awsat: I hid a president for 235 days, and the world has an army of 150,000 soldiers to find him.
The story of the disappearance and arrest of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is among the events engraved in the memory of modern Arab and international history, as this period carried suspense and mystery, after the Iraqi president was able to escape and hide for a period from the eyes of the world before he was found. The documentary film “Hiding Saddam,” which was shown on the third day of the Red Sea Film Festival, recounts the details of this mysterious journey.
The film is the first documentary work that narrates through his “hidden” this crucial period in the life of President Saddam Hussein. For 18 years, the invading American forces were searching in Iraq for his ousted president, who disappeared without a trace like a speck in the air. Then he was arrested in the city of Al-Dour, hiding in a ditch among trees and roses. Alaa Namiq (who is 50 years old today) hid Saddam for 235 days before American forces tracked him down in 2003, and he was executed 3 years later.
Film implementation
He convinced director Halqut Mustafa, the late president’s hideout, to tell his story for the first time in this documentary, which took 10 years to make, and it was necessary to surround it with a great deal of secrecy. The crew itself did not know about the real subject of the film, which was filmed between Norway and Iraq, and was written, directed and co-produced by Halqout Mustafa, and its duration is 96 minutes.
In Alaa Namiq’s interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he confirmed that for years ago, he had no plan to make the film, despite the Western media’s insistence on him since 2004 to tell his story with Saddam, after his release from Abu Ghraib prison, and about that he says: “My situation did not allow that, and we were saying the story is over, and he is gone. We did what we had to do to save him. Years later, newspapers, television, and social networking sites started talking about the story again on a daily basis, and in an incorrect manner. Which motivated me to agree to make the film.”
The beginning came when director Halqout left news with one of the sheikhs close to Namiq, whom he met inside Iraq in 2010, and then his request was rejected. But after talk of the late president’s story resumed on social media, Namiq agreed to Halqout’s request, to show the world the truth and for his story to be conclusive proof of all the doubts surrounding his betrayal, his extradition to former President Saddam Hussein, and his greed for the amount that the American government offered to whomever… Report his location.
In 2012, Namiq met Halqot and began writing the story. Filming took about 11 years, due to the events that ravaged the region and the world during this period, and caused a delay in its publication, starting with the control of the terrorist organization “ISIS” and passing through the “Corona” virus crisis. Namiq says: “Praise be to God who helped me and I was able to complete the film, photograph it, and explain to the world how our Arab customs honor the guest, pledge to protect them, and bear responsibility for them.”
Saddam Hussein up close
Saddam Hussein always told Namik that he was like a time bomb that could explode at any moment and kill those around it. Namiq responded that he knew that, and assured him that he took responsibility for protecting him, and would not leave him no matter what happened. Namiq continues: “Saddam used to ask a lot of questions, and he would tell stories and news to feel our pulse. He had strong insight, and knew the person in front of him, and what his endurance was, and he was always trying to lure us with words, and we did not care, and we used to tell him, “Whatever comes from God, may God protect him, and what God Almighty has written, we will see.”
According to Namiq, Saddam Hussein’s personality was difficult at times, and simple at other times, pointing out that his nervousness and tension were due to him being a personality whose disappearance baffled the world, whose regimes mobilized about 150,000 soldiers to search for him and await the moment of his arrest.
When the newspapers announced that the American government had allocated $25 million to anyone who would provide information about Saddam Hussein or hand him over, Namiq would bring it to Saddam and speak kindly to him, telling him: “Your price has increased, sir.” He also would bring him newspapers that published his pictures in more than one form. To show him how the Americans were searching for him, and he said: “Despite all that, praise be to God, we were able to protect him, but God Almighty destined for him to be arrested and handed over.”
Location of filming
The film was filmed at the original site where Saddam Hussein hid. Namiq explained that the trench is no longer the same as it was 20 years ago, as it was demolished more than once, but they repaired what the American soldiers destroyed on the farm, until the film is performed. He said that the farm had become deserted, and all of his family’s homes had been destroyed and razed to the ground. He continued: “We sacrificed ourselves and our property.”
Why Alaa Al-Namiq?
The issue of selection was written by Saddam Hussein in his memoirs. Namiq says that “he did not choose me, but when he was taken out of Baghdad, he went to the sheikhs and stayed hosting them for about 4 or 5 days. When he learned that his affairs had been exposed, he left them and took refuge in another house, where he stayed for two days, and he also left because His friends apologized to him and asked him to leave, fearing for their safety and lives. This is what President Saddam told me.”
Namiq continued: “When he came to me, I told him; Why choose us? He said; On my way (he is from Salah al-Din, Tikrit), I fell asleep for a quarter of an hour, and a strange person came to me and told me to go to the house of Hajji Namiq. He did not mention who Hajji Namiq was. When I woke up, I asked the men who were responsible for protecting me. Where are we? They told me about the distance that takes us from Samarra, so I told them to take the Al-Dur road, and when we took it, I asked them to go to Al-Namiq’s house, and upon his arrival, he met my father, who told him: God willing, we will be able to protect you.”
Namiq confirmed that his father was very worried and afraid of sacrificing us, but he spoke to his father about the matter, and told him: “The matter fell upon you, and God willing, I will be able to bear its consequences, and I will live up to your expectations, so prepare the place, but within 235 days they moved between more than place”.
Last moments
Namiq says that the last words spoken by Saddam were, “Change the place for me. I want to leave him.” So I said to him, “Okay, sir, I have another place.” So I prepared it for him and asked him: Why? He replied: “We must leave this place.” I told him: “We must leave now.” Namiq says: “Saddam Hussein had a strong sixth sense. He could feel events before they happened, and indeed they were happening.” Saddam added: “No, tomorrow morning.” He said these words on 12/13/2003. I told him at the time: “Now we will change it.” He said: “No, sit down.” He started preparing dinner, and before that, I went to prepare the second place for him. “I still remember that strong feeling that something was going to happen to me, and the moment we sat down to eat dinner, American forces raided the farm, and we were immediately arrested.”
Arrest and threats
Namiq says: “I was arrested in Abu Ghraib prison and subjected to various types of torture, and after 7 months they released me, when they confirmed that I had no story other than that I hid Saddam Hussein, and that I had nothing to do with politics. After I left, I was subjected to many assassination attempts, and I survived by the power and praise of God, but unfortunately the kidnapping of my brother succeeded, and he spent 33 days in a trunk in a car to pressure me not to tell the story of the disappearance of former President Saddam Hussein. After many years and dealing with the lies in telling my story with Saddam and distorting the facts, I decided to tell the truth of what happened, to say; I am not a traitor, and I will not allow anyone to call my children the traitor’s children.”
