Home >> Middle East >> Iraq

     Email   Print 

Interview with Saddam's General Ibrahim Al-Tikriti

Ryan Mauro - 5/26/2006

Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti was a southern regional commander for Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen militia in the late 1980s and a personal friend of the dictator. Units under his command dealt with chemical and biological weapons. He was known as the “Butcher of Basra” due to his campaigns and defected shortly before the Gulf War in 1991. The following is the transcript of General Ali Ibrahim Al-Tikriti’s first videotaped testimony. We will release videotaped testimony in the near future.

Salaam Americans. I was formerly known as Iraqi Fedayeen Major General, Ali Ibrahim Al-Tikriti. I was one of Saddam's chief Generals dealing with his secret nuclear, chemical, and biological programs. Our weapons programs were fully operational in the mid-late 1980's where we used such weapons on numerous occasions against Iranian positions as well as the infamous attack on Halabjah.

After the Gulf War our weapons programs were driven deep underground to avoid international inspections. We composed an idea of using salvaged parts from Tamuz in the early 90's as well as research we still had filed to begin construction of a simulation reactor. One of the most critical components was the gas centrifuges. After numerous attempts to acquire specially designed high strength aluminum tubes for these centrifuges we were finally successfully in acquiring these materials in 1999 and early 2000 from Germany.

As far as the weapons inspections were concerned we devised very lucrative measures to hide our ongoing nuclear projects. For instance we were under strict orders to destroy all materials, memos, and reports pertaining to such projects. Immediately after completion of the orders, we were also given orders at random to abandon nuclear facilities and sites where nuclear, chemical, or biological research was being conducted and to move them to future facilities that were not known about until the materials were ready for transport. Many of the workers used for such transport were immediately purged as to leave few witnesses.

As for foreign involvement in our programs, much of this can be attributed to the Russian Federation. Moscow directed many programs around the world, Iraq being one of them where chemical weapons and scientists were sent to further develop unconventional munitions. Contingency plans were developed though, in the event that the host nation was compromised, as in the case of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Spetsnaz forces were sent to retrieve the munitions as well as any materials related to Russian involvement. These programs were designed to build stronger relations with countries that were discordant with the west.

For those who are still skeptical of the unconventional weapons programs in Iraq, I would offer you to first take a look at Iraq and the obvious uses for such weapons. As well as Saddam's own insatiable lust of being the great Arab unifier of the Arab world. What better way to gain control except through the means of unconventional weapons which are seen by most as being the end all to western dominance.