Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf. He was the Iraqi Foreign Minister during the 2003 invasion of Iraq by coalition forces from the US, UK, Australia and Poland, with the intention of removing Saddam Hussein from power, and dismantling his now embarrassingly absent weapons of mass destruction. Al-Sahhaf became immensely popular with the media, and the world, because of his daily press releases regarding the alleged progress and victories of the Iraqi army against the coalition forces. His statements were amusingly hard to believe, which he delivered without batting an eyelash and with the utmost conviction. So unbelievably funny were his pronouncements, he was given the moniker “Comical Ali” as opposed to the Iraqi Defense Minister Ali Hassan “Chemical Ali” al-Majid.
His statements included victory after victory of the Iraqi Army in repelling the coalition forces and driving them back to the sea. That coalition soldiers were committing suicide at the gates of Baghdad. That it was only a matter of time until the coalition totally capitulated and surrendered. Even saying that there are no coalition forces in Baghdad, while the TV showed a split screen of American M1A1 Abrams tanks rolling past the “Hands of Victory” monument in Baghdad! He then said that the tanks were dropped by parachute that’s why they suddenly appeared! It was hilarious, it was entertaining. He was in a world all his own. That, by the way, was his last broadcast.
I am so reminded by Elena Bautista-Horn of “Comical Ali.” She reminds me of “Tokyo Rose” and “Hanoi Hannah,” radio propagandists during World War Two and the Vietnam War respectively. Indeed, Bautista-Horn is the face of al-Sahhaf, most especially with this latest bombshell of a threat on the life of former president Gloria Arroyo. She claims, from a reliable source (they ALWAYS are), that the reason the government wants to put her in a government hospital is so they can poison her food and give her harmful, even lethal medicine. Wow! What a statement! If that was intended to muster pity and sympathy from an already apathetic citizenry towards her, then they have surely succeeded in not doing so. Cong. Danilo Suarez should not blame media for Arroyo’s unpopularity. Her camp is doing a great job of that already! First was Atty. Topacio’s ball, now Horn’s death threats via food poisoning and bad medicine! If that is the case, then Bautista-Horn should just taste all of Arroyo’s food before it served to her, and take all of her medicine as well before it is administered. That way, she protects her boss, and at the same time may be healed as well.
The court has ruled that Arroyo should be transferred to the Veterans Memorial Hospital for the duration of her illness, whatever it is. This latest “Horn-blowing” only shows desperation by the Arroyo camp to prevent their boss from being transferred to a non-luxurious hospital. Former President Joseph Estrada endured all that was done to him, including all the hospital arrests once arrested. Arroyo is already arrested. She has to get through the whole legal process, and be treated accordingly. She is not being humiliated. Horn is the one doing that to her.