| There should be a list of names such as Saddam, Ali Hassan al-Majid
[Saddam’s cousin, notorious for ordering the gassing of Kurds in 1988],
[Deputy Premier] Tariq Aziz and so on.…
What could the army be doing now?
The ideal situation is that the
Iraqi army moves to seize power before the start of the war. That is the
best choice. But I do not believe such a thing might happen. If the U.S.
wants to go on with the war plan, there will be a war. I hardly believe
that Saddam would give in to the U.S. and give up [his] weapons of mass
destruction.
Is the Iraqi Army capable of toppling Saddam?
The main power of Saddam relies
on two factors: the weapons of mass destruction and the tactics of surprise.
He would use human shields to divert air raids. He did it [during U.S.
airstrikes] in 1998, when he brought thousands of people and put them in
the presidential palaces and important targets. He would opt to do unpredictable
and uncalculated things. Blowing up the oil fields in Basra and Karkuk
would be one of the surprises. You can draw your own conclusions about
what other options Saddam has.
Was it a mistake for President George W. Bush to turn this into
a personal issue against Saddam?
[Bush’s statements] against Saddam
Hussein gave him an important chance to prepare his regime and his army
for the war. He prepared the army, the equipment, the materiel. The weapons
and the plans are ready.
How do ordinary Iraqis feel about the prospect of American troops
in Iraq?
If they got rid of Saddam with
minimum damage, they would definitely look at it positively. But if the
casualties are high it would be negative. Do you expect the people to love
you when a lot of civilians are killed?
Would it be easy to get rid of Saddam Hussein with minimum loss of
life?
Only if they targeted him personally.
I cannot go into such details because it is illegal.
What about the Saddam look-alikes said to be used as decoys?
I do not believe in the existence
of people looking like Saddam. During my stay in Iraq I did not see one
person who looked like him. I think [the impersonator talk] is big propaganda.
Maybe there is one [look-alike,] but there is much propaganda about this
issue.
What is the current condition of the Iraqi army?
If the Iraqi army believed in
Saddam Hussein and his regime its resistance would be very fierce and the
U.S. task would be very difficult. [But] the army will believe the battle
is already lost if the U.S. Army says its target is to topple Saddam.
Does Iraq still have the capacity to launch missiles armed with
weapons of mass destruction?
In 1990, the Iraqi Army was in
a much better position than today. But they still have missiles and weapons
of mass destruction. Of course, these missiles can reach Israel. I believe
[Saddam] will attack Israel. The only question is whether Arrow and Patriot
missiles would be able to shoot down [Iraqi] missiles before they reach
their destination. During the [1991] gulf war, [the anti-missile defenses]
failed. If they fail now, I believe the missiles would reach Tel Aviv.
Saddam will use the weapons
of mass destruction. If his life is threatened he will use everything within
his reach. I believe the biological weapons are more dangerous than chemical
weapons because they cause more death. The spread of diseases is faster
and the measures to contain it are difficult. If he could launch the missiles,
he undoubtedly would do it. I believe the Americans will try to prevent
him from doing so by occupying the area west of the Euphrates River.
Are there increased contacts between the exiled opposition and anti-Saddam
officers inside Iraq?
I can neither confirm or deny
that officers under my command are in contact with me. They can contact
others in the opposition as well. We do not go into details because the
opposition in exile is not one unit.
Why can’t the internal Iraqi opposition get rid of Saddam?
Only the Iraqi Army can get rid
of him. But his security measures are very strong.
If the Americans sent a message to assure the Iraqi officers that
they would not target them, would they topple Saddam without the United
States having to go to war?
This is very difficult for me
to answer because Iraq is my country. I am not a foreign expert who talks
about this matter easily. If I say the Iraqi Army would not move against
Saddam unless Iraq is attacked from the outside, then a large number of
the Iraqi people would be upset with me. And if I say the army will move
without the U.S. attacks, the people will say I do not want this regime
to be removed.
Will the return of United Nations arms inspectors be able to prevent
a war?
It will be very difficult for
the inspectors to find anything. I believe it is impossible that Saddam
will give them anything.
Do you believe the Bush administration when it says it wants to create
a democratic system in Iraq. Will it be able to do so?
I believe if a group of military
persons seize power, the U.S. will deal with them as it dealt with [President
Pervez] Musharraf in Pakistan. The U.S. wants the regime to be changed
and human rights observed, but I do not believe it wants a free democratic
system. The evidence of that was when [the Bush administration] said it
would accept any person who could get rid of Saddam and also said it would
not dictate conditions.
If Saddam is ousted, would Iraq need another strong government to
stop the country splitting apart?
During the first few years, there
would be a need for control that secures the unity of the country—whether
by the Iraqi Army or the U.S. The Iraqi army would lose its power once
the Americans are inside Iraq. In such a situation, the U.S. should take
control.
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