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Born 1940

Hilla, Iraq

Iraqi information minister known for his defiant and overly optimistic statements during the 2003 Iraq War

"I reassure you Baghdad is safe. There is no presence of the American columns in the city of Baghdad. None at all."

Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf quoted in War on Baghdad.

As Iraq's Information Minister, Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf was the main public spokesman for Saddam Hussein's government during the 2003 Iraq War. He became known for the vast array of colorful insults he used to describe the American and British troops that were invading his country. As the U.S.-led coalition of more than thirty-five countries closed in on Baghdad, al-Sahhaf repeatedly insisted that Iraq's army was on the verge of a major victory. Journalists gave him the nicknames "Baghdad Bob" and "Comical Ali" because of his defiant and overly optimistic statements to...