John Nixon, "Debriefing the President"

www.politics-prose.com/book/97...
When Nixon, a senior leadership analyst with the CIA from 1998 to 2011, was asked to confirm that the man apprehended in Tikrit, Iraq, in December 2003 was indeed Saddam Hussein, he knew what physical marks to look for and what questions to ask. Yet while he was able to identify the prisoner as the former president of Iraq, Nixon also discovered that the official profile of Hussein did not match the reality of the man. Centering on the extensive interrogations of Hussein while in U.S. custody at Camp Cropper in Baghdad, Nixon’s book profiles both a complex figure and the fraught American-Iraqi relationship, riddled with preconceived ideas and misjudgments.
Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics & Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics & Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at www.politics-prose.com/
Produced by Michael A. Kowaleski

[@trumpus6905]

Is iraq killed any single american before the invasion of iraq? why you destroyed our country? we have never hurt you. Is the world has become safer after the killing of Saddam Hussein? I ask every american to answer my questions.

[@NaseerAhmad-gk8ss]

@James Mackay you are lair and you are killer of almost one million people.

[@onepieceanime1987]

yes man your god

[@onepieceanime1987]

Saddam Hussein is not a murderer. In the beginning, Saddam Hussein was not a fugitive, but there are many words saying that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and he fled all this is a lie and rumors of Saddam Hussein that he is otherwise.

[@John_Smith777]

trump us 1. Israel 2. Israel 3. Israel. Hope that answers your questions.

[@morpheus674]

Saddam is not a bad writer. The thing is that when you translate poetry from arabic to english the poem/novel makes no sense.

[@onepieceanime1987]

Saddam Hussein is not a murderer. In the beginning, Saddam Hussein was not a fugitive, but there are many words saying that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and he fled all this is a lie and rumors of Saddam Hussein that he is otherwise.

[@rashedzaman990]

You may be correct. We in the USA always judge things from our own perspectives and if something doesn’t look good from our angle then no matter how good the thing may be is always deemed as bad/defective in our eyes - an horse vision. It’s true we forget that historically we don’t even occupy a chapter in mankind’s history.

[@jaajaarogers9101]

Yeah as English has poor language and volcabery

[@KissMahGrits]

Exactly

[@user-ev8xq2vm8g]

الأدب أو الشعر يسقط إذا تمت ترجمته

[@sherifkaissi4109]

Having grown up in Iraq under Saddam regime. I can certainly say there are two sides of the coin. 1- His writings in Arabic are actually very deep and meaningful if you understand them . I’m surprised of someone who studied Saddam for 10 years Couldn’t know this about him. You can watch his interviews and see how smart and quick on his feet he was. 2- the regime was not perfect. It gave immunity to uniformed people who were hungry and underpaid . Which made a single uniformed solider with a baton control a whole neighborhood. People around Saddam abuses their powers including his sons. I personally know people who met Saddam they say he is the nicest person ever. 3- Kuwait deal was the biggest mistake he made and it was a setup by the US to be in the area . 4-It was tough living in Iraq with a sanction where you don’t have medications or even a candy bar. 5- Iraq was never part of 9/11. 6-The war on Iraq was NOT a mistake as the purpose was to destabilize the region and have US presence in the area ( remember the Kuwait invasion that was okayed to Saddam by the US ). WMD was just an excuse Iraq didn’t have any. It was never to help Iraqi people and to prove that people have been demonstrating since October and being killed by the current government and US is not even mentioning it. Mind you Iraq was the 5th strongest army back when Saddam took power (look it up) and now it has no mention.

[@williampeynsaert]

Excellent comment. Sukran.

[@jonjon-gi4mh]

this is an interesting answer, better not to judge if you dont know their language. I think also the so called ''rebuilding'' of the country was also colored by the way Western people think, democracy is the solution because they think it is the natural solution from their own point of view. It didnt occur to them that this would ensure the shia taking power and ultimately lead to civil unrest. I cant believe they could not foresee this, but credit to Nixon for admitting how ridiculous the plan was. The WMD was a lame pretext to invade and then they had no idea what they are doing there.

[@KissMahGrits]

Well said

[@hasanwarsi6591]

💟

[@zedshaban5178]

This guy is trying to sell a book when he said Saddam was unlikable , and when he said Saddam wasn’t telling the truth u can tell he’s knows Saddam as as straight forward as can be . This man is KNOTTING the Bush admission big time and really is giving ALOT of respect to Saddam . But he has to say some negative things , he’s walking a tight rope . But it’s clear he lost all respect for Bush , and the cia . And in the end he came out PRAISING Saddam . All u have to do is listen closely to what he is saying

[@puneetsonpal5340]

Even his personal guards ended up liking him

[@thelovertunisia]

What is sad is that in American public opinion things get forgotten too fast. It is fast culture like fast food in a certain sense.

[@peterr653]

Just finished reading the book which I found fascinating and thought provoking. Thanks to 'Politics and Prose' for posting the video and John Nixon for a great book.

[@onepieceanime1987]

Saddam Hussein is not a murderer. In the beginning, Saddam Hussein was not a fugitive, but there are many words saying that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and he fled all this is a lie and rumors of Saddam Hussein that he is otherwise.

[@akp167]

John Nixon's impressions are so on point

[@jmauph]

Just finished this book today, great information and more insights about Saddam Hussein and the intelligence community during the Iraq war.

[@onepieceanime1987]

Saddam Hussein is not a murderer. In the beginning, Saddam Hussein was not a fugitive, but there are many words saying that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and he fled all this is a lie and rumors of Saddam Hussein that he is otherwise.

[@thelovertunisia]

saddams biggest mistake was to think the US acted in terms of classic world politics powergames.

[@thelovertunisia]

What frightens classic diplomats with US policy often is this moralising aspect good vs evil etc. instead of balance of power and realpolitik.

[@elegantvegan2163]

I will purchase and read this book however I cannot understand why the CIA would hire analysts for the middle east who cannot speak Arabic?

[@onepieceanime1987]

i`m

[@onepieceanime1987]

Saddam Hussein is not a murderer. In the beginning, Saddam Hussein was not a fugitive, but there are many words saying that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and he fled all this is a lie and rumors of Saddam Hussein that he is otherwise.

[@TempoDrift1480]

One thing I've learned over the years is that Americans really tend to up-play their opponents to make themselves appear to be just slightly more clever than say, a man living in a cabin with no running water or electricity or say, a man hiding here and there in the mountains... Its such a sham.

[@dj9001]

I agree.

[@carriemitch1]

Interesting talk and great delivery. I'd like to know, although I realize this is not the topic he was addressing, what the CIA and the Intelligence Community in general would do in the event they were given an illegal order by the president. What response would they have if they were told, oh I don't know, kill the suspected terrorists family for instance?

[@christinel6616]

Carrie Mitch is i am sure that they would gleefully comply

[@carriemitch1]

To an illegal order?

[@manuelortmann]

Very good Lecture

[@onepieceanime1987]

Saddam Hussein is not a murderer. In the beginning, Saddam Hussein was not a fugitive, but there are many words saying that Saddam Hussein is a terrorist and he fled all this is a lie and rumors of Saddam Hussein that he is otherwise.

[@greglathrop8191]

Look into Michael Hayden talking about the prism program

[@dj9001]

This guy is a professional liar.

[@theshoot961]

I know the man personally. You are simply wrong. He is one of the best and educated people on Iraq, not only Saddam Hussein.

[@ayethegreat4997]

How come there is no movie on the foolhardiness of dubya Bush??

[@aspiringmultiplicity]

There are a couple, actually.

[@parthsharma688]

@@aspiringmultiplicity and What are they plz tell?

[@cpeagle247]

The presentation is disjointed and he appears uncomfortable.

[@noahcasa7917]

This guy is a joke 😅 he came to question him as the enemy and claims he is not a likable person 😅 what did he expect