Saddam Hussein is spending his time in solitary confinement writing poetry, gardening, reading the Qur'an and snacking on American muffins and cookies. One of his poems is about his arch-enemy George Bush.
Youv Amin, a longtime Iraqi human rights campaigner visited Saddam. He had family members killed by the former regime, said he could not bring himself to speak to Saddam but observed that he was "in good health and being kept in good conditions".
Saddam is being held in a white-walled air-conditioned cell, three metres wide and four metres long, Mr Amin said. He is kept apart from the other prisoners, who can mix freely with each other during the daily three-hour exercise periods.
Saddam's health was "generally good" but he was being treated for high blood pressure and had suffered a chronic prostate infection for which he had received antibiotics. The former president had refused a biopsy to test for signs of cancer. How'd you like to be that proctologist?
Like the other high-value detainees, Saddam's day begins with a substantial breakfast, an MRE (meal ready to eat), which provides 1,300 calories. He also gets hot food twice a day, which could consist of rice or potato and broccoli, along with either fish, beef or chicken. For dessert, there might be oranges, apples, pears or plums, but the former leader has developed a penchant for American snacks such as muffins and cookies. I wonder if he likes Starbuck's scones?
There is regular access to showers and a barber, and a personal grooming kit that includes soaps, toothpaste, comb, shampoo and deodorant, and plastic sandals. For some reason I doubt he uses the deodorant.
For relaxation there are no newspapers, TV or radio, but there are 145 books - mainly novels and travel books - donated by the Red Cross, which visits the detainees every six weeks. Wonder if he's got a copy of Mein Kampf?
Mr Amin said Saddam works out in his cell and then uses the daily exercise period to tend a small garden in an outside yard. Hehe, just seems funny.
"He is looking after a few bushes and shrubs and has even placed a circle of white stones around a small palm tree," said Mr Amin. (priceless)
Youv Amin, a longtime Iraqi human rights campaigner visited Saddam. He had family members killed by the former regime, said he could not bring himself to speak to Saddam but observed that he was "in good health and being kept in good conditions".
Saddam is being held in a white-walled air-conditioned cell, three metres wide and four metres long, Mr Amin said. He is kept apart from the other prisoners, who can mix freely with each other during the daily three-hour exercise periods.
Saddam's health was "generally good" but he was being treated for high blood pressure and had suffered a chronic prostate infection for which he had received antibiotics. The former president had refused a biopsy to test for signs of cancer. How'd you like to be that proctologist?
Like the other high-value detainees, Saddam's day begins with a substantial breakfast, an MRE (meal ready to eat), which provides 1,300 calories. He also gets hot food twice a day, which could consist of rice or potato and broccoli, along with either fish, beef or chicken. For dessert, there might be oranges, apples, pears or plums, but the former leader has developed a penchant for American snacks such as muffins and cookies. I wonder if he likes Starbuck's scones?
There is regular access to showers and a barber, and a personal grooming kit that includes soaps, toothpaste, comb, shampoo and deodorant, and plastic sandals. For some reason I doubt he uses the deodorant.
For relaxation there are no newspapers, TV or radio, but there are 145 books - mainly novels and travel books - donated by the Red Cross, which visits the detainees every six weeks. Wonder if he's got a copy of Mein Kampf?
Mr Amin said Saddam works out in his cell and then uses the daily exercise period to tend a small garden in an outside yard. Hehe, just seems funny.
"He is looking after a few bushes and shrubs and has even placed a circle of white stones around a small palm tree," said Mr Amin. (priceless)
