When i went to the palace, i was brought to see uday hussein, saddams older son. Dominic cooper talks playing saddams son in devils double. This is the tale of uday s double and his life before, during, and after his role as a decoy for iraqs hated tyrantinwaiting. Trivia 3 headed the militant security force of his father, saddam hussein. The bizarre double life of latif yahia for years he was uday hussein s bulletcatcher, a lookalike surgically altered to be identical to saddams oldest son. The devils double the shoes of a psychopath the new. Two journalists have disputed this and other claims made by yahia. Uday, who yahia knew from secondary school, offered him a choice. Saddam husseins sons body double in 11year legal limbo. The devils double, released this week, is a film looselybased on udays early life shot entirely from the point of view of his body double. Latif yahias story behind the events depicted in the film has been questioned and there appears to be no proof that he had been hussein s double or even that he had had any connection. Lee tamahori is a skilled director who has his flaws when it comes to his films.
Latif was born in 1964, the son of a wealthy iraqi businessman. Saddams sons uday and qusay hussein revelled in violence. Locked up abroad son of saddam tv episode 2012 imdb. The former body double of uday hussein recounts his harrowing experiences. This is the story behind that double, and his name is latif yahia. During the late 1980s, i was working as an officer in the iraqi army when my commanding general received a letter that demanded i report to a palace in baghdad within 72 hours. He was born in 18 june 1964, he is the eldest son of saddam hussein and his first wife sajidah talfah microsoft may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase something through recommended links.
The tangled tale behind the devils double eoin butler. Yes, he was forced to be a double for uday, who saw him when they attended school together, because they threatened his family. Latif yahia had been a school classmate of the dictators son and looked like a twin brother. He attended the most exclusive school in baghdad where another pupil was uday saddam hussein, son of the future president. On a visit to iraq camille spent a night with uday hussein. There, saddam hussein s eldest son uday demands that latif becomes his body double. Latif yahia, the former body double of saddam husseins eldest and most notorious son uday, talked to aol about his horrifying experiences during the dictators reign. The bizarre double life of latif yahia the national. As uday hussein drove his golden porsche slowly up a busy street in one of baghdads smartest districts, just after dark on dec. How true was the portrayal of saddam husseins son uday.
Us releases photos of saddam sons world news the guardian. Politics closeup portrait of uday husseins body double latif yahia london. The devils double 2011 meeting saddam hussein scene 610 movieclips duration. Latif yahia, an iraqi exile who claims he was forced to become the body double of dictator saddam hussein s playboy son uday, says he is. Uday saddam hussein, the elder son, was apparently determined to exceed his fathers proclivity toward torture and summary executions when he presumably succeeded dear old dad. Uday hussein was born on june 18, 1964 in baghdad, iraq. Uday was clearly recognisable, despite having a thick beard and a wound that had destroyed part of.
The tangled tale behind the devils double eoin butler opinion. He doesnt want the role, but uday has him thrown in prison until latif accepts he. Pictures of the brothers released by the us army as proof of their deaths. Latif yahias account of his time serving as the dictators sons double would make. The devils double is based on the events told by latif yahiya. Yahia was forced in 1987 to serve as his fiday, or body double. The devils double captures horror of hussein sons look. It is a vicious, unrelenting look at the cruel world of uday hussein, a man considered even more sadistic than his massmurdering father, with captain america and mamma mia. At first, he refused the role as uday hussein s body double and was incarcerated for a week. Its moving it raw and it is a seductive movie that draws you in from the get go and never lets up. This movie has it all the greed, the power, the madness of a son of from royalty and what he did with that power. Released in cinemas later this month, the film recounts the knucklewhitening autobiography of latif yahia, the supposed body double to saddam husseins psychotic eldest son, uday.
Uday hussein simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I was shot 26 times for being uday husseins body double. Iraqi president saddam husseins son uday made a rare public appearance in baghdad on friday 2205, attending a football match at the alshaab stadium. He is best known for being the alleged former body doubl e of uday hussei n, the son of iraqi dictator saddam hussei. For years, people thought that uday would become the head of iraq after his father died. This is uday hussein s world and with his depraved lust for debauchery and immorality, he helps himself to whatever turns him on. If saddam is killed or somehow cut off, power would most likely pass to his sons, uday and qusay. The devils double original book by latif yahia books on. Ahead of the british premiere of a film based on his experiences, he spoke to nicola stanbridge about his terrifying double life. Youve got latif yahia on being uday husseins body double duration. According to the supposed double, latif yahia, he went to school with uday, and in 1988 when he was serving his mandatory. Saddam hussein was not the only one in his family with a body double. It vividly describes how latif was forced to become uday husseins fidai body double and gives a unique insight into the extreme extravagance and cruelty of. And yet for all that uday saddam hussein symbolised the brutality of the iraqi regime, his powers were severely circumscribed.
When army lieutenant latif yahia is summoned to saddams palace, he is faced with an impossible request to be uday s fiday his body double, or have his family condemned to death. Fascinating story of uday hussein the son of saddam and his life and how he lived in as told by his body double. June 1964 22 july 2003 was the oldest son of saddam hussein, the fifth president of iraq. I have to ask myself whether the accuracy of the account is important to the quality of the read, and i must admit that it is.
Latif yahia, uday husseins body double, asks western. He thought hed been forgotten, but a few years later mr. Whilst latif was a young army officer fighting in the iraniraq war. He underwent plastic surgery, just like the body doubles for saddam and qusay, in order to look more like uday. Around 2003, yahia relayed his story to news outlets throughout the uk and the us. Hussein s oldest son, uday hussein, may have used a body double as well. In 1987, latif yahia was taken to saddams headquarters to meet uday, saddams eldest son, and told that a great honour has been bestowed upon him. The pictures, taken after uday and qusay saddm husseins bodies were removed from a house in mosul on tuesday, show the heads and torsos of the two. The former body double of saddam hussein s sadistic son, uday, is now living in of all places offaly. The devils double is a 2011 film about uday hussein, the psychopathic son of saddam hussein, and latif yahia, his reluctant body double.
Were this a fabricated adventure story of life within saddam hussein s inner circle as body double to his son uday, it would be somewhat lacking. Hussein, says the former body double of uday hussein, saddams eldest son and heir. He is best known for being the alleged former body double of uday hussein, the son of iraqi dictator saddam hussein. Yahia, as an iraqi officer serving in the iraniraq war, was suddenly summoned home to uday s palace in baghdad. Was killed by coalition soldiers along with his brother qusay hussein during a raid in mosul. I was shot 26 times for being uday husseins body double the sun. Released in cinemas later this month, the film recounts the knucklewhitening autobiography of latif yahia, the supposed body double to saddam. The devils double to be released in australia next year is a film loosely based on uday s early life, told from the point of view of his body double. Youve got latif yahia on being uday husseins body double. Saddams sons uday and qusay hussein revelled in violence and rape and killed their own people before judgement caught up with them. Everyone noticed the boys bore an uncanny resemblance to each other.
The devils double original book, which was made into a. It is hard to imagine how, but saddams male offspring, say a. Latif yahia was for years employed as a body double for saddam hussein s son uday, having surgery to make his face look more like uday s and taking his place in official duties. It vividly describes how latif was forced to become uday hussein s fidai body double and gives a unique insight into the extreme extravagance and cruelty of the saddam regime. Latif is a nearexact physical match for the evil son, virtually his twin.
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