April 4, 2006:
Saddam Hussein's daughter Raghdad (pronounced "Ra'had") appears to be playing a key role in coordinating anti-government violence in Iraq. It all began in the 1990s. In keeping with Iraqi custom, both Raghdad (now 38) and her sister Rana (36) married cousins, Hussein Kamal and Saddam Kamel. In 1995 the two couples fled to Jordan when Saddam decided that his sons-in-law might be potential traitors. After being given a safe conduct, the two couples returned to Iraq. Within 72 hours Hussein had both sons-in-law killed. Neither daughter suffered as a result of their husband's alleged misdeeds, nor is it clear that either was overly upset about the situation. Before they died, their husbands provided Western intelligence agencies with proof that Saddam was still developing chemical weapons.
Both widows lived in Iraq with their children until 2003. Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, both daughters, along with their children and several other members of the family, again fled to Jordan. Apparently Raghdad also took with her access to a considerable amount of money that her father had thoughtfully stashed in various odd places around the world. She has been using these funds to bankroll the anti-government violence. There are reports that she is in indirect contact with her father, despite the fact that he is in close confinement. There is mounting evidence that many of her actions have been in response to instructions from the old man.
Raghdad's continued access to money suggests that Saddam's hidden fortune is very well hidden indeed, given that the U.S. and other Coalition members have been tracking down his assets for more than three years now. Raghdad is a very outspoken supporter of her father, claiming, "He was a very good father, loving, has a big heart . . . ." Though this expansiveness apparently does not extend to sons-in-law.
Raghdad is careful how she operates, not giving Jordanian authorities any good reason to arrest or expel her. There is a large Iraqi exile community in Jordan, most of them Sunni Arabs who supported Saddam. These exiles now comprise over five percent of Jordan's population. On top of that, Palestinians comprise about half the populations, and have always been big fans of Saddam Hussein. Thus, while Raghdad is known to be a terrorist supporter, she has not been public enough in this support to justify a move against her. That may change if there are any more al Qaeda terrorist attacks in Jordan, or if documents and witnesses are captured in Iraq that provide compelling evidence against Saddam's demon seed daughter.
