American soldiers who had become friends before Saddam's execution

The Dhaka Times Desk Saddam's death was confirmed by hanging. After Saddam's death, the American guards who were with him expressed a heartwarming reaction. Saddam's security guards cried after Saddam's death!

In June 2004, Saddam Hussein was handed over to the Iraqi interim government for trial. before that
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was arrested in December 2003 by US forces in a hidden cave. He was then handed over to the Iraqi interim government in June 2004 for trial. In those last days of his life, he was guarded by 12 US soldiers. BBC has highlighted the various stories of those soldiers.

Although those soldiers were Saddam Hussein's 'friends' before being arrested, they were not at all. But those 12 American soldiers became Saddam's last friends. They were literally Saddam's life companions until the last moment.

It is known that the 12 soldiers of US 551 Military Police Company were originally called 'Super Twelve'.

One of them is Will Burdenwarper. He wrote a book, titled 'The Prisoner in His Palace, His American Guards, and What History Left Unsaid'. In Bengali, the title of the book would have been 'A prisoner in his own palace, his American guard - the story that history has never told'. The book covers the various experiences of protecting Saddam Hussein until his last days.

Mr. Burdenwarper admitted that when they handed over Saddam Hussein to the executioners to be hanged, all 12 of them had tears in their eyes.

Saddam looked like a grandfather

Burdenwarper quoted one of his fellow soldiers, Rogerson, as saying, 'We never saw Saddam as a psychotic killer. Looking at him, he looked like his own grandfather many times.

Saddam Hussein used to listen to the music of American singer Mary J Blaiser regularly while spending the last days of his life in prison in Iraq. Saddam Hussain loved to ride his exercise bike. He named it 'pony'. Saddam Hussein loved to eat sweets.

Burdenwarper also wrote, Saddam Hussain treated them very well in the last days of his life. That usage did not suggest that Saddam Hussein was once a very cruel ruler.

Castro taught him to smoke cigars

Saddam Hussein was very addicted to 'Cohiba' cigars. This 'Cohiba' is considered to be one of the best Cuban cigars. His cigars were kept in a box wrapped in wet wipes. Saddam Hussein himself said that Fidel Castro had taught him to smoke cigars many years earlier.

Gardening was another hobby of Saddam besides cigars. Saddam Hussain also considered the wild bushes blooming carelessly inside the prison as a beautiful flower.

Saddam Hussein was also very sensitive about food and drink. He ate breakfast in several portions – first an omelette, then a muffin and finally fresh fruit. Even if his omelet was broken by mistake, he would refuse to eat it.

Burdenwarper also writes in reminiscences that Saddam once recounted a gruesome incident to illustrate how cruel his son Uday was. Saddam Hussain was very angry about that.

Uday went to a party and opened fire - killing several people. Several others were injured in the firing.

When Saddam found out about this, he ordered all Uday's cars to be set on fire. Talking about that incident, Saddam told the army guards that he was very angry and set Uday's expensive Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Porsche cars on fire.

Reaction to news of brother's death

It was the American soldiers assigned to Saddam Hussein's security that one day informed Saddam that his brother had died. The soldier who gave the news, Saddam hugged him to his chest and said, 'From today you are my brother.'

To another guard, Saddam said, 'If I get permission to use my property, I am willing to pay for your son's college expenses.'

One night, Dawson, an army guard in his twenties, was walking around in an ill-cut suit. It was later revealed that Dawson had been given the suit as a gift by Saddam Hussein.

Burdenwarper said, 'For several days we were all laughing at Dawson for that suit. Dawson read it and walked like he was walking the catwalk in a fashion show.'

Gradually, the friendship between Saddam Hussein and his guards became quite close, although they were under strict orders that no one should try to get close to Saddam under any circumstances.

Saddam was held in two prisons during the trial. One was an International Tribunal prison, the other in Saddam's own palace in northern Baghdad. That palace was like an island. One had to cross a bridge to get to that island.

Burdenwarper wrote, 'We did not give Saddam Hussein anything he did not deserve. But we would never hurt his ego.

A few guards like Steve Hutchinson, Chris Tasker kept Saddam's office in a store room of that palace.

Saddam Hussein's court

Everyone wanted to give Saddam Hussein a shock. A small table and a leather-covered chair are brought out of old, discarded items. A small Iraqi flag is also placed on the table.

Burdenwarper also wrote, 'We tried to create an administrative office for Saddam inside the prison. When Saddam visited the room for the first time, a soldier suddenly noticed that there was a lot of dust on the table. He started dusting.'

That behavior did not escape Saddam's attention at that time. Saddam smiled as he sat down in his chair.

Since then he used to come and sit in that chair every day. Saddam's security guards all sat in the front chairs. It seemed as if Saddam was sitting in his court.

The security guards always tried to keep Saddam happy. Instead, Saddam used to smile with everyone.

Some of the guards later told Burdenwarper that they believed 'if they were to get into trouble, Saddam Hussein would risk his life to save them'.

When he had the opportunity, Saddam Hussein would inquire about the families of the guards on guard duty.

One of the most surprising things in Burdenwarper's book is that Saddam's bodyguards mourned his death, even though Saddam was America's staunch enemy.

One of the guards, Adam Rogerson, told Will Burdenwarper that, 'I feel like we betrayed Saddam after he was hanged. They themselves now seem to be his killers. We killed such a person, he was actually very close to us.'

When Saddam Hussein's body was brought out after his execution, the crowd spat on it. American soldiers were shocked after seeing that incident!

Burdenwarper wrote that they were all shocked by the filth, especially the 12 who had been on security duty at his last hour.

One of them reached out to the people gathered there and tried to stop them. But the rest of the team dragged him away.

Steve Hutchinson, one of those 12, resigned from the US Army after Saddam's execution.

Hutchinson currently works in Georgia providing gunnery and technical training. He still harbors anger because he was ordered not to engage in combat with the Iraqis who were desecrating Saddam Hussein's body that day. But Saddam Hussein hoped till the end that he might not be hanged.

A guard, Adam Rogerson, told Burdenwarper that Saddam Hussein had expressed his desire to make love to a woman. After being released from jail, he wanted to marry again.

On December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein was woken up at three o'clock. He was informed that he would be hanged shortly. After hearing this, all the faith in Saddam was broken. He quietly bathed and got ready for hanging.

At that time, he had an idea. He wanted to know, 'Are the members of the Super Twelve also sleeping?'

Steve Hutchinson was called out of his cell by Saddam Hussein minutes before his execution. He reached through the iron bars and handed Steve his Raymond Weil watch.

However, Hutchinson objected. But Saddam Hussain put the watch in Steve's hand with some force that day.

The clock Saddam gave to him in a casket in Hutchinson's Georgia home still ticks. Maybe one day that clock will stop. But the world will continue as it was.