Posted By Emma Sabry

September 1, 2007

After the U.S.-backed Iraqi government executed the late President Saddam Hussein, it is currently seeking the capture of his eldest and most favourite daughter Raghad. 

Following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Raghad escaped to Amman, where she was welcomed by Jordan’s King Abdullah and was treated as a guest in the Royal Hashemite house. But earlier this month, the Interpol issued an arrest warrant at the request of the Iraqi government allegedly accusing the 38-year-old woman of "crimes against life, incitement and terrorism". 

If extradited from Jordan, and convicted, Raghad would face life imprisonment and possible execution.

The Iraqi government made similar accusations against Raghad before, but the renewed pursuit underscores the desperation of Nour Al-Maliki’s Shia-dominated government to curb Iraq’s violence more than showing any sign that Raghad is actively fomenting opposition in her war-torn country, according to an editorial on the Independent. 

King Abdullah refuses to hand Raghad over to Maliki’s government, following the footsteps of his late father, King Hussein, who previously hosted Raghad and her sister Rana along with their husbands, Hussein Kamal Al Majid and Saddam Kamal Al Majid.

The two husbands, Hussein and Saddam, were cousins of the former Iraqi president. Kamal, who was high in the Baath party hierarchy, defected from the party and talked extensively to American, British and UN officials about Saddam's alleged weapons programme before becoming disillusioned with life in exile and accepting offers to safely return home. 

But Raghad and Rana were separated from their husbands at Iraq’s borders by their brother Uday, who took Kamal and Saddam to Baghdad and killed them. The two women were then sent off to live for a while with Saddam’s clan in his hometown Tikrit. 

Now being the holder of the Hussein name after the death of her two brothers Uday and Qusay in a U.S. raid after the invasion, Raghad is targeted by many parties. 

Jordanian officials, however, are refusing to hand her over, saying that she is complying with the official conditions of remaining in Jordan and not engaging in political activates or making public statements. But now the Jordanians are wary because Raghad has started to speak out against the invasion of Iraq as the war became more unpopular. Saddam’s botched hanging and the brutal massacres that are taking place in Iraq led many people to forget about Saddam’s history and focus on the illegal war. 

Raghad was the key figure in mourning for her father. In a ceremony in Yemen, hosted by the head of the country’s security forces, she said: “Saddam Hussein is the real hero and pan-Arab leader. I am proud of him and proud of his great struggle and sacrifice. As long as the resistance and the mujaheddin are fulfilling their duties in Iraq, the Iraqi people, without any doubt, will achieve victory”.

During Saddam’s trial, Raghad tried as much as she can to defend her father. She told the Independent at the time: “Sadly, they are dealing with my father as if he were not human. My father has girls, and his girls have children, so they should consider the human side. They think my father has a lack of concern for human life, but regardless of detail, the Americans should be humanitarian in dealing with his family."

In the interviews she made during the trial, Raghad didn’t want to discuss the killing of her husband and brother-in-law. "All families have misunderstandings and problems, but in the end they are families," she insisted

Raghad also took part in the making of the movie related to her father that was aired on the UK’s Channel 4. According to the Independent, Monica Garnsey, who was involved in the production and got to know Raghad well, said: "The one thing people wanted her to say is, 'My father is a terrible man', and that is the one thing she will never say. His looming death provoked this huge welling of emotion. She had this sense of obligation and helplessness."

An Iraqi businessman in Amman says Raghad has got to be careful “because who knows if the Jordanians will change their minds about sending her back to Iraq. Really, she is in this prominent position now only because the rest of the family are either killed or keep very quiet."

In fact, Saddam’s extended family is vanishing, some members are dead, some in exile and some in hiding. Ali, Saddam's surviving son, is living with his mother, the former leader’s second wife, in Lebanon, and doesn’t want to become involved in the Iraqi struggle. Saddam’s half-brother, Barzan has been executed after a trial, and Ali Hussein al Majid, the cousin known as Chemical Ali, is awaiting trial and facing a death sentence. 

Many analysts suggest that if the Jordanians decided to hand over Raghad to the Iraqi government, she would join the rest of her deceased family.

©  EsinIslam.Com

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