Saddam Hussein CIA Interrogation: Iraqi Dictator Was Not Who The U.S. Thought He Was

The Saddam Hussein CIA interrogation happened 13 years ago, and now a CIA analyst has chosen to tell all regarding what took place after U.S. military personnel dug the Iraqi leader out of a hole in the ground near his hometown of Tikrit, Iraq, during Operation Red Dawn on December 13, 2003.

The Saddam Hussein CIA interrogation is described in detail in a book by John Nixon, a member of the CIA who was personally involved in interviewing Hussein after his capture, as reported by Fox News. The book is titled Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein and will be available for purchase on December 29.

The Iraqi dictator was not, according to Nixon, who the U.S. had thought he was, and the Saddam Hussein CIA grilling that John was a part of is what proved that. Nixon claims Hussein was under the impression that 9/11 would somehow improve relations between Iraq and America, not crumble them. Saddam was even willing to take some responsibility for his plummeting leadership skills following Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Hussein, who was hanged and killed in 2006 for crimes against humanity, was frequently defiant while being interviewed and even mocked the U.S. rationale for the war: that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.”

The Saddam Hussein CIA analyst Nixon writes that shortly after being taken into U.S. military custody, Hussein sarcastically asked his captors, “You found a traitor who led you to Saddam Hussein. Isn’t there one traitor who can tell you where the WMDs are?”

The fallen Iraqi leader insisted he was not a supporter of terrorism, was not in cahoots with Osama bin Laden, and did not pose a danger to other countries. He also stated that the rumor of “weapons of mass destruction” was just that: a rumor.

The Saddam Hussein CIA interrogation revealed that a profile U.S. intelligence officials had put together about the dictator was mistaken on even the most benign of information, such as whether or not Saddam ate red meat and smoked cigars, both of which the CIA had concluded he had quit at some point, but Hussein informed Nixon that was incorrect.

In his book, CIA agent John Nixon reveals his belief that if Saddam Hussein had never been captured and executed, ISIS would not exist today, reports RT.

“‘It is improbable that a group like ISIS would have been able to enjoy the kind of success under his repressive regime that they have had under the Shia-led Baghdad government,’ Nixon wrote.”

The Saddam Hussein CIA inquiries made it clear to John that Hussein had not been ignorant of the rise and lure of jihad in his region of the world, and if he’d been allowed to continue ruling Iraq, he would have utilized his political power to inhibit the aggrandizement of the terror group.

According to John, if Saddam had been given the chance, the former Iraqi president wouldn’t have put the brakes on ISIS because he cared about their innocent victims, but rather because he would have seen the jihadist organization as a peril to his advantageous position as a world leader.

In connection to this, RT reported in July that an assessment done by the Joint Intelligence Committee shows that the war in Iraq played a huge role in helping to create ISIS.

During the Saddam Hussein CIA interviews done by Nixon, Saddam predicted that America would fall short of their goals in Iraq “because you (America) do not know the language, the history, and you do not understand the Arab mind.”

In his book, Nixon makes the suggestion that having Saddam Hussein in power at this time would most likely be better than what is happening in the Middle East currently. He hopes President-elect Donald Trump will be able to sort things out for the better during his time in office.

The Saddam Hussein CIA interrogations have largely remained a mystery up until now, but thanks to a former CIA operative who actually participated in numerous conversations with the now-deceased dictator, Americans have the opportunity, if they wish, to learn the reality of the days following the success of Operation Red Dawn.

[Featured Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]