Saddam celebrates

last updated 8 January 2015

Baghdad

To mark his unanimous re-election as dictator last week, Saddam Hussein declared a general amnesty for prisoners. The doors of prisons were thrown open, freeing tens of thousands of inmates, including murderers, thieves, and even political dissidents—everyone except “spies for the Zionist entity.” Crowds of cheering women surged into the filthy, abuse-riddled prisons to claim their husbands and sons, many shouting, “Our president is just!” The Iraqi government described the amnesty as an expression of Saddam’s “profound love” for his people. But some officials acknowledged that it was intended to encourage loyalty in case of a U.S. invasion. “There is a threat of war,” said A.K. Hashimi, a presidential adviser. “It’s a good idea to give every Iraqi the chance to decide for himself if he wants to fight.”