Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
One of the sadder losses of our post-print-media age is the local newspaper. They do still exist, of course, but for how much longer?
Here is a story from the Hereford Times which I can't resist drawing to your attention.
AN EX-SAS hero will surely get bums on seats when he auctions off one of Saddam Hussein’s buttocks.
Nigel Ely used a hammer and a crowbar to smash the memento from a statue of the former despot that was toppled to mark Iraq’s liberation in 2003.
The 52-year-old soldier, known as Spud, managed to sneak it out of the country by saying that it was vehicle armour and paid £385 in excess baggage charges to get it to the UK.
He kept it at his Preston-on-Wye home for seven years.
Now the iconic bronze piece is expected to raise thousands of pounds to help injured ex-servicemen in Britain and the USA when it is sold at auction in Derby on October 27.
“It’s been with me all these years, but I decided it was time it did some good,”
said Mr Ely.
“At the time of the invasion one of my fellow ex- SAS friends had agreed to lead a maverick Sky News team into Iraq and asked me if I fancied tagging along.
“We got over the Kuwait border, piggy-backed to the front of the US Marine column and then made a solo dash through ‘Sniper Alley’ with no escort.
“When we arrived in Firdos Square in the heart of Baghdad the statue had just been toppled and the US Marines had erected a cordon of tanks to guard the square.
“But I wanted a piece of the statue and when I mentioned to the marines that I was an old soldier and with the press they told me, ‘no problem buddy – help yourself’.”
Finding the bronze statue lying face down, Mr Ely enlisted the help of a marine armed with a crowbar and sledgehammer to “liberate” half of Saddam’s buttock.
“I only wanted a piece big enough to put in my pocket, but I ended up with a chunk about 2ft square,” he said.
“I thought, ‘what the hell am I going to do with this’?”
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Comments :
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Impossible to comment--what, really, is there to say?--but also impossible not to enjoy. Thanks, James. Now put down the newspapers and get back to saving Britain.
Edited on Oct 16, 2011 at 10:24amAug '11
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Subject header of the week! Possibly the month or year!
Jun '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Peter Robinson: Impossible to comment--what, really, is there to say?--but also impossible not to enjoy. Thanks, James. Now put down the newspapers and get back to saving Britain. · Oct 16 at 10:22am
Edited on Oct 16 at 10:24 am
Bummer!
Nov '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
I thought I would make a half-assed comment.
Mar '11
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Our guys went over to take a chunk out of his butt.
Here's the chunk.
Oct '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
See new jobs in LifeCasting, Hmmmm.
Recall the Woody Allen film featuring The Leaders Nose ?
Dec '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
I think it should be snapped-up and donated to one of the service academies, for their football players to smack on their way out to the field!
Oct '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
A Taliseman ? Or some odd mascot ?
Jun '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Butt you have better sense than that.
Sep '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Such a piece of statute should forever have this epigram appended to it:
"In my end is my beginning."
Jul '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
Where was Hans Blix when we needed him?
Nov '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
What a statement... where is your head?
May '10
Re: Saddam Hussein's missing buttock
I wouldn't pay a dime for a piece of ass from Saddam myself, butt I hope it brings lots of money for the wounded servicemen.