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American Morning
Interview With Sharar Haydar
Aired July 23, 2003 - 09:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Uday is believed to have personally overseen the torture of national athletes who failed to perform. A former Iraqi soccer player, Sharar Haydar, says he experienced Uday's ruthlessness firsthand and he joins us this morning from London. Good morning. Thanks for joining us.
SHARAR HAYDAR, FRM. IRAQI SOCCER PLAYER: Hi, good morning.
O'BRIEN: Your reaction, then, when you heard that the brothers were dead?
HAYDAR: Well, to be honest, it was a mixed feeling, happiness and sadness. Happy because we finally got rid of all these people. (AUDIO GAP) questions in front the Iraqi because there's hundreds of questions we need answered from them.
O'BRIEN: Your family is in Baghdad. This morning then are they celebrating or are they unbelieving yet in the deaths of Uday and Qusay?
HAYDAR: Well, again, some people, they believe and they celebrate. But quite a number of people they're still afraid to go in the street and celebrate because they believe that Saddam, he will be back.
O'BRIEN: You were a member of the Iraqi junior and senior national soccer teams. What it was like to play for Uday?
HAYDAR: It was like hell. I'd been tortured four times, I've been put in prison four times. And all my friends, they've been in the same situation. So it's really like a hell to play in the Iraqi national team.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you there. You were tortured under what circumstances?
HAYDAR: Well, we lost the game. We played in the champion in Jordan. And I apologized to play again to the national Iraqi team (ph), and I've been tortured four times, really.
O'BRIEN: I have read reports that said that Uday would basically call the shots, call the plays, describe what he wanted to see out on the field which was often wrong-headed. And then when the team lost, he would then go ahead and punish all the members of the team. Are reports like that correct? HAYDAR: Yes, it is correct. I mean after we lose any game, or perform very poorly, when we go back to Baghdad he ordered put us in prison. And then sometimes, as often punishment, sometimes for a week or ten days. It depends on his mood.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense, if you can, describe what that torture involved.
HAYDAR: Well, the hardest one, the first time you enter to the present they cause reception (ph). They took your clothes off and laid you -- lie on your back and then they scratch you on your back. And then they let you jump in very filthy water. And then they beat you on your back feet.
O'BRIEN: Were you terrified? I mean how did you possibly play and continue to play under these kinds of circumstances? Or were you chronically in a state of fear?
HAYDAR: Well, to be honest, we have no chance to say no. But I'm the only player. I said no in 1994 at the qualification of the World Cup in the USA and I'd been put in prison a month and I'd been tortured very badly. And then I've been suspended all my life to play football.
So that is just a simple example of how Uday was evil.
O'BRIEN: Sharar Haydar, thank you for joining us this morning and sharing your story. I know it's difficult to talk about, so we appreciate it.
HAYDAR: Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 23, 2003 - 09:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Uday is believed to have personally overseen the torture of national athletes who failed to perform. A former Iraqi soccer player, Sharar Haydar, says he experienced Uday's ruthlessness firsthand and he joins us this morning from London. Good morning. Thanks for joining us.
SHARAR HAYDAR, FRM. IRAQI SOCCER PLAYER: Hi, good morning.
O'BRIEN: Your reaction, then, when you heard that the brothers were dead?
HAYDAR: Well, to be honest, it was a mixed feeling, happiness and sadness. Happy because we finally got rid of all these people. (AUDIO GAP) questions in front the Iraqi because there's hundreds of questions we need answered from them.
O'BRIEN: Your family is in Baghdad. This morning then are they celebrating or are they unbelieving yet in the deaths of Uday and Qusay?
HAYDAR: Well, again, some people, they believe and they celebrate. But quite a number of people they're still afraid to go in the street and celebrate because they believe that Saddam, he will be back.
O'BRIEN: You were a member of the Iraqi junior and senior national soccer teams. What it was like to play for Uday?
HAYDAR: It was like hell. I'd been tortured four times, I've been put in prison four times. And all my friends, they've been in the same situation. So it's really like a hell to play in the Iraqi national team.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you there. You were tortured under what circumstances?
HAYDAR: Well, we lost the game. We played in the champion in Jordan. And I apologized to play again to the national Iraqi team (ph), and I've been tortured four times, really.
O'BRIEN: I have read reports that said that Uday would basically call the shots, call the plays, describe what he wanted to see out on the field which was often wrong-headed. And then when the team lost, he would then go ahead and punish all the members of the team. Are reports like that correct? HAYDAR: Yes, it is correct. I mean after we lose any game, or perform very poorly, when we go back to Baghdad he ordered put us in prison. And then sometimes, as often punishment, sometimes for a week or ten days. It depends on his mood.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense, if you can, describe what that torture involved.
HAYDAR: Well, the hardest one, the first time you enter to the present they cause reception (ph). They took your clothes off and laid you -- lie on your back and then they scratch you on your back. And then they let you jump in very filthy water. And then they beat you on your back feet.
O'BRIEN: Were you terrified? I mean how did you possibly play and continue to play under these kinds of circumstances? Or were you chronically in a state of fear?
HAYDAR: Well, to be honest, we have no chance to say no. But I'm the only player. I said no in 1994 at the qualification of the World Cup in the USA and I'd been put in prison a month and I'd been tortured very badly. And then I've been suspended all my life to play football.
So that is just a simple example of how Uday was evil.
O'BRIEN: Sharar Haydar, thank you for joining us this morning and sharing your story. I know it's difficult to talk about, so we appreciate it.
HAYDAR: Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
