CAIRO, 10 May 2003 — A Saudi author plans to write a biography of former Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf, who gained cult status during the war for his unfaltering, and often entertaining belief in an Iraqi victory, news reports said yesterday.
The Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat said the book, to be titled “Secrets of war... in the bag of Al-Sahaf” would concentrate on his outrageous and humorous attempts to convince the world that Iraq was winning the war.
The author, who has not yet released his name, also promises a glimpse into the private life of Saddam Hussein as seen by one of his loyal followers.
Sahaf’s announcements of an imminent Iraqi victory, even as US tanks advanced through the streets of Baghdad behind him, entertained television viewers worldwide and gained him the nickname “Comical Ali.”
He was also credited with enriching the Arabic vocabulary. The antiquated words he used in his daily press briefings to describe US soldiers are now enjoying a renaissance.
