But teacher Dinah Bentley, from Yorkshire in northern England, remembers a very different Uday. Back in the early ’70s, while married to a Kurd, she taught English to the 11-year-old at a private school in Baghdad. His father was already a powerful figure–Uday arrived at school with bodyguards–but she recalls a normal child who was bright, cheerful and responsive to discipline. Bentley spoke to NEWSWEEK’s William Underhill in London.
NEWSWEEK: When he was first in your class, did you know anything about Uday’s background ?
Dinah Bentley: I had no idea
What was the attitude of the other teachers toward him?
I think they held him in awe. I wouldn’t say it was respect, but they were wary. But I didn’t realize this until I found out who he was.
How did you discover his identity?
After a fortnight or three weeks there was an incident in class. Uday wanted to leap about the room. So I jokingly took him by a tuft of hair and said: “You can’t leap about. This is an English lesson. Come and sit down, please.” And he did. The day after he came in with his hair cut. He grinned and pointed to his head. I never had any more trouble with him.
What was the reaction of the staff to that incident?
One of them saw what happened through a window and was horrified for me, thinking that I was about to become one of the disappeared.
So other teachers were more deferential?
I think so. If I had realized who Uday was I might have been, too.
Was Uday generally a mischievous child?
He was always grinning and happy. As soon as they knew who he was the other children were a little bit wary–but he certainly wasn’t a bully. People would like me to say that he had two heads and was an unbearable pupil. He wasn’t.
Did he seem spoiled?
Yes, but the elder sons of Iraqi parents are often indulged so that was not unusual.
How was Saddam Hussein regarded at the time?
Remember in 1973 he wasn’t the president; he was the second in command [vice chairman of Iraq’s highest authority, the Revolutionary Command Council]. But obviously he had a reputation– he was not a man to be crossed–and my husband was quite fearful when I told him what had happened in class. I was naive.
When did you learn how Uday is seen today?
It must have been around the time of the [1991] gulf war when there were stories in the papers–and I don’t know how true they are–about his murderous ways. That did surprise me because he was never aggressive or a problem in class. Looking back, he was probably surprised that someone had said to him “No, you can’t do that, sit down.”
You must have been surprised when you heard all the allegations that were made against him.
I was horrified. Nothing manifested itself at the time. I had a good relationship with him. He never tried to pull rank. He certainly never said to me “Do you realize who I am?”
Did Uday speak English well by the end?
Not bad. And with a Yorkshire accent.
