allison cobb pointed this one out to me . . .
By REUTERS
LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein is passing his time in solitary confinement by reading the Koran, writing poetry, gardening and snacking on American-style cookies and muffins, The Guardian reported Monday.
The Iraqi human rights minister, Bakhtiar Amin, was quoted as saying in an interview that Mr. Hussein's health was "generally good" but that he was being treated for high blood pressure and had a chronic prostate infection.
Mr. Amin spoke to the newspaper after he had visited Mr. Hussein in prison on Saturday. The location of the prison has been kept secret.
"One of the poems is about George Bush, but I had no time to read it," said Mr. Amin, a Kurd originally from Kirkuk, who had spent much of his life in exile in Europe and the United States. "He is looking after a few bushes and shrubs and has even placed a circle of white stones around a small plum tree."
Mr. Hussein is being held in a white-walled air-conditioned cell, a little more than 9 feet wide and 13 feet long, Mr Amin said. He is kept apart from the other prisoners, who can mix freely during the daily three-hour exercise periods.
Like the other high-value detainees, Mr. Hussein's day begins with a substantial breakfast, an MRE (meal ready to eat), which provides 1,300 calories. He also gets hot food twice a day, which could consist of rice or potatos and broccoli, along with either fish, beef or chicken. For dessert, there might be oranges, apples, pears or plums, but Mr. Amin said that Mr. Hussein had developed a penchant for American snacks like muffins and cookies.
There is regular access to showers and a barber, and a personal grooming kit that includes soaps, toothpaste, comb, shampoo and deodorant, and plastic sandals.
For relaxation, the minister said, there are no newspapers, television or radio, but there are 145 books - mainly novels and travel books - donated by the Red Cross, which visits the detainees every six weeks. "
By REUTERS
LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein is passing his time in solitary confinement by reading the Koran, writing poetry, gardening and snacking on American-style cookies and muffins, The Guardian reported Monday.
The Iraqi human rights minister, Bakhtiar Amin, was quoted as saying in an interview that Mr. Hussein's health was "generally good" but that he was being treated for high blood pressure and had a chronic prostate infection.
Mr. Amin spoke to the newspaper after he had visited Mr. Hussein in prison on Saturday. The location of the prison has been kept secret.
"One of the poems is about George Bush, but I had no time to read it," said Mr. Amin, a Kurd originally from Kirkuk, who had spent much of his life in exile in Europe and the United States. "He is looking after a few bushes and shrubs and has even placed a circle of white stones around a small plum tree."
Mr. Hussein is being held in a white-walled air-conditioned cell, a little more than 9 feet wide and 13 feet long, Mr Amin said. He is kept apart from the other prisoners, who can mix freely during the daily three-hour exercise periods.
Like the other high-value detainees, Mr. Hussein's day begins with a substantial breakfast, an MRE (meal ready to eat), which provides 1,300 calories. He also gets hot food twice a day, which could consist of rice or potatos and broccoli, along with either fish, beef or chicken. For dessert, there might be oranges, apples, pears or plums, but Mr. Amin said that Mr. Hussein had developed a penchant for American snacks like muffins and cookies.
There is regular access to showers and a barber, and a personal grooming kit that includes soaps, toothpaste, comb, shampoo and deodorant, and plastic sandals.
For relaxation, the minister said, there are no newspapers, television or radio, but there are 145 books - mainly novels and travel books - donated by the Red Cross, which visits the detainees every six weeks. "
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