IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (9)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06765454
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2018
• Case Number: F-2018-00293
• Publication Date: November 29, 1998

(U) IRAQI COMMANDERAp-p-rc7fed -6054-5-4)
Identifiers:
Document Number: WA2911074598
Dates:
Date Published: 29-Nov-1998 06:45:00
Date Received: 29-Nov-1998 01:48:25
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: IRQ
Region: MIDDLEEAST
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
UNCLASSIFIED 1
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(b)(3)
(U) SERIAL: WA2911074598
(U) COUNTRY: IRAQ SUBJ: TAKE 2 OF 2--IRAQI COMMANDER MEMOIRS ON MISSILES (9)
(U) REF: JN2911064098 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 12 NOV 98 P 12 /// AT SAUDI
TERRITORY.
(U) SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 12 NOV 98 P 12 TEXT:
(U) WITH THAT IN MIND, I MADE A SMART TRICK; AT 2350 SHARP ON THAT DAY I
ORDERED THAT SIX ROCKETS BE FIRED AT ENEMY CONCENTRATIONS AT HAFR AL-
BATIN. THAT WAS A LUCKY HIT. OUR SECTORS SPENT THE NIGHT IN BUSTAN AND THE
ROCKETS WERE FIRED IN ONE SALVO MAKING FOR AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT. THE HIT
WAS TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE MIDDAY NEWS BULLETIN OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN
RADIO, WHEN THE NEWSREADER IN THE STUDIO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF READING OUT
LOCAL ITEMS. HE WAS NOTICED TO HAVE STAMMERED AND WAS UNABLE TO SOUND
THE ALERT. OUR 12TH STRIKE AT TARGETS ON SAUDI ARABIAN TERRITORY HAD
PROVED A COMPLETE SUCCESS. THE ROCKET ATTACK WAS MEANT TO AVENGE THE
ZIONIST STRIKE AT THE IRAQI TAMMUZ NUCLEAR REACTOR AND THE CHILDREN OF THE
INTIFADAH AND THE CHILDREN WHO WERE KILLED IN THE BOMBING OF AL-AMIRIYAH
SHELTER BY THE MURDEROUS AGGRESSORS. 15 FEBRUARY 1991 (SUBTITLE) AT
HEARING THE ULULATION OF WOMEN AND CHANTS OF YOUNG MEN AS A TOKEN OF
THEIR ELATION ON THE ROAD THAT LED TO WEST BAGHDAD, I WAS SWEPT BY A DEEP
SENSE OF JOY, HAVING REALIZED THAT OUR PEOPLE WERE STANDING SIDE BY SIDE
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WITH US AS WE WENT DOWN TVA�pr;i:(Scifcir�R.eleTs-e7Foi6iio-766�c5OW5Z5 GLORY AND
PRIDE. I HAD STOPPED AT THE ROADSIDE TO ADMIRE THE SIGHT OF A VEHICLE AS IT
PASSED CARRYING A WELL-CAMOUFLAGED MISSILE. THE SIGHT OF THAT ROCKET HAD
FILLED THOSE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WITH ENTHUSIASM, AT WHICH THE NAME OF
THE TUNE, "PALESTINE SHALL REMAIN ARAB," THAT HAD CEASED TO BE PLAYED,
CROSSED MY MIND. I DIRECTED MY CHAUFFEUR TO DROP ME AT MY HOME AS SOON
AS OUR WORK WAS COMPLETED. A BODYGUARD OF THE PRESIDENT'S HAD ONCE
ASKED ME TO SEE IF I COULD CALL IN A TRANSLATOR FROM HEBREW TO ARABIC FROM
THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE HEADQUARTERS SO HE COULD HELP IN TRANSLATING
SOME INTERESTING THINGS. WHEN THAT TRANSLATOR FAILED TO BE PROVIDED I
ASKED MY DRIVER TO GO TO MY HOME SO THAT I COULD BRING BACK A NUMBER OF
BOOKS IN HEBREW, A LANGUAGE OF WHICH I KNEW A LITTLE, BUT THESE HAD FAILED
TO BE FOUND. ARRIVING HOME, I TRIED TO FIND THE BOOKS MYSELF. AT SEEING ME,
MY CHILDREN RAN TOWARD ME HAPPY TO SEE ME. I SENSED THAT THEY WERE PROUD
THAT THEIR FATHER WAS TAKING PART IN A GLORIOUS BATTLE. I HURRIED UP TO A
ROOM UPSTAIRS TO SEARCH FOR THE HEBREW BOOKS WHEN I HEARD THE SOUND OF
GUNFIRE FROM WHAT SEEMED TO BE CLOSE QUARTERS. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY SHARP
SCREAMS THAT APPEARED TO EMANATE FROM INSIDE OUR HOUSE. I HURRIED
DOWNSTAIRS IN SOME PANIC FEARING THAT A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY MIGHT HAVE
BEEN HURT OR SOMETHING. IN FACT, IT WAS MY DISTRAUGHT WIFE BEATING HER
CHEST AND WITH THE CHILDREN STANDING ABOUT HER. I ASKED HER WHAT THAT WAS
ALL ABOUT. TO WHICH SHE SAID THAT THE NEIGHBORS WERE SAYING THAT IRAQ HAD
AGREED TO THE TERMS OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE IRAQI TROOPS FROM KUWAIT.
MY REACTION WAS TO SMILE AND TO ASK THEM TO TUNE IN TO RADIO BAGHDAD
FIRST. IRAQ HAS ITS OWN CONDITIONS TOO; HAVE NO FEAR FOR OUR COUNTRY, I
ADDED. WHAT ABOUT SADDAM? WHAT ABOUT SADDAM? THEY DEMANDED TO KNOW.
HE IS FINE, I REASSURED THEM. DEEPLY MOVED AND TOUCHED, I THEN SAID GOOD-
BYE TO MY FAMILY AND I WAS PARTICULARLY TOUCHED BY THE SIGHT OF THE
YOUNGEST CHILD "HAJAR" WHOM I REALIZED WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. I
EXPLAINED THAT REACTION TO MYSELF AS THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE YOUTHS AND
THEIR RALLYING BEHIND THEIR COURAGEOUS PRESIDENT. I WAS PARTICULARLY
IMPRESSED BY THEIR FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR LEADER SADDAM HUSAYN.
TAKING MY SEAT IN THE CAR, I WAVED GOOD-BYE TO MY FAMILY MEMBERS AND WE
SMILED AT EACH OTHER IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. WE MENFOLK DO THE THINKING AND
ANALYZING WITHOUT OUR FEARS SHOWING ON OUR FACES, BUT THE OUTBURST OF
EMOTION THAT SHOWN CLEARLY ON THE FACES OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WAS A SORT
OF BAROMETER OF THE EXTENT OF LOVE AND AFFECTION IN WHICH THEY HELD THEIR
NATION AND THEIR LEADER. I WAS DEEPLY IMPRESSED AND MOVED BY THAT SIGHT
AND I HAVE, SINCE THEN, RECOUNTED THAT EPISODE TO THEM WHENEVER I FELT
THERE WAS A NEED FOR ME TO BOOST THEIR MORALE. PLEASE DISREGARD
JN2911064098 AND JN2911064598 SENT IN ERROR. PLEASE DISREGARD JN2911064098
AND JN2911064598 SENT IN ERROR. PLEASE DISREGARD JN2911064098 AND
JN2911064598 SENT IN ERROR. PLEASE DISREGARD JN2911064098 AND JN2911064598
SENT IN ERROR. THIS REPORT MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND
DISSEMINATION IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNERS.
(ENDALL) END OF MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED
- JN2911064098 AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 12 NOV 98 P 12 /// AT SAUDI
TERRITORY.
Collection: FB
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Creator:
Agency Acronym: RESTON VA
Office Name: FBIS
Approved for Release: 2018/10/09 C06765454
Description: (U) None
Language: eng
Precedence: ROUTINE
Source:
Attributions: SOURCE: AMMAN AL-'ARAB AL-YAWM IN ARABIC 12 NOV 98 P 12
Subject: --
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