Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf
Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf (born 1940) is a former Iraqi politician. He served as ambassador to several countries and, during the US-led invasion in 2003, as state information minister. His reports of disastrous US defeats during the invasion were ridiculed internationally, earning him the nickname of "Baghdad Bob."
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[edit]- They [US soldiers] started to commit suicide on the Baghdad walls. We will encourage them to double their suicide attempts.
- BBC Monitoring (7 April 2003) "Iraqi information minister denies presence of US forces in Baghdad" (as US forces reported entering the center of Baghdad)
- I now inform you that you are too far from reality.
- Statement to John Burns of The New York Times among his last words to western reporters before going on administrative leave (9 April 2003), as quoted in Politics and Propaganda : Weapons of Mass Seduction (2004) by Nicholas J. O'Shaughnessy, p. 233
- Lying is forbidden in Iraq. President Saddam Hussein will tolerate nothing but truthfulness as he is a man of great honour and integrity. Everyone is encouraged to speak freely of the truths evidenced in their eyes and hearts.
- As quoted in Baghdad or Bust : The Inside Story of Gulf War 2 (2003) by Mike Ryan, p. 168
- The American press is all about lies! All they tell is lies, lies and more lies!
- As quoted in A Gigantic Mistake (2004) by Mickey Z, p. 171
- The information was correct but the interpretations were not. I did my duty up to the last minute.
- New York Times (12 July 2003) "AFTER THE WAR; Hussein's Perennial Optimist Reappears"
Quotes about al-Sahhaf
[edit]- He's my man. He was great. Somebody accused us of hiring him and putting him there. He was a classic.
- George W. Bush, in an NBC interview (24 April 2003)
- In an age of spin, al-Sahaf offers feeling and authenticity. His message is consistent — unshakeable, in fact, no matter the evidence — but he commands daily attention by his on-the-spot, invective-rich variations on the theme. His lunatic counterfactual art is more appealing than the banal awfulness of the Reliable Sources. He is a Method actor in a production that will close in a couple of days. He stands superior to truth.
- Jean-Pierre McGarrigle at Welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com
