Text of Saddam Trial Deposition 28.11.2005

Among the arrested were army deserters, but I do not know their identities nor the identities of the families. I only know that the number of people arrested in the city was 400 who were detained in the party and security headquarters in Dujail because there was no headquarters for Mukhabarat in the area. When I arrived, it came to my knowledge that few people from al-Dujail were killed, between one or three persons who were killed inside the orchards, one of them was from Khazraj tribe and I do not know his name or the others' names. As I heard, they were killed by the bodyguards who were in the convoy after the shooting on the convoy.

The detainees were transferred to Mukhabarat detention center in Baghdad in 50-passenger Mercedes cars owned by Mukhabarat and that was in the second day. I presented a report to the defendant Barazan, explaining the preliminary information and details about Dujail people and he signed and gave it to me. I gave it to the late Hussein Kamil who came to Dujail in the second day and he was the personal bodyguard to Saddam Hussein at that time. Investigation started with the detainees in the detention center by our officers, Faisal Shahin, Hikmat Abdel Wahab, Kamil Hussein, Jabar Shihab Ayad Hadi and the judge was Sadiq Salim.

My role was to supervise the above-mentioned officers. I used to see the detainees during the inspections in the center.

In the second day of the incident, the families, consisting of farmers and civilians, were transferred to the chosen places in Abu Ghraib prison. In January 1983, the defendant Barazan, and he was still head of Mukhabarat, demanded me to transfer the detainees to Muthanna province and they were actually received by the security directorate in Muthanna and I have no idea what happened to them afterward. During the detention period of those, they were transferred from the detention center to the Mukhabarat security at the orders of the new Mukhabarat chief, Fhadil al-Barak whose relations with me was bad. I was arrested in April 1984 and in July I was sentenced to 25 years and a half in prison.

As for the role of the other defendants in the crime, Mizhar Abdellah, Ali Dayeh and Mohammed Azawi, I do not know anything about them and if they were party officials, yet I do not know their role because I did not know them by face. Also, the defendant Awad al-Bandar took no part in the investigation. I did not hear anything direct from Saddam Hussein. But, I knew the defendant Abdellah al-Mishaikhi who was a member in the collective farms at that time, I did not see any negative role by him in arresting the people, on the contrary, the detainees were asking him for help due to his connections with governmental bodies.

As for the role of Taha Yassin Ramadan, he had no role, but after one month, he headed a committee whose main task was to destroy the orchards in Dujail and Balad. The other task for the committee was related to the detained families and I do not know the details about it. Some of the committee members were Mohammed Illewie and Saadoun Sabri. I forget to mention that while I was investigating the incident site, I saw some cartage and I do not remember the number because they stepped down by the people. As far as I remember, the height of the wall was 180 centimeter and it stretched along one of al-Duajail orchards. I would like to mention that during all my work in mukhabarat, nobody was put in trial in the Mukhabarat court. I left the Mukhabarat detention center according to the procedures.

None of the detainees died while I was there. I did not notice any physical torture practiced on anyone. If there was any personal attitude, then it was not done according to my orders and I have not received any orders from Barazan or any other persons to torture the detainees. There was two officers, one is called Abid Sherif and the other is called Shihab and I have noticed that they were impolite and mocking the detainees and I asked that they should be transferred to the Residence Office and this was done. During the investigation, I was sure that the people who opened fire on the convoy was no more than 12 persons and this was mentioned in my report presented to Barazan and I do not know why so many people were arrested and I could not prevent their arrest.

Big number of Mukhabarat officers were rewarded by the president at that time, Saddam Hussein and I was one of them. I would like to mention that some people were killed inside the orchards by Saddam's bodyguards and I heard that they were relatives to one of Mukhabarat officers and they were considered as martyrs after knowing that they had no role in the shooting.

Barazan was giving us the orders during the investigation conducted by us. Searching the orchards and the soldiers movements were based on orders given by Barazan also in the third day.

I heard that Saddam has ordered that anyone who can carry weapons should be tried. As for Barazan he told me that anyone who is connected to the incident should stand trial.

As for the coordination between party and security, I cannot remember the decision of the committee headed by Taha Yassin. Finally, I learnt that the families that was sent to Muthanna were released after three years.

Although I was in prison, my opinion was taken on this issue, I was positive and I used to tell them that the family of the executed person should not bear his guilt.

As I mentioned before, the party official in Dujail was Ahmed Ibrahim and he was the man in charge of everything in the town and he was responsible of arresting people after the incident.

Regarding the letters presented by the chief prosecutor that some detainees had died during the investigation, he said " Those letters surfaced in 1987 because, as I think, there was some frictions between Barazan and Fhadil al-Barak who was head of the security apparatus at that time. This friction were behind the leaks and I have my doubts regarding those letters because during all my presence there, no detainee died.

At the very day of the incident or in the next day, we arrested a wounded man inside an orchard in Dujail and he was one of the persons who fired at the convoy and his name is Hussein Hassan al-Haj and he was from Dujail. After being arrested, he confessed that he gathered the people who opened fire and I do not know them except for one person who is Khazim Jafaar who escaped the execution. I would like to add that a civilian helicopter was fired from the orchards and the pilot was injured."

Asked why that most of the people transferred to the Revolution Court have denied that they have any role in shooting the convoy he said 'I do not know why they were transferred to this court and I have no further information. This is my full account.'

AP  

Top