AP

Iraqis holding pictures of Saddam Hussein march during a protest against the new constitution of Iraq near Ramadi in 2005.

Published: February 10, 2010

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

A familiar face has re-emerged in Iraq's Anbar province ahead of parliamentary elections March 7. Though he won't be a candidate in the polls, Saddam Hussein is again a popular figure.

In the provincial capital Ramadi, the cult of Saddam is back in vogue.

His face, with its ink-black moustache, is blown up to the size of a wall in a mobile phone shop in Ramadi. Smaller pictures of Saddam hunting or making speeches are hung up behind the counter.

Shop worker Zaid plays a recording of Saddam saved on his cell phone. He says Saddam — who was executed in 2006 — is making a comeback.

"Many people are putting up his picture and keep videos of him on their mobile phones and praise him and talk about him," Zaid says.

Saddam Nostalgia

The reason, residents say, is disillusionment with the current Shiite-led government and the local Sunni provincial council. Anbar suffered years of brutal war that pitted U.S. forces against al-Qaida and other insurgents. Now, it's less violent. But people like Zaid say life is still hard, with few services and no jobs.

"It is only now that we have discovered how valuable Saddam was to us," Zaid says. "People have compared the situation before to the situation now. And then was better."

Since the Americans have pulled out, Zaid says, people have become bolder in displaying Saddam's image.

"We couldn't put the picture up before because of the Americans," Zaid says. "If they passed by and saw a picture of Saddam, they would arrest us, suspecting us of being insurgents."

While for many Iraqis, Saddam and his Sunni-dominated Baath party inspired loathing, Anbar produced many of the officers in Saddam's army and senior members of his toppled regime.

At a nearby barbershop, 35-year-old Hameed Salim says that has left a sense of nostalgia for the Saddam era.

"Saddam's popularity is back because Saddam gave Iraqis dignity," Salim says. "Now, Iraqis have no dignity whatsoever."

Saddam, for all his faults, was a leader who inspired fear and respect, many residents told NPR.

Disinterested In Elections

Salim, like many here, says he won't vote in the upcoming elections.

Sunnis largely boycotted the 2005 elections. Last year, in a provincial poll, Anbar still ranked lowest in terms of voter participation, with only around 40 percent of people going to vote amid charges of fraud.

At a recent meeting in Anbar, Khalid Muhammad Rajab from the Independent High Electoral Commission sought to convince the gathered crowd that elections this time will be free and fair.

"In these elections, everybody knows that they must be impartial, and we want to make sure that all the people of Anbar participate," Rajab said.

A member of the audience, Sheik Ammash al-Ubeidi, stood up to express his skepticism: "Frankly speaking, there are people who are suspicious that fraud will take place in the elections, and we say to them, 'You are right.' "

An Uncertain Future

Residents of Anbar don't have to travel far to see the promises of the electoral commission ring hollow.

At a checkpoint on Anbar's main highway, Iraqi soldiers recently were handing out calendars emblazoned with a picture of Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

One soldier said he was ordered to distribute them by his commander.

Another soldier smiled and pressed more fliers through the window of the car, saying, "This is Maliki. May God preserve him for you."

At the mobile phone shop in Ramadi, owner Abu Mohammed says at least when Saddam was in power, people knew what to expect.

He says today Iraqis hear promises from politicians to make changes and to rebuild. But the next morning, he says, Iraqis wake up to the same situation or even worse. [Copyright 2012 National Public Radio]

TRANSCRIPT:

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

There came a time in Russia when people felt nostalgia for the ruthless dictator Joseph Stalin. Something similar may be happening in Iraq, where some people venerate the memory of Saddam Hussein.

INSKEEP: Iraq's onetime ruler was executed years ago, yet you could be forgiven for thinking he was a candidate in parliamentary elections next month.

NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reports from Iraq's Anbar Province, where Saddam remains a popular figure.

LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO: His familiar face with its ink-black moustache is blown up to the size of a whole wall in this mobile phone shop in Ramadi. Smaller pictures of Saddam Hussein hunting, making speeches are hung up behind the counter.

Mr. SADDAM HUSSEIN (Former Leader, Iraq): (Foreign language spoken)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Shop worker Zaid plays a recording of Saddam saved on his cell phone. He says Saddam Hussein, who was executed in 2006, is making a comeback.

ZAID: (Through translator) Many people put his picture up and keep videos of him on their cell phones and praise him and talk about him.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: The reason, say residents, is disillusionment with the current Shiite-led government and the local Sunni provincial council. Anbar suffered years of brutal war that pitted U.S. forces against al-Qaida and other insurgents. Now, it's less violent. But people here like Zaid say life is still hard, with few services and no jobs.

ZAID: (Through translator) It's only now that we've discovered how valuable Saddam was to us. People have compared the situation before to the situation now, and then was better.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Since the Americans have pulled out, says Zaid, people have become bolder in displaying Saddam's image.

ZAID: (Through translator) We couldn't put the picture up before because of the Americans. If they passed by and saw a picture of Saddam, they would arrest us, suspecting us of being insurgents.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: While for many Iraqis, Saddam and his Baath party inspired loathing, Anbar provided many of the officers in Saddam's army and senior members of his toppled regime. At a nearby barbershop, 35-year-old Hameed Salim says that's left a sense of nostalgia for the Saddam era.

Mr. HAMEED SALIM: (Through translator) Saddam's popularity is back because Saddam gave Iraqis dignity. Now, Iraqis have no dignity whatsoever.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's a constant lament among the Anbaris interviewed by NPR. Saddam, for all his faults, they say, was a leader who inspired fear and respect. Salim, like many here, says he won't vote in the upcoming elections. Sunnis largely boycotted the 2005 elections. Last year, in a provincial poll, Anbar still ranked lowest in terms of voter participation, with only around 40 percent of people coming to vote, amid charges of fraud.

Mr. KHALID MUHAMMAD RAJAB (Official, Independent High Electoral Commission): (Foreign language spoken)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: At a recent meeting in Anbar, Khalid Muhammad Rajab from the Independent High Electoral Commission sought to persuade the gathered crowd that the elections this time will be free and fair.

Mr. RAJAB: (Through translator) In these elections, everybody knows they must be impartial, and we want to make sure that all the people of Anbar participate.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: One member of the audience, Sheik Ammash al-Ubeidi, stood up to express his skepticism.

Mr. SHEIK AMMASH AL-UBEIDI: (Through translator) Frankly speaking, there are people who are suspicious that fraud will take place in the elections, and we say to them, you are right.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Residents of Anbar don't have to travel far to see the promises of the electoral commission ring hollow. On the same day, at a checkpoint on Anbar's main highway, Iraqi soldiers were handing out calendars emblazoned with a picture of Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Unidentified Man #1: (Foreign language spoken)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: One soldier told an NPR reporter that he was ordered to distribute them by his commander.

Unidentified Man #1: This is Maliki.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Another soldier smiled and presses more fliers through the window of the car, saying, this is Maliki. May God preserve him for you.

Unidentified Man #2: (Foreign language spoken)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Back at the mobile phone shop in Ramadi, owner Abu Mohammed says, at least when Saddam was in power, people knew what to expect.

Mr. ABU MOHAMMED (Mobile Shop Owner, Ramadi, Iraq): (Foreign language spoken)

GARCIA-NAVARRO: He says, today we hear promises from politicians, we will do this or that, things will change, we will rebuild. But, he says, the next morning we wake up to the same situation, or even worse.

Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.