Pro-Saddam Egyptian Journalist Sayyed Nassar: Iraqi Elections Were a Theatrical Production Conducted by an American Film Maker. The Iraqi People Deserved Saddam Hussein

The following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian journalist, Sayyed Nassar. Dream2 TV aired this interview on February 6, 2005:

Sayyed Nassar: I think these were not elections but a theatrical production.

Interviewer: There were not elections?

Sayyed Nassar: Not at all. This was an American show, produced by the Americans, using an American film director, and not by an American politician.

Interviewer: Was it a comedy?

Sayyed Nassar: It was a tragedy, which they called "democratic elections in Iraq." The turnout was no more than fifteen to thirty percent.

Interviewer: Fifteen to thirty percent?

Sayyed Nassar: That's right, but even these numbers were concentrated in the Kurdish north and in the Shi'ite south. But the rest of the Iraqis did not vote and did not even leave their homes, and the pictures shown on TV and in the newspapers were prepared in advance, including the names of the interviewees. I used to think that only we, in the Third World, were forging elections, but it turns out the Americans are much better at it than us in forging elections. What happened in Iraq was the biggest forgery in history.

Interviewer: Why are we attacking these elections, when they are the first in 50 years?

Sayyed Nassar: Because saying that no elections were held in 50 years is a widespread lie. Who says so? There was a national council...

Interviewer: Before I turn to Mr. Hazem, I'd like to ask you: You supported the previous regime, which had no ballot boxes, only executions.

Sayyed Nassar: [Elections] did take place. Was there no parliament? Was there no national council? Wasn't this national council the parliament? Were there no elections? True, the Ba'th party controlled the parliament, but there were four other pan-Arab parties, as well as the Communist party.

Interviewer: I'd like to ask a question. These are the first elections in 50 years...

Sayyed Nassar: No, they are not - there have been ten elections. The Ba'th regime held more than six elections, in which more than six parliaments were elected. The fact that the Ba'th won the majority is another story. Every ruling party... The ruling party in Egypt has the largest number of representatives, but does this mean this is only the first or second time elections were held?

Interviewer: Were the elections held under Saddam Hussein fair?

Sayyed Nassar: I think that according to the standards of the Arab world... Look, Mr. Wael, I firmly believe that each nation gets the president it deserves, and the Iraqi people deserved Saddam Hussein.