Saturday, June 28, 2003

"I have nothing to say for the time being, but definitely I will have something to say in writing in future."

This is how Mohammed Saeed Al Sahhaf, former Iraqi information minister, ended his 30-minute interview with Sa'd Al Seelawi of Al Arabiya reporter, who failed to get any clear answer to the so many questions posed to him.

Millions of viewers all over the world were disappointed to see the minister, who earned the nickname "Comical Ali" during the Iraq war for his satirical statements about the conflict, being unable to give them any details or justification for what happened before and after the fall of Baghdad.

"Leave it to history, and the whole world will know the truth when I have the right circumstances to tell the truth," he kept repeating.

Looking at least 10 years older than the Sahhaf we last saw hours before the fall of Baghdad on April 9, the former minister appeared frightened as if he were still expecting that Saddam might return to power anytime.

"I do not think that my life is in real danger, but still I hope that my life is not threatened," he said.

Al Sahhaf said that he had nothing to say about Saddam or anyone of his family members. As for the epithets he used to use for describing the coalition forces, Al Sahhaf said that most of the vocabulary was derived from the books of history.

"It was neither me nor Saddam who invented such terms," said Al Sahhaf, who added that he will spend the rest of his life writing books and taking care of his family.

Gulf News