Naji Sabri
Encyclopedia
Naji Sabri Ahmad Al-Hadithi served as the Iraqi Foreign Minister under Saddam Hussein
in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
's embassy in London
. He was recalled from the embassy in 1980 after two of his brothers were arrested for plotting against Saddam Hussein
's regime. Thereafter, Sabri served as editor of an English language newspaper and translated English books into Arabic.
During the 1991 Persian Gulf
War, Sabri served as the Deputy Information Minister for Iraq. His interactions with CNN producer Robert Weiner were dramatized in the HBO film Live From Baghdad
, where his character was listed as Naji Al-Hadithi. CNN became famous after delivering live audio and video footage from within a Baghdad hotel even as the American military was bombing the city.
In 1998, Sabri was appointed Iraq's ambassador to Austria
. In 2001, he was named Foreign Minister of Iraq. His education, almost flawless English, and comfort in diplomatic circles continued to make him one of Iraq's most recognized faces in the West. He is a Sunni Muslim.
, China
, India
, and even Iraq's former enemy Iran
. Sabri was also heavily engaged in talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
and chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix
. In September 2002, Sabri officially announced to Annan that Saddam Hussein had agreed to a resumption of weapons inspections in Iraq.
In March 2003, while the invasion of Iraq was in its heated initial phase, a fatigued Sabri - last seen in Baghdad
- publicly arrived in Damascus, Syria
to the surprise of many. Sabri had managed to secure safe passage out of the country along a hazardous route. Sabri continued onto Cairo, Egypt
, where his security was guaranteed by the Egyptian government. The United States
also offered the Egyptian authorities a guarantee of Sabri's security while in Egypt.
reported that Naji Sabri was, indeed, the "source who had direct access to Saddam and his inner circle" of which former United States Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) director George Tenet
had once boasted. In April 2006, former CIA officer Tyler Drumheller
said in a 60 Minutes
interview that a very senior Iraqi official had indeed given the CIA information with regards to Iraqi weapons of mass destruction programs. 60 Minutes verified that the source was Sabri.
For a short time before the 2003 invasion, the CIA maintained French-sponsored, third-party contact with Sabri. In exchange for $100,000, Sabri offered the CIA important details on some of Saddam's alleged weapons programs and assurances on the discontinuance of others. Sabri told the CIA that Saddam had stockpiled certain chemical weapons, specifically "poison gas." Sabri also told the CIA that Saddam did not have an active nuclear or biological weapons program. There were people in the CIA that knew this intelligence, but the CIA reports which continued up to Capitol Hill and the White House ignored this information from Sabri. In the lead-up to the invasion, the CIA pressured Sabri to defect to the United States, but Sabri declined. Communication between Sabri and the CIA ceased thereafter.
It has not been clearly established whether Sabri's safe passage to Cairo in the initial days of the invasion was related to his relationship with the CIA. In any case, the US military did not include Sabri in the "deck of cards
" featuring the most-wanted Iraqi suspects.
September 2006 Senate intelligence panel minority view has corrected Drumheller:
NBC Nightly News quote:
However, whether Sabri was entirely wrong is unclear. Several small caches of chemical munitions at least 10 years old were found in Iraq between 2004 and 2006.
, in the 2002 film Live from Baghdad
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
Background
Sabri was a professor of English literature at Baghdad University, before serving in the press office of IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's embassy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was recalled from the embassy in 1980 after two of his brothers were arrested for plotting against Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's regime. Thereafter, Sabri served as editor of an English language newspaper and translated English books into Arabic.
During the 1991 Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
War, Sabri served as the Deputy Information Minister for Iraq. His interactions with CNN producer Robert Weiner were dramatized in the HBO film Live From Baghdad
Live from Baghdad (film)
Live from Baghdad is a television movie produced in 2002 by HBO. It was directed by Mick Jackson and written by Robert Wiener . The movie was released during the prelude stage of the Iraq War....
, where his character was listed as Naji Al-Hadithi. CNN became famous after delivering live audio and video footage from within a Baghdad hotel even as the American military was bombing the city.
In 1998, Sabri was appointed Iraq's ambassador to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. In 2001, he was named Foreign Minister of Iraq. His education, almost flawless English, and comfort in diplomatic circles continued to make him one of Iraq's most recognized faces in the West. He is a Sunni Muslim.
2003 invasion of Iraq
In the lead-up to the 2003 invasion, Sabri led Iraq's diplomatic efforts to weaken support for a US-led attack on Iraq. He worked to lobby support from RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and even Iraq's former enemy Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Sabri was also heavily engaged in talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
and chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix
Hans Blix
is a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
. In September 2002, Sabri officially announced to Annan that Saddam Hussein had agreed to a resumption of weapons inspections in Iraq.
In March 2003, while the invasion of Iraq was in its heated initial phase, a fatigued Sabri - last seen in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
- publicly arrived in Damascus, Syria
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
to the surprise of many. Sabri had managed to secure safe passage out of the country along a hazardous route. Sabri continued onto Cairo, Egypt
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, where his security was guaranteed by the Egyptian government. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
also offered the Egyptian authorities a guarantee of Sabri's security while in Egypt.
CIA source
In March 2006, NBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
reported that Naji Sabri was, indeed, the "source who had direct access to Saddam and his inner circle" of which former United States Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) director George Tenet
George Tenet
George John Tenet was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency, and is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University....
had once boasted. In April 2006, former CIA officer Tyler Drumheller
Tyler Drumheller
Tyler Drumheller is the former chief of the CIA covert operations in Europe, who has said that the CIA had credible sources discounting some weapons of mass destruction claims before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. He received and discounted documents central to the Niger yellowcake forgery prior to...
said in a 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
interview that a very senior Iraqi official had indeed given the CIA information with regards to Iraqi weapons of mass destruction programs. 60 Minutes verified that the source was Sabri.
For a short time before the 2003 invasion, the CIA maintained French-sponsored, third-party contact with Sabri. In exchange for $100,000, Sabri offered the CIA important details on some of Saddam's alleged weapons programs and assurances on the discontinuance of others. Sabri told the CIA that Saddam had stockpiled certain chemical weapons, specifically "poison gas." Sabri also told the CIA that Saddam did not have an active nuclear or biological weapons program. There were people in the CIA that knew this intelligence, but the CIA reports which continued up to Capitol Hill and the White House ignored this information from Sabri. In the lead-up to the invasion, the CIA pressured Sabri to defect to the United States, but Sabri declined. Communication between Sabri and the CIA ceased thereafter.
It has not been clearly established whether Sabri's safe passage to Cairo in the initial days of the invasion was related to his relationship with the CIA. In any case, the US military did not include Sabri in the "deck of cards
Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards
In the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, the U.S. military developed a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of President Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking Baath Party members or members of the Revolutionary Command Council...
" featuring the most-wanted Iraqi suspects.
September 2006 Senate intelligence panel minority view has corrected Drumheller:
“We can say that there is not a single document related to this case which indicates that the source said Iraq had no WMD programs. On the contrary, all of the information about this case so far indicates that the information from this source was that Iraq did have WMD programs.”
NBC Nightly News quote:
On the issue of chemical weapons, the CIA said Saddam had stockpiled as much as "500 metric tons of chemical warfare agents" and had "renewed" production of deadly agents. Sabri said Iraq had stockpiled weapons and had "poison gas" left over from the first Gulf War. Both Sabri and the agency were wrong.
However, whether Sabri was entirely wrong is unclear. Several small caches of chemical munitions at least 10 years old were found in Iraq between 2004 and 2006.
Sabri in film
Sabri is featured as the character Naji Al-Hadithi, and portrayed by David SuchetDavid Suchet
David Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
, in the 2002 film Live from Baghdad
Live from Baghdad (film)
Live from Baghdad is a television movie produced in 2002 by HBO. It was directed by Mick Jackson and written by Robert Wiener . The movie was released during the prelude stage of the Iraq War....