by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright April 8, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

inning over the press, Iraq Information Minister Mohammed Said Sahaf continued to spin his way into the hearts and minds of the Arab world, looming wild tales about Iraqi victories and coalition defeats. Armed with his black beret and freshly pressed green Republican Guard uniform, Sahaf barely keeps a straight face hurling amusing insults at American and British forces in Arabic and English. As the Army's 3rd Infantry Division rolled into Baghdad and stormed Saddam's presidential palace on the banks of the Tigris River, Sahaf told reporters the capital was "safe and secure." "We have killed most of the infidels, and I think we will finish off the rest soon," said Sahaf, calling the U.S. military "louts" and "mercenaries." By all accounts, the foreign press isn't concerned about finding the truth, only venting frustrations about Iraq's abysmal showing on the battlefield.

      Going over the top, Iraq's information minister isn't engaged in advancing Iraq's propaganda war, he's delighting the Arab press hurling insults at U.S. and British authorities. When U.S. troops reached Baghdad, Sahaf couldn't contain himself, violating the basic rule of plausible deniability. "There is no presence of American columns in the city of Baghdad at all. They were surrounded, and they were dealt with and their columns were smoldered. The American mercenaries will commit suicide at the walls of Baghdad. I would encourage them to increase their rate of committing suicide," defying all common sense and tipping his hand to a savvy media. Domestic journalists aren't buffaloed by the 63-year-old former Iraqi U.N Ambassador, whose biting prose satisfies a beaten down Arab press. Talking through his hat, Sahaf displays a penchant for high drama and hyperbole.

       Propaganda boomerangs when the message and messenger don't pass the test of plausible deniability. It's easy to lose credibility when outrageous denials don't match eyes and ears on the ground. "For those who are against the war, Sahaf offers some kind of Nirvanic pleasure," said Saudi businessman Hassan Yassin. "He's a tranquillizer for the Arab masses. He's colorful. He's brought some dormant Arabic words into his descriptions. He is a verbal slugger," acknowledging that Sahaf takes verbal potshots where the Iraqi army painfully misfires. Though a seasoned diplomat, Sahaf once called Sec. of State Colin L. Powell "stupid" to his face, proving he's up to the task of insulting world leaders. Saving face pushes Iraqi officials to take cheap shots, rather than admit obvious shortcomings. Since the War began March 20, Sahaf gave Arabs a big mouth on the world stage.

      Far from amusing, Sahaf's shenanigans mirror a regime in the final stages of cardiac arrest. Getting pummeled on the battlefield, Iraq's military put up only token resistance leading some to think that Saddam's troops don't share his suicidal instincts. Air superiority can't account for why Arab world's best-equipped fighting machine didn't show up for battle. Even Saddam's most loyal troops have been seen discarding uniforms and either running for their lives or jumping into the Tigris River. Sahaf's off-the-wall rhetoric epitomizes the Iraqi regime's colossal bluff before Cruise Missiles and smart bombs lit up the Baghdad skyline. Calling President Bush a "war criminal" and "stupid," Sahaf's delights Arab audiences with a barrage of flowery insults, calling America "bloodsucking bastards," "sick dogs" and "donkeys." With or without access to the facts, the Arab Street enjoys Sahaf's biting sarcasm.

      With Saddam's regime on wobbly legs, Sahaf's insults give Arabs one last shot before hitting the canvas. Some recall the painful humiliation in 1967 when Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser boasted about routing Israel, just before Israeli tanks rolled into Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza, Golan Heights and the West Bank. "I worshipped Nasser, but suddenly when he went into war in 1967, we lost in six days. Jerusalem was lost to me and I cried. I really cried. It was a great shock. Israel was humiliating us. It meant that we are a worthless, our rulers are worthless," said Former Palestinian Prime Minister Taher Masri. Face-saving is a powerful but self-destructive instinct in the Arab world, leading Saddam to his current fate. For a man who valued survival, his instincts at self-preservation proved out of touch with reality. Watching Saddam's self-monuments come crashing down tells the whole story.

      Iraq's information minister is no master propagandist. His childish fabrications fool no one, including the Arab Street busy watching Iraq come apart at the seams. Nahaf's antics give an empty catharsis to millions of Iraqis looking for a better way of life. With the U.N. already squabbling about the post-Saddam era, the U.S. will no doubt spend a long time supervising a tenuous society once ruled by Saddam's iron fist, where religious divisions and tribal-infighting threaten chaos and anarchy. Despite the glaring self-interest of France, Germany and Russia, U.N. involvement can't guarantee the type of stability needed to nurse a fledgling democracy in Iraq. Only U.S. taxpayers have the resources to pull off the most ambitious nation-building project since World War II. Americans and Brits paid the ultimate price to give Iraq a new beginning. With too much at stake, they shouldn't turn over the heavy lifting to the U.N—or anyone else.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2002 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.