Home / Arts and Entertainment / McCain: Saddam Hussein interview question makes me cringe
McCain: Saddam Hussein interview question makes me cringe
4 Mar
Summary
- Sir Trevor McDonald regrets his opening question to Saddam Hussein.
- He described Hussein's demeanor as surprisingly smooth and smiling.
- McDonald and his team faced 'rough' treatment en route to interview.
Sir Trevor McDonald, the acclaimed journalist, expressed regret over a question he asked Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during a 1990 interview. Reflecting on the landmark encounter, McDonald admitted that the opening query, "Mr President, the invasion of a neighboring country with such calculated force and brutality is a very un-Arab thing to do, isn't it?", now makes him "cringe".
Filmed in Baghdad following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the interview captured a surprisingly smooth demeanor from Hussein, whom McDonald had associated with oppression. He noted occasional smiles and described the leader as a "smoother operator" who inspired significant fear. The journey to the interview was fraught with tension, as McDonald and his team experienced rough treatment and strip-searches.
The new ITV series, Reporting History, features McDonald revisiting this interview. He also reflects on Iraq's subsequent Gulf War defeat in 1991 and Hussein's eventual execution in 2006. McDonald voiced sadness over Iraq's enduring divisions and questioned post-war efforts to alter the nation's path.
