Chapter 4:

December 13, 1998 and the Capture & Execution of Saddam Hussein

When Baal-Berith's stronghold was dislodged on December 13, 1998 -

Saddam Hussein's stronghold was pulled down as well

It was Saddam Hussein's Appetite for Fish that Led to his Capture

According to Eric Maddox, the Army interrogator who is credited with pinpointing the location where they found Saddam Hussein - Hussein's appetite for fish proved to be fatal because it was Hussein's craving for his favorite fish that led to his capture.

According to Maddox it was after interrogating several people, including Hussein's former chef, that he found out that a former associate of Hussein's had built and stocked a fish pond. And, it was after Maddox was able to connect all the dots that they were able to track down Saddam Hussein - all because of his appetite for fish.

Christians who understand that there is a spiritual aspect to the conflict in Iraq understand the spiritual aspects of Hussein's appetite for fish - that it was a manifestation of his spiritual appetite.

As Spirit-led Christians, we know that there is always a spiritual dimension to the earthly. One is not inconsistent with the other, as one cannot exist without the other. As it concerns animals, this all began when Satan used the serpent as a tool to hide behind when he tempted Eve. And, for that reason, there is a spiritual nature of the serpent that we should be aware of. Not only is the serpent man’s natural enemy – the serpent also represents man’s “Spiritual Enemy." Needless to say, it is significant that both the animal and Satan were two dominant entities in the Adamic dispensation and for that reason the spiritual connection or relationship between Satan and animals is of importance.

And, so it is with the "spiritual aspects" of the fish that Hussein craved. In the context of this book, the fish that Hussein craved was a manifestation of the "spiritual fish" that he craved - the spiritual fish being the "Leviathan," which according to Strong's Concordance is both a serpent and a whale. And, Leviathan is also a reference to the Babylonian empire now known as present day Iraq.

Isaiah 27:1 ¹In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. (KJV)

Psalm 104:26 ²⁶There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. (KJV)

To fully understand the spiritual aspects of Saddam Hussein's appetite for fish I want to reference both Philippians 3:18-19 and Romans 16:18.

Philippians 3:19 ¹⁹They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. (NLT, emphasis added)

Romans 16:18 ¹⁸For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. (ESV, emphasis added)

Spiritually speaking, appetite can be referring to someone's hunger or desire for the destructive things of the world. Philippians is speaking of someone who treats his stomach like a god - a god who could only be appeased by the consumption of certain foods - in the case of Saddam Hussein the god was the principality operating behind the great fish Leviathan.

Hussein's appetite for fish was a manifestation of the earthly things that Hussein's mind was set on - all things that were opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the context of Philippians 3:19, Hussein had a hunger or appetite that drove him to seek satiation - to the point he was willing to expose where he was in hiding. The words "shame" and "earthly things" tells us that Hussein's hunger and carnal nature was beyond simple food. Because his belly and appetite was his god, Hussein was driven to satisfy his shameful desires without restraint - and this eventually led to his capture.

Saddam Hussein sacrificed to none but himself and to the greatest of the gods which was his own belly and sensual appetite - everything opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Saddam Hussein had an appetite - a craving for palaces fit for a Babylonian king, the desire to be known as the modern day king of Babylon, possessions, wealth, art, power, etc. And, Hussein's appetite for wanting to be like the Kings of Babylon of the ancient world became his god - his god that led to his capture and death.

According to the following article, for the entire six months that Eric Maddox was in Iraq he wore the same shirt that had a bigmouth bass embossed on it. Needless to say, there is a "spiritual connection" between the bigmouth shirt Eric Maddox wore and the Fish Pond that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. I believe it was a sign that Eric Maddox would be the one that the Lord would use to lead to the capture of Saddam Hussein. When God created the heavens and earth He commanded man to subdue the earth and take dominion over the fish in the sea (Genesis 1:28) and in the context of Saddam Hussein - the bigmouth fish on Maddox's shirt, whether he realized it or not, was a sign that he was taking dominion over Leviathan - the "spiritual fish" operating behind Saddam Hussein. Hence the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Needless to say, Saddam Hussein's Appetite for Fish Proved Fatal!

The following article is from www.oudaily.com

Eric Maddox - interrogator, author of the book "Mission:Blacklist", responsible for the process of finding and capturing Saddam Hussein.

“… This same story is encapsulated in his book, “Mission: Blacklist #1,” on which a movie will be based starring Robert Pattinson, who will play Maddox.

‘Somebody wants to make a movie about my story - it’s very exciting,’ Maddox said.

Maddox said he has already met and gotten to know Pattinson. ‘He’s a great guy,’ Maddox said. ‘When they brought his name up to me, I had never heard of him before. I don’t believe in vampire movies and stories. I just didn’t know who he was.’

Maddox said he wore a single blue shirt for months in his search for Hussein, with no other changes of clothes. The shirt has a bigmouth bass [emphasis added] embossed on it, Velcro pockets and bloodstains.

‘I’ve still got it [the shirt.] I think Rob is gonna wear it in the movie,’ Maddox said.

Maddox had to wait five years to tell his story and write the book due to the U.S. government preferring to keep it classified, he said.

‘Since then, the United States government wanted me to endorse the movie, and wanted me to say who I am and what I do,’ he said.” [1]

“Mission: Black List #1: The Inside Story of the Search for Saddam Hussein

The Hunt for Saddam Hussein

According to Judges 8:33 and 9:46, some of the Israelites made Baal-Berith, the pagan god of pagan covenants, their god. In Iran, Iraq, Rome and the United States, Baal-Berith is known as "Mithra." This particular deity is well known as Mithra, the Military deity, as well.

Then (1998) & Now (2003): The Downfall of the King of Babylon: Isaiah 14:3-23 is "A Taunt Against the King of Babylon" and Speaks of the Downfall of the King of Babylon. Saddam Hussein, the Modern-Day King of Babylon, fell on December 13, 2003.[2] (see Figure 4-8)

The principality behind Nebuchadnezzar, the Biblical King of Babylon, and Saddam Hussein, the modern-day King of Babylon, are both from the same dominion of Babylon. According to The New York Times & International Herald Tribune Online, when Hussein ordered one of the three original palaces of ancient Babylon to be rebuilt, he requested that his name be imprinted on the new bricks that were to be placed on top of the ancient bricks bearing the imprint of the Biblical King Nebuchadnezzar.

At Hussein’s request the bricks were stamped with the following inscription: “In the reign of the victorious Saddam Hussein, the president of the Republic, may God keep him, the guardian of the great Iraq and the renovator of its renaissance and the builder of its great civilization, the rebuilding of the great city of Babylon was done in 1987.”[3] The inscription also includes the name of Nebuchadnezzar and the date of his reign linking the two. (see Hussein's Babylon: A Beloved Atrocity)

THE TAUNT - THEN: On December 13, 1998 from 11:45 am until 12:30 pm, I read Isaiah 14, the Taunt to the King of Babylon, in front of Lincoln’s Bier located inside the tomb or cave-like structure in the US Capitol.[4] (see Figures 4-1 thru 4-3)

I spoke Isaiah 14:3-23, which is a Taunt against the King of Babylon, into the spiritual realm.[5] (see "Lincoln's Catafalque, Figure 4-15) and (The Taunt Spoken in the Sub-basement of the Capitol, Figure 4-16, Figure 4-17, Figure 4-18, and Figure 4-19)

Saddam Hussein claimed that he was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, and in that sense, he is the “Modern-Day King of Babylon." The spirit or principality behind the ancient “King of Babylon” is the same spirit that was operating through Saddam Hussein. The men that this principality works through die; however, the spirit doesn’t die – this principality will only find another human to work through.

Not coincidentally, on this same day, Sunday, December 13, 1998, then-president Bill Clinton was in Jerusalem, Israel on the start of a Middle East trip. After receiving advance notice of a negative report on Iraq's compliance with UNSCOM, President Clinton made the decision to go to war with Iraq. He gave the Pentagon 72 hours to make preparations and air strikes started that Thursday.[6]

(see Figure 4-4)

THE TAUNT - NOW: Five years later to the day, on December 13, 2003, [7] Saddam Hussein, the modern-day King of Babylon, was captured at 12:30 pm our time.[8] [9] (see figures Figure 4-5, Figure 4-6, and Figure 4-7)

Both the date and time 12:30pm are significant. It was a very well known fact that Saddam Hussein hated President Bush and his father, the former President of the US. At one time Saddam had sought to have President Bush Senior assassinated. So with that understanding, the following comment from an American Soldier to Saddam upon his capture is significant.:

USA Today, December 16, 2003, p.5A: When captured, Saddam Hussein identified himself as the President of Iraq and an American Soldier replied, 'President Bush sends his regards.'”[10]

(see Figure 4-24)

The following quotes are from a Washington Post article written by Eugene Robinson posted on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 on page A17 and is titled “A Scaffold’s Dark Portrait of Iraq”:

“The most revelatory moment comes when the condemned tyrant – unhooded, unbowed, still acting as if he expects the deference owed to a legitimate head of state, especially one who rules by terror – gives a religious exhortation. A voice responds by speaking a name that is also a taunt: “Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada.”[11] (see Figure 4-35)

Other Taunts

Time Magazine – December 22, 2003 – page 15: "Saddam Hussein…the palace monster of monuments and torture chambers had been reduced to the life of a bug. His captors picked through his shaggy hair, the raccoon beard. They scraped his throat, checked his teeth." Page 19: "Saddam…will likely never live down that image of him scruffy, defeated, opening his mouth for the doctor like a good boy. It’s like he’s a goat, one Iraqi delighted, watching the images of Saddam being searched on TV."[12] (see Figures 4-26 through 4-30)

The following are quotes from The Washington Post in an article, “Iraq to Probe Disorder at Hussein’s Execution." The article was written by Sudarsan Raghavan and is dated Wednesday, January 3, 2007, Page A15: “The video was the latest example of how amateurs using modern technology are exposing abuses and holding the powerful to account. The investigation, officials said, would focus not only on who hurled the taunts but also on how the video was leaked, damaging the government’s credibility. … “The taunts provoked Hussein to hurl insults. Later, images of Hussein’s swinging body were plastered on dozens of Web sites. …"[13] (see Figure 4-37)

The Washington Post, December 16, 2003, p.A28 reported "Excerpts From Bush's News Conference" on Saddam Hussein's capture. President Bush was asked what his greeting was to Saddam Hussein. He replied, "Good riddance. The world is better off without you, Mr. Saddam Hussein. And I find it very interesting that when the heat got on, you dug yourself a hole and crawled into it."[14] (see Figure 4-25)

The Washington Post – December 16, 2003, p.C2: "The great leader brought low…It destroys his myth of being Nebuchadnezzar..."[15] (see Figure 4-33)

Isaiah 14:4-6

⁴That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

⁵The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

⁶He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth (KJV)

"Bush’s Comments on Hussein’s Capture", The Washington Post, December 15, 2003, p.A8: "For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever. And this afternoon, I have a message for the Iraqi people: You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again."

"The capture of this man was crucial to the rise of a free Iraq. It marks the end of the road for him, and for all who bullied and killed in his name. For the Baathist holdouts largely responsible for the current violence, there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held. "[16] (see Figure 4-34)

The Washington Post – December 16, 2003, p.A28

"The nightmare of the Baathist tyranny is finally over."[17] (see Figure 4-25)

USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.4A, in the sidebar, "Saddam’s Alleged Reign of Terror":

1. Authorized use of poison gas and other atrocities against Iran and northern Iraq

2. In one of the worst mass killings in recent history, Iraq dropped chemical weapons on Halabja killing as many as 5,000

3. In Kuwait, Iraqis committed murder, rape and torture

"… thousands of political foes and other critics were executed or simply disappeared. In some cases, the wives and daughters of Saddam's political foes were raped."[18] (see Figure 4-39)

Isaiah 14:7-8
⁷The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
⁸Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. (KJV)

One of the hangmen accused Hussein of destroying Iraq

The Washington Post, “In Hussein’s Last Minutes, Emphatic Justifications” by Sudarsan Raghavan, December 31, 2006, p.A1, A 20: “A Defense of His Reign” – “Haddad and Faroun walked with Hussein and his hangmen to the steps of the gallows. Then, one of the masked men, Haddad recalled, turned to Hussein and said: ‘You have destroyed Iraq, impoverished its people and made us all like beggars while Iraq is one of the richest countries in the worlds.’"[19] (see Figure 4-38)

USA Today, December 15, p.4A: "Saddam’s government destroyed more than 3,000 villages in northern Iraq and displaced about 900,000 citizens… Villages were destroyed as government forces burned house and fields. Thousands of civilians were executed."[20]

(see Figure 4-39)

Isaiah 14:9-12
⁹Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. ¹⁰All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? ¹¹Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. ¹²How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (KJV)

"It’s not only the living Iraqis that are celebrating, he said. Even the dead Iraqis are celebrating in their graveyards." (Time Magazine, December 22, 2003) [21] (see Figure 4-28)

Verse 9 speaks of the Execution of Saddam that will more than likely result from his trial.

Hussein was the Leader who had built the very gallows that he died on. Many of those who had been executed on this same gallows that Hussein was executed included those who opposed him.

Symbolism: That the dead are stirred up to meet Hussein at his death in the pit beneath the gallows is symbolic in that his death occurred on the very gallows that he executed those who opposed him as well as many innocent people. Hussein executed many of his close advisers or the “chief ones” referred to in verse 9.

Verse 9 also speaks of the ‘’shades” or “spirits” in the graves aroused to meet the leaders upon their deaths – in this case it would be speaking of Saddam Hussein.

Time Magazine – December 22, 2003, p.18 "It’s not only the living Iraqis that are celebrating, he said. Even the dead Iraqis are celebrating in their graveyards." (see Figure 4-28)

Isaiah 14:10-11
¹⁰All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?
¹¹Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. (KJV)

The Washington Post, December 16, 2003, p.A26 "In the end, many said, the man who had forced his three ruinous wars demonstrated the hollowness of his boasts. 'I was expecting a more honorable end for him, like shooting himself….But he was just a typical Arab leader – stay in power forever and then give their countries and themselves up to their worst enemy.' … The Arab Street is stunned."[22] (see Figure 4-31)

Symbolism: Going to the gallows - Hussein was a broken man – and just like the others who were unable to defend themselves against Hussein – having been executed on the same gallows - he too had become weak.

USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.4A: "Saddam was last seen in public April 9, walking among his people in a friendly neighborhood of Baghdad. That same day, across town, Iraqis and US Marines pulled down a statue of Saddam in the symbolic end of his regime. When he next appeared more than 8 months later, a bearded, bewildered Saddam was pulled from a rat-infested hole."[23] (see Figure 4-32)

Saddam's pomp (verse 11) was brought down to the grave. Hussein was executed - he died and was buried without the pomp that he so lavished on himself while ruling Iraq.

Isaiah 14:12-14 How You have Fallen!
¹²How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
¹³For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (KJV)

The Washington Post, December 16, 2003, p.C2:

"His capture … the great leader brought low … It destroys his myth of being Nebuchadnezzar and Saladin, …"[24] (Compare Daniel 4:28-30 to Isaiah 28:14. Nebuchadnezzar like Satan wanted to be like the Most High. Saddam who portrayed himself as a Nebuchadnezzar in effect was also declaring to be like the Most High) (see Figure 4-33)

Verse 12: Hussein was cut down to the ground – they allowed his body to swing in mid air for approximately 5 minutes before they brought his body down.[25] WashingtonPost.com: “In Hussein’s Last Minutes, Emphatic Justifications” by Sudarsan Reghavan – December 31, 2006, p.A20

(see Figure 4-38)

USA Today, December 16, 2003, p. A26: Many said Hussein’s hope of founding an Arab warrior dynasty like his hero Saladin was exposed as fantasy. Page A6,

USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.6A, "Tikrit was renowned as the birthplace of the Kurdish Sultan Saladin, who forced the Crusaders out of 12^th century Jerusalem."[26] (see Figure 4-11)

Verse 13: Hussein was a self-proclaimed modern-day Nebuchadnezzar – of whom he claimed to be a direct descendant.[27]

The Washington Post, “Simple Ceremony Marks Hussein’s Return to Village for Burial” by Sudarsan Raghavan, January 1, 2007, p.A1, A9

(see Figure 4-9)

Poetic Justice

USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.6A: "For Saddam Hussein, the end came close to his beginning. He was captured near Tikrit in Ad Dawr, a few miles from the farming village Owja, where he was born 66 years ago. Saddam, who styled himself a great regional leader in the tradition of the biblical conqueror Nebuchadnezzar …… rose to the peak of his influence in the 1980’s. His fall came in two stages: his ouster in April during the American led invasion, and his ignominious capture Saturday in a crawl space near a two-room hut along the Tigris River. His hiding place was within sight of palaces he built for himself that now are headquarters for US forces. This is a sort of poetic justice, going from the peak of Arab power in the 1980s to hiding in a hole."[28] (see Figure 4-11)

The Number: 66

1. Saddam was 66 years old when he was captured.

2. 66 is symbolic of “Image or Idol Worship."

Nebuchadnezzar’s image was 60 cubits plus 6

cubits equaling 66 cubits

Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the King [caused to be] made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits or ninety feet and its breadth six cubits or nine feet. He set it upon the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. (Amplified Bible)

Isaiah 14:15
¹⁵Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (KJV)

USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.4A: " …a bearded, bewildered Saddam was pulled from a rat-infested hole…."[29] (see Figure 4-32)

Just as verse 15 reveals Hussein was brought down to the sides of the pit:

Pit: At the bottom of the gallows was a “Pit”

The Washington Post, “In Hussein’s Last Minutes, Emphatic Justifications,” by Sudarsan Raghavan, December 31, 2006, p.A1, A20: “A Defense of His Reign – “They took Hussein to a large room with no windows and a staircase leading to a tall, red gallows with a large pit at the bottom. ‘It was very cold,’ Haddad said. ‘It had the stench of death.’”[30]

(see Figure 4-38)

Newsweek, December 22, 2003, pp.23-24: "Saddam did not put up a fight. The Successor of Nebuchadnezzar …had been brought low, forced to bow down ,…"[31] (see Figure 4-23 and Figure 4-24)

Isaiah 14:16
¹⁶They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; (KJV)

The Washington Post, December 18, 2003, p.A40

"A feeling that Hussein had shamed all Iraqis by failing to stand his ground was expressed by both supporters and opponents in a series of conversations here. … He was the head of state, the symbol of the country. It was his duty to fight. … Frankly, he let us down."

"We’re asking ourselves, is this the man who

ruled us for 35 years? This man was ruling

us with an iron fist and he ends up in such

a submissive way in a ditch."[32] (see Figure 4-40)

The Washington Post, December 16, 2003, p.A26,

"Surrender Widely Seen as a Total Humiliation": "For many Arabs, Saddam Hussein’s meek surrender to US forces marked the total humiliation of a man who portrayed himself as a champion of Arab rights and the reincarnation of the 12^th century Muslim warrior Saladin. Hussein submitting to medical exams at the hands of US soldiers were seen with disbelief, shame and disgust. Many Arabs reveled in his spectacular humiliation,…

It was disgraceful to publish those pictures. It goes against human dignity, to present him like a gorilla that has come out of the forest, with someone checking his head for lice. But he was just a typical Arab leader – stay in power forever and then give their countries and themselves up to their worst enemy.

Hussein in US custody, looking broken and haggard, in contrast to old pictures of the arrogant president in smart suits and in palaces.

Many still refuse to believe that … the great and awe-inspiring one was arrested in hiding after loudly claiming he’d die a martyr. Many Palestinians, who saw Hussein as a hero and ally in their fight against Israel, reacted with disbelief and gloom."[33] (see Figure 4-40)

Both the ancient King of Babylon & the Modern Day King of Babylon suffered the same humiliation of being compared to animals.

Then: Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

Daniel 4 ³¹While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has departed from you! ³²You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will.” ³³Immediately the sentence was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from human society, ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails became like birds’ claws.

Now: Time Magazine, December 22, 2003, p.15:

"…dug him out of the 8 ft deep spider hole; the palace monster of monuments and torture chambers had been reduced to the life of a bug. His captors picked through his shaggy hair, the raccoon beard. … page 19 … he will likely never live down that image of him scruffy, defeated, opening his mouth for the doctor like a good boy. It’s like he’s a goat, one Iraqi delighted, watching the images of Saddam being searched on TV.[34]

(see Figure 4-26) also (see Figure 4-29)

USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.4A: " …a bearded, bewildered Saddam was pulled from a rat-infested hole…."[35] (see Figure 4-32)

Isaiah 14:17

¹⁷That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? (KJV)

Desert Resulted from Marshes that were

Drained by Saddam

Special to The Washington Post: By Louis Jacobson – April 28, 2003 – page A11

“Back to Eden: Restoring the Marshes of

Iraq”

"Now that the war in Iraq has come to an

abrupt end, a team of scientists will soon be headed to southern Iraq to determine whether a desert twice the size of Rhode Island can be turned back into the primeval marshland it once was before Saddam

Hussein drained it.

Most believe Hussein drained the marshes to punish the Shiite Muslims who lived there for opposing his Government.

About 95% of the marshland became a crusty wasteland."[36] (see Figure 4-47)

Overthrew its cities: USA Today, December 15, 2003, p.A4 Iraq killed thousands of prisoners of war – destroyed more than 3,000 villages in Northern Iraq.[37] (see Figure 4-39)

One of the hangmen accused Hussein of destroying Iraq

The Washington Post, “In Hussein’s Last Minutes, Emphatic Justifications” by Sudarsan Raghavan, December 31, 2006, p.A 20: “A Defense of His Reign” – “Haddad and Faroun walked with Hussein and his hangmen to the steps of the gallows. Then, one of the masked men, Haddad recalled, turned to Hussein and said: ‘You have destroyed Iraq, impoverished its people and made us all like beggars while Iraq is one of the richest countries in the worlds.’"[38] (see Figure 4-38)

Isaiah 14:18-19
¹⁸All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.
¹⁹But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. (KJV)

Even before his death – the large statue of Hussein was pulled down and Iraqi’s took their shoes and struck the statue – which is considered the worst of insults in the Muslim nations.

The Washington Post, “Simple Ceremony Marks Hussein’s Return to Village for Burial” by Sudarsan Reghavan, January 1, 2007, p.A1, A9: “Senior figures in Hussein’s tribe promised Maliki and U.S. officials that Hussein would be buried quickly and that only a small group would attend. At close to midnight, tribal chief Ali al-Nida, other leaders of the Albu Nasir tribe and Tikrit’s regional governor signed a letter at Maliki’s office inside the U.S. fortified Green Zone, agreeing to bury the body in Auja, according to Iraq’s state television, which broadcast the ceremony.

“The simplicity of the aftermath, without a state funeral or mourning masses, was in sharp contrast to Hussein’s life and aspirations. An avid student of history, he cultivated his image with his legacy in mind. He lavished billions of his country’s oil dollars on palaces, monuments and statues to invoke the ancient glory of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, whom Hussein claimed as an ancestor. In death, Hussein, a Sunni Arab, returned to the hardscrabble village that had been the scene of two of the most definitive periods in his life. The son of a landless peasant who died before his birth, Hussein was raised by an uncle in this farming region. He also chose this region to hide in following the U.S. led invasion. In December 2003, U.S. troops found him inside an underground hole the size of a coffin near his hideout , less than 10 miles from Auja.”

“ ‘The execution of Saddam was a cowardly act,’ said Hameed Salman al-Majeed, one of Hussein’s cousins, as he greeted mourners next to Hussein’s temporary grave, dug into a marble-floored social center in Auja, about 100 miles north of Baghdad.”[39]

(see Figure 4-9)

USA Today December 15, 2003, p.5A: (The hole that Saddam was hidden in was described like a) "Grave Like Hole."[40] [41] [42] (see Figure 4-20, and also Figure 4-21 and Figure 4-22)

The Washington Post, December 15, 2003, p.A22: "The soldiers were very close now, though they did not know it yet. Hussein lay in darkened silence, six to eight feet under their boots."

(as reported on the San Francisco Chronicle website, sfgate.com, "THE RAID / U.S. Intelligence widened search to find hiding place / Tip-off came after distant relative gave key information,") [43] (see Figure 4-23)

Isaiah 14:20-22 (KJV)
²⁰Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
²¹Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
²²For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

Verse 20: The devastation and destruction that Saddam brought to the country of Iraq is well documented.

Verse 20: And for that reason, Saddam was not buried with his sons or grandson:

The Washington Times, January 1, 2007, p.A1 – by Steven R. Hurst – “Thousands flock to Saddam’s grave”: “His burial place is about two miles from the graves of his sons, Uday and Qusai, in the main town cemetery. The sons and a grandson were killed in a gun battle with American forces in Mosul in July 2003.”[44] (see Figure 4-45)

Verse 21: Prepare slaughter for Saddam’s Sons & Grandson

The Washington Post, December 15, 2003, p.17: "In the final years of his rule, he groomed his youngest son, Qusay, as his successor after the eldest, Uday, fell out of favor by killing one of his father's favorite aides."[45] (see Figure 4-42)

The Washington Post, December 15, 2003, p.17: "On July 22, 2003 Hussein’s son Uday, 39, and Qusay, 37, are killed in a US raid on their hiding place in Mosul."[46] (see Figure 4-41)

Verse 20: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned

Verse 21: Prepare slaughter for his children

Verse 22: Cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD

The article below confirms verses 20-22 have come to pass with the deaths of Saddam's two sons and grandsons

CNN.com, July 22, 2003, "Pentagon: Saddam's sons killed in raid," (http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/07/22/sprj.irq.sons/index.html)

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The sons of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein were killed by U.S. troops in the northern city of Mosul after a tipster betrayed their hideout, the commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq said Tuesday. … Still photos of the bodies were taken in the aftermath of Tuesday's raid. According to Pentagon officials, the pictures show that the bodies -- though badly shot up -- are clearly recognizable….

"The Americans came to this house and started shooting. They were saying that Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay, and his grandson, Mustapha, were there, and that one of his bodyguards was there, too."… "This will prove to the Iraqi people that at least these two members of the regime will not be coming back into power,"… "Uday is notorious, but Qusay is an emulation of his father,"… Qusay and Uday were the second- and third-most-wanted Iraqi leaders … Qusay has been the son widely perceived as most likely to have succeeded Saddam.[47]

(see Figure 4-43 and Figure 4-44)

Isaiah 14:24
²⁴The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: (KJV)

“So shall it come to pass”

The “Word” according to Isaiah 14 that was spoken on December 13, 1998, did surely come to pass – and concerning Saddam Hussein, was fulfilled on December 29, 2006 – with his execution

Isaiah 14:29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. (NIV)

The Washington Post, January 2, 2007, p.A17 "A Scaffold's Dark Portrait of Iraq" by Eugene Robinson: "And I wonder about the man…who filmed Hussein's execution…Is it possible he was working for the government, which wanted to send a message of solidarity to Moqtada al-Sadr…Or is that too wheels-within-wheels even for the nest of vipers that is today's Iraq?[48] (see Figure 4-35)

Hussein has been executed and is no longer a threat to the Iraqi people – nonetheless – the country is in chaos. And, much to the surprise of many - even some of the Iraqis who hated him regret he's gone.

The Washington Post, April 9, 2007, p.A8, "4 Years After Hussein's Fall, Regret in Iraq" by Sudarsan Raghaven it is clear that the Iraqi people believe that things have gotten much worse than when Saddam Hussein was in power. … "On April 9, 2003, the day Baghdad fell to invading U.S. troops, Khadim al-Jubouri took a sledge hammer to a statue of Saddam Hussein. 'It achieved nothing,' Jubouri says now. 'We regret that Saddam Hussein is gone, no matter how much we hated him'." … "We got rid of a tyrant and tyranny. But we were surprised that after one thief had left, another 40 replaced him, said Jubouri, who is a Shiite Muslim. 'Now, we regret that Saddam Hussin is gone, no matter how much we hated him.'" … 'It's gotten worse, said Jubouri, … 'We can hardly make both ends meet.'"

'As I hit the statue, I was out of my mind. I was full of hatred,' Jubouri recalled. 'When it fell, I was so happy. I thought things were going to improve.' … 'I hated this guy because he's the one who brought the Americans, and we hate the Americans and the occupation,' he said. … Under Hussein, he never faced day-to-day corruption, Jubouri said, but now he must pay bribes just to get a license or file a police complaint. 'I feel lost now,' he said"[49].

(see Figure 4-46)

The Washington Times, December 31, 2006, p.A1, “Shi’ite-Sunni rift laid bare by hanging” by Lauren Frayer: “‘He’s gone, but our problems continue. We brought problems on ourselves after Saddam because we began fighting Shi’ite on Sunni and Sunni on Shi’ite,’ said Haider Hamed, 34, a candy store owner in east Baghdad whose uncle was killed in one of Saddam’s many brutal purges.”[50] (see Figure 4-36)

Even though the Americans cheered, as Captain Dave Eastburn said, nothing really changes, the militias run everything now. The Washington Times, January 1, 2007, p.A1, A7, “Thousands flock to Saddam’s grave,” by Steven R. Hurst:

“There were cheers at the cafeteria of a U.S. outpost in Baghdad as soldiers having breakfast learned Saddam had been hanged.

But members of the Army’s 2^nd Battalion, 17^th Field Artillery Regiment, on patrol in an overwhelmingly Shi’ite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, said the execution wouldn’t get them home any faster – and therefore didn’t make much difference.

‘Nothing really changes’, said Capt. Dave Eastburn, 30. ‘The militias run everything now, not Saddam.’”[51] (see Figure 4-48)

Isaiah 14:29 (KJV)

²⁹Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

The United States nor Israel or any other nation should "Rejoice" that the rod of Saddam has been broken!

The "Weapons of War" that America thought Iraq had - are the very "Weapons of War that Iran now has

Do Not Rejoice: Verse 29 is a "Rebuke" to all those nations who "rejoiced" in the death of Saddam Hussein - because as President Bush soon found out - it was after the rod of Saddam had been broken that Iran no longer feared America.

Saddam had been as a serpent both to America and Iraq's neighboring countries - Saddam had bitten them - had slaughtered them - and from all accounts brought many people down to the depths of despair.

But after Saddam's death - out of that root a "cockatrice" sprung forth. A more formidable enemy than Saddam arose: Iran has become to the world "A Fiery Flying Serpent" whose poison is nothing less than "Nuclear Weapons."

By Iran's own account the fear that kept Iran in check was the possibility that Iraq actually had chemical weapons - which the whole world now knows was not a truth.

True, Saddam has a tremendous hatred for America and according to Saddam: "he alone gave the orders to fire SCUD missiles at Israel during the first Gulf War, adding, 'Everything that happened to us was because of Israel.' He said he figured that the United States would stop the war if Israel was 'hurt,' and he wanted to punish the country he viewed as the source of all his problems."[52] CNN.com "FBI interviews detail Saddam Hussein's fear of Iran, WMD bluff" - by David de Sola, July 2, 2009. (see Figure 4-50 and Figure 4-51)

However, America and Israel Do Not Rejoice because now:

· Ahmadinejad, Iran's leader, has made it clear on multiple occasions that his goal is to wipe Israel from the face of the earth, and

· he has demonstrated to the world that he has no fear of the United States of America. For example, the headline in The Washington Post's July 17, 2008 edition by Glenn Kessler reads: "Shifts in Iran Drove Bush to Alter Policy." And goes on to read :…The Bush administration has had the same bottom line: "Iran must suspend its enrichment of uranium – a route to a nuclear weapon…" yet "Iran last week sent its own mixed signals, test-firing long-range missiles in the Persian Gulf…"[53]

(see Figure 4-52)

Saddam Hussein's fear of Iran speaks volumes

CNN.com July 2, 2009 "FBI interviews detail Saddam

Hussein's fear of Iran, WMD bluff" by David de Sola

In 2004, even after being captured by U. S. forces, Saddam Hussein told an FBI interrogator he believed Iran was a greater threat to Iraq than the United States, according to newly released FBI documents.

Hussein regarded the Iranian threat as so serious hat it was the major factor in his decision not to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to return, he said. Citing their shared border and his belief Iran would intend to annex southern Iraq, Hussein said he was more concerned about Iran discovering Iraq's weaknesses than repercussions from the United States and the international community.[54] (see Figure 4-50)

Hussein tried to "deceive Iran into believing he possessed WMD

CNN: Piers Morgan Tonight - Interview with Tom Brokaw - Aired December 14, 2011

A lot people believe that he did have weapons of mass destruction ... "Well, it turns out not much because he was trying to kind of broke (INAUDIBLE) Iran to - try and persuade Iran that he had weapons of mass destruction."[55] (see Figure 4-53)

Another (unofficial) version reads: Well, it turns out not much because he was trying to kind of rope a dope Iran, trying to persuade Iran that he had weapons of mass destruction.

Iran does not fear America after Saddam Hussein fell: The Washington Post - Thursday, July 10, 2008 - page A15 "Tehran's Definite 'Maybe'" by David Ignatius (see Figure 4-54)

"Running through his remarks was a self-confidence that Iran is up in the Middle East while its adversaries, the United States and Israel, are down. "There was a day when the passage of a U.S. warship offshore could change governments - that's how much people feared the United States," he told me. "Today, America has 150, troops in Iraq and it is unable to provide security for Iraqis, or even for its own forces."
"And even as they talk of diplomacy, the Iranians continue to brandish the weapons of war. ... "Our hands are always on the trigger," said Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hossein Salami."[56]

In other words, America actually removed Iran's biggest threat, Saddam Hussein, and in doing so Iran became America's threat!

Isaiah 14:29

²⁹Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. (KJV)

The Washington Post – Sunday, December 31, 2006 –page A21 - Elation Gives Way to Dread of Daily Life – by Nancy Trejos (see Figure 4-49)

"But three years later, Iraqis are still a terrorized people, Now, instead of Hussein, they fear the car bombs that maim and kill every day, the kidnappers who snatch people off the streets in broad daylight, the mortar shells that fall on residential neighborhoods. And they fear each other as Shiite Muslims fight Sunni Arabs in what is spiraling into a civil war. … 'Everything is worse,' Noor said. 'What did we gain from him being gone?" … They had new enemies: insurgents, militias, death squads, Americans, each other.

Note the reference to Iran (Persians): Reaction to Hussein's execution early Saturday, the day Sunnis consider the beginning of the holy Eid al-Adha celebration, reflected that deep divide. 'There's no Eid,' said Sami Mahmoud, 35, a store owner in Karrada. 'This is a day for the Persians and not for the Arabs. God have mercy on his soul.'

Note the reference to a snake: "The family cheered at the television images of masked men wrapping a noose around Hussein's neck. 'Now the head of the snake has been cut, Ali said'

… She said she was happy to see Hussein die. She blames him for the death of her father, who fought in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980's. … But she doesn't blame him for her current problems. That, she said, is the Americans' fault.

Adnan Mizher, … said his brother was executed by Hussein's government. Still, he said, life was better under Hussein. … 'Today, there are killings, murder, kidnappings and displacement of people on sectarian grounds,' he said. 'Life under Saddam was much better than now. The hell of Saddam is better than the paradise that Maliki promised us."[57]

Mithra -

Mithra was the god of Covenants
and Mithra was a well known Military deity

Judges 8:33
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. (KJV)

Judges 9:46
⁴⁶And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. (KJV)

Baalberith is a "pagan god of covenants." In Rome, Iran and Iraq as well as the United States - Baalberith became known as "Mithra"

Mithra's Stronghold: Underneath the Ground

It is important to understand that in ancient times Mithra's stronghold was "underneath the ground"
And, it is important to understand that when I read "the taunt to the Modern Day Nebuchadnezzar" (Isaiah 14) into the spiritual realm it was "underneath the ground".
And, that is why Saddam Hussein was captured by the United States "Military" from a hole in the ground. This hole was symbolic of a Mithraic Cave, which was his Stronghold.

Documentation

1. Receipts verifying that I was at the Capitol on December 13, 1998

American Express Card invoice, page 1

Figure 4- 1 U.S. Capitol Recepts-1

Source: Personal Documentation

American Express Card invoice, page 2

Figure 4- 2 U.S. Capitol Receipts-2

Source: Personal Documentation

Parking Receipt and Explanations

American Express & Parking Transactions

American Express:

The American Express transaction confirms that we were at the United States Capitol on December 31, 1998

Union Station Parking:

The Parking ticket confirms both the date of December 13, 1998 and the times that we were within walking distance of the US Capitol: The parking receipt reflects that we arrived at 9:56am and departed at 1:20pm

12:20 PM:

In other words, we were at the US Capitol at "12:30" pm – the time that the modern-day king of Babylon was captured five years later (six years if 1998 is included in the calculation)

The receipt for "Central Parking Union Station Parking Garage

Figure 4- 3 U.S. Capitol Receipts - Parking Receipt

Source: Personal Documentation

2. Bill Clinton's decision to attack Iraq on December 13, 1998

Clinton's decision comes the same day I read the "Taunt to the King of Babylon"

Figure 4- 4 President Clinton's Decision to Bomb Iraq on December 13, 1998

Source: Time Magazine [58]

3. Saddam Hussein captured on December 13, 2003 at 8:30pm

Hussein captured at 8:30pm (equivalent to 12:30pm Washington, DC time):

To the month, day and half hour, that I read the "Taunt to the King of Babylon" in 1998)

Figure 4- 5 Former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions

Source: USA Today [59]

Conversion of Washington, DC time to the time in Iraq

Figure 4- 6 Conversion of Washington, DC time to the time in Iraq

Source: Worldtimeserver.com [60]

Additional confirmation of Hussein's capture on December 13, 2003 at 8:30pm

Equivalent to 12:30pm Washington, DC time. Saddam Husein was captured to the month, day and half hour that I read the "Taunt to the King of Babylon" in 1998.

Figure 4- 7 How We Got Saddam

Source: Newsweek [61]

4. Saddam Hussein claims to be the modern-day King of Babylon

Isaiah 14:4 "You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon"

(This article also confirms he was taunted)

Figure 4- 8 Bearding the Tyrant

Source: The Washington Post [62]

Confirmation that Saddam Hussein claimed to be the modern-day King of Babylon

Isaiah 14:4, Isaiah 14:10 Hussein's temporary grave, v.11

Figure 4- 9 Simple Ceremony Marks Hussein's Return for Burial

Source: The Washington Post [63]

Saddam Hussein brought down to the grave – Poetic Justice

Figure 4- 10 Greed for Power was Saddam's Downfall-1

Source: USA Today [64]

Saddam Hussein born in Tikrit, birthplace of sultan Saladin

Figure 4- 11 Greed for Power was Saddam's Downfall-2

Source: USA Today [65]

5. Saddam Hussein claims to be Nebuchadnezzar's successor -1

Figure 4- 12 How We Got Saddam – p.23

Source: Newsweek [66]

Saddam Hussein claims to be Nebuchadnezzar's successor-2

Page 2

Figure 4- 13 How We Got Saddam – p.24

Source: Newsweek [67]

Rebuilding Babylon

Figure 4- 14 Hussein's Babylon: A Beloved Atrocity

Source: New York Times Website [68]

6. The Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Lincoln's Catafalque seen from inside the tomb

Figure 4- 15 Lincoln's Catafalque seen from inside Washington's Tomb

Source: We the People [69]

Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Washington's Tomb with Lincoln's Catafalque inside (1)

Figure 4- 16 Washington’s Tomb

Source: Personal Documentation

Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Washington's Tomb with Lincoln's Catafalque inside (2)

Figure 4- 17 Lincoln's Catafalque with "Shadow"

Source: Personal Documentation

Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Close-up view of Lincoln's Catafalque

Figure 4- 18 Lincoln's Catafalque: The Shadow of Death

Source: Personal Documentation

In the center of the above picture just to the right of the lock on the gates you will notice a distinct shadow that resembles a man. This "shadow" is the "shadow of death" in Psalm107:10, 14. It represents all those who have gone into a "Covenant with death" and an agreement with hell. Isaiah 28:15

Psalms 107:10 ¹⁰ Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons (NKJV)

Psalms 107:14 ¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. (NKJV)

Yet, there is hope because Jesus Christ came to set the prisoners free! The light around the shadow is the light spoken of in Luke 1:79.

Luke 1:79 ⁷⁹ To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” (NKJV)

The light speaks of the Marvelous light of Jesus Christ who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9 ⁹But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (KJV)

Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Lincoln's Catafalque

Figure 4- 19 Close-up of Lincoln's Catafalque

Source: Personal Documentation

Hussein's "grave-like" hole

Figure 4- 20 Last refuge a hole in ground

Source: USA Today [70]

Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Hussein's "hole dug under a small hut"

Figure 4- 21Hussein's "hole dug under a small hut"

Source: The Washington Post [71]

Taunt spoken in sub-basement of the Capitol

Hussein's Bunker

Figure 4- 22 Hussein's Bunker

Source: The Washington Post [72]

Isaiah 14:19 Hussein as a "carcase" underfoot

Figure 4- 23 The Raid

Source: San Francisco Chronicle Website [73]

7. Hussein was taunted when he was captured and his rule ceased

"President Bush sends his regards"

Figure 4- 24 President Bush sends his regards

Source: USA Today [74]

President Bush bids Saddam Hussein "Good riddance"

Figure 4- 25 Excerpts from Bush's News Conference - Good Riddance

Source: The Washington Post [75]

Saddam's Capture, page 1

Figure 4- 26 Saddam's Capture – p.1

Source: Time Website [76]

Saddam’s Capture, page 2

Figure 4- 27 – Saddam’s Capture – p.2

Saddam's Capture, page 3

Figure 4- 28 Saddam’s Capture – p.3

Saddam's Capture, page 4

Figure 4- 29 Saddam’s Capture – p.4

Saddam's Capture, page 5

Figure 4- 30 Saddam’s Capture – p.5

Arab Reaction to Hussein's Capture

Figure 4- 31 Surrender Widely Seen As a Total Humiliation

Source: The Washington Post [77]

Saddam in Custody – Pulled from rat-infested hole

Figure 4- 32 Initial Focus was on Identification

Source: USA Today [78]

Hussein was taunted when he was captured and his rule ceased

Isaiah 14:4 "You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon"

(This article also confirms he claimed to be the modern-day King of Babylon)

Figure 4- 33 Bearding The Tyrant

Source: The Washington Post [79]

Hussein was taunted when he was captured and his rule ceased

Bush's Comments on Hussein's Capture - Isaiah 14:4

Figure 4- 34 Bush's Comments on Hussein's Capture

Source: The Washington Post [80]

8. Hussein Taunted at his Execution

The taunt, "Moqtada"(Shiite cleric) at his execution

Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.