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U.S. tries to trip up Saddam
Saddam Hussein is being shown videotapes of anti-Saddam protests in Iraq, the unearthing of mass graves and the torture and execution of prisoners during his reign, two U.S. officials who are receiving reports on his interrogation said Tuesday. The goal is to provoke him into making unguarded statements by confronting him with evidence that could be used in a war-crimes trial, according to the two officials, one in the administration and one in an intelligence agency. Tapes of torture and execution were made by Saddamâs regime. Some were sent to relatives of his victims to intimidate them. U.S. intelligence officials obtained some of the tapes from those relatives. Interrogators are watching Saddamâs reactions to guide them in future questioning, the intelligence official said. During Saddamâs first two days in custody, he was pressed for details on impending attacks on coalition forces. He denied knowing anything. Now questioners are proceeding more methodically, asking questions with answers they know to test his veracity. High-ranking officials of the U.S. military, Justice Department and intelligence agencies are involved in the questioning. The CIA is taking the lead, but Saddam will remain in military custody, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said."Characterizing his general relationship with his captors ... the best word would be âresigned,â " he said. Rumsfeld said the troops who captured Saddam had the authority under standard rules to kill him if he had resisted with gunfire. During Saddamâs interrogation, psychology experts are analyzing every "sweat gland, word and twitch," the intelligence official said. Interrogators hope to gradually work through Saddamâs truculence and what the official called his canned responses. The two officials said the questioners hope he will lapse into boasting about his crimes as president of Iraq... Posted by: OMER ISHMAIL 2003-12-17 |
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