Shammar, Iraq
An Iraqi man has become a national celebrity after emerging from 22 years of hiding in a dugout he built behind a wall in his mother’s house. Jawad Amer Sayed, now 49, went into hiding in the 3-by-7-foot space in 1981 after two of his friends, fellow members of a banned Shiite Muslim party, were executed by the regime of Saddam Hussein. His dugout had a little toilet, an air vent, and a well, and his mother passed him food through a trap door. Sayed stumbled out of his hideout, several inches shorter and missing most of his teeth, the day after Baghdad fell to U.S. forces. “I enjoy sleeping outside now,” he told The Washington Post. “Looking at the stars.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 18, 2024Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - a rocky road, innovative legislation, and more
-
5 arguably hilarious cartoons about the 2024 presidential debateCartoons Artists take on the candidates' age gap, sleepyheads, and more
-
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: a solid summer blockbusterThe Week Recommends The big-money movie might be 'a bit silly' but the effects are excellent
