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DR SHAHRISTANI: It was clear to me and to everybody else at the meeting that
he meant that he wanted the scientists at the Atomic Energy to devote all their time
to develop a nuclear bomb for him. I chose at that time basically to remind him
very innocently if you like, that Iraq had signed the non-proliferation treaty with the
International Atomic Energy Agency, and then he just looked at me and he said Dr
Hussain, you are a good scientist, mind your scientific work and leave politics to
us, we know what to do.
CORBIN: Dr Shahristani refused to participate in Saddam Hussein’s new venture.
The President tried brutal persuasion.
DR SHAHRISTANI: In the torture chambers they start by hanging a person till
their arms are usually paralysed and then they give them electric shocks on their
sensitive parts of their body, their private parts and so on. They will keep on at it,
day in, day out, not allowing a person to sleep. That went on for 22 days in my
case.
CORBIN: For 11 years Saddam Hussein kept Dr Shahristani in prison. The
dictator still needed a more compliant scientist to develop his bomb programme.
Dr Jaffar Jaffa, a brilliant London University trained physicist was the man for the
job. He too needed some persuading at first.
Dr HUSSAIN AL- SHAHRISTANI
Former Senior Scientific Advisor
Atomic Energy Organisation of Iraq
Dr Jaffa himself for example was the key figure, the single person that was really
responsible for all the technology and development. I know that he has been
brought to prison and they brought other people and tortured them to death in front
of him. Till he cracked down and he just couldn't take it anymore and he said you
know.. I’m not going to be a cause for all these people to be tortured like this till
they die, and he decided to go back to work.
he meant that he wanted the scientists at the Atomic Energy to devote all their time
to develop a nuclear bomb for him. I chose at that time basically to remind him
very innocently if you like, that Iraq had signed the non-proliferation treaty with the
International Atomic Energy Agency, and then he just looked at me and he said Dr
Hussain, you are a good scientist, mind your scientific work and leave politics to
us, we know what to do.
CORBIN: Dr Shahristani refused to participate in Saddam Hussein’s new venture.
The President tried brutal persuasion.
DR SHAHRISTANI: In the torture chambers they start by hanging a person till
their arms are usually paralysed and then they give them electric shocks on their
sensitive parts of their body, their private parts and so on. They will keep on at it,
day in, day out, not allowing a person to sleep. That went on for 22 days in my
case.
CORBIN: For 11 years Saddam Hussein kept Dr Shahristani in prison. The
dictator still needed a more compliant scientist to develop his bomb programme.
Dr Jaffar Jaffa, a brilliant London University trained physicist was the man for the
job. He too needed some persuading at first.
Dr HUSSAIN AL- SHAHRISTANI
Former Senior Scientific Advisor
Atomic Energy Organisation of Iraq
Dr Jaffa himself for example was the key figure, the single person that was really
responsible for all the technology and development. I know that he has been
brought to prison and they brought other people and tortured them to death in front
of him. Till he cracked down and he just couldn't take it anymore and he said you
know.. I’m not going to be a cause for all these people to be tortured like this till
they die, and he decided to go back to work.
Sounds pretty determined,to me.
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