Saddam confessed over coffee and cigars

Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had confessed to slaughtering over 1,80,000 Kurds and plotting to build a nuclear weapon over cups of coffee, Cuban cigars and sweets, an FBI agent has claimed. Special Agent George Piro, who had interrogated the dictator for nearly five hours a day for seven months before he was sent to the gallows, revealed these in a new book 'The Terrorist Watch' released on Tuesday.

In the book, Piro, an Arabic-speaking American, has explained that after Saddam's capture in December 2003, he built a rapport with the Iraqi leader by acting as his sole conduit with the outside world. Apart from other issues, the two discussed sports and Saddam's literary achievements and drank copious amounts of coffee and enjoyed Cuban cigars together on the patio behind the dictator's cell at Baghdad airport, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported on wednesday.

Saddam also admitted that he hankered to building a nuclear weapon, but led the world to believe he had a weapons of mass destruction programme to keep Iran at bay, the FBI agent has claimed. During interrogation, there was no sign of waterboarding, deafening music or blinding light, and when it was time for Piro to depart, Saddam would burst into tears of sadness.

Contrary to widespread belief, Saddam claimed he did not use body doubles as "no one could play me", and he admitted to fabricating plots against himself to see if anyone would join in. Those that did were executed, according to the book.