The body double of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s sadistic son, Uday, in Malta for the second time, is about to release a documentary on his disturbing life, which would disprove some critics’ belief that the movie about him is based on a web of lies.
“I say to them: wait until the documentary comes out and all these yuppie dogs will shut up forever,” said Latif Yahia. It is due to be released in April, less than a year after the film The Devil’s Double, based on his dramatic life story.
Following Mr Yahia’s book, which is banned in the US “because of his views on the CIA”, the movie and several interviews, it would appear that hardly anything more was left to say. But he maintains “only 20 per cent” of his life has emerged so far.
Uday Hussein’s rape of a girl on her wedding day, following which she threw herself to her death from the fifth floor, is among the most horrific incidents he witnessed and has yet to reveal.
Mr Yahia was in Malta last year during the shooting of The Devil’s Double and he is pleased to return to the island he loves to meet the many friends he made on the film set.
Given his resemblance to the Butcher of Baghdad’s son, as a political decoy, he would stand in for him at official functions but he also witnessed first-hand the atrocities committed.
Mr Yahia is featuring on the PBS talk show Xarabank tomorrow and although it is based on Libya, the producers said his story had much in common with that of Muammar Gaddafi’s bodyguard, who is also being interviewed on the programme, and relations with dictators in general. Mr Yahia, however, pointed out that their stories differed considerably in that he was the one “taking bullets” for the man described as a playboy psychopath, who arbitrarily kidnapped, killed and raped.
Mr Yahia was forced to work for Uday Hussein and never left him because he threatened his family, he explained. In fact, “he killed my father, tortured my brothers and imprisoned my mother and sisters”, he said yesterday.
Asked about his relations with the former Iraqi dictator, Mr Latif said he was a “human”. He used to see him going about his business in his palace but never witnessed him killing or torturing anyone.
Mr Yahia said he had been accused of making money from his life story but he insisted he donated it all to charity and the profits from the movie were being directed towards children in need.
For the last 20 years, he has been “searching for a home” because no country has accepted him due to political issues and his disagreement with American policy.
“I lived in Ireland for 15 years, my wife is Irish and so is my kid. I am a lawyer and still they refuse my citizenship because they say I am breaking their relations with the US.”
As to whether he has ever returned to Iraq, Mr Yahia preferred to keep that under wraps – another piece of information that may emerge in his upcoming documentary.