Iraq Leader: ‘One Who Confronts’

NICOSIA, Cyprus — President Saddam Hussein, to his own apparent pleasure, is known throughout Iraq and the Arab world by his first name, which means “one who confronts.”

With his latest exploit, facing worldwide condemnation and sanctions after invading Kuwait and ousting its royal family, he seems to be living up to his name.

Even little children in Iraq know their leader by his first name. Schoolgirls sing a little jingle: “Saddam, Saddam, we will give our blood for you.”

Headlines in Iraqi and other Arab papers use Saddam to refer to the Iraqi leader. Stories might say President Saddam Hussein. But though Hussein was the first name of his father, who died before Saddam was born, he is never referred to in the press as President Hussein. He is called Saddam.

Saddam was born in the close-knit town of Takrit north of Baghdad and like many other residents, bore the surname Al Takriti. Later he abolished regional surnames.