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Ex-Iraqi Weightlifter Regrets Toppling Saddam Statue

HeadlineMar 20, 2007

As Iraqis mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion, an unlikely critic of the occupation has emerged. Four years ago, images of a prize-winning Iraqi weightlifter named Kadhim al-Jubouri were broadcast around the world. He was videotaped using a sledgehammer to bring down a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad’s Firdous Square. Now al-Jubouri says he regrets his actions. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, he said, “The Americans are worse than the dictatorship. Every day is worse than the previous day.” He said Saddam Hussein was like Stalin, but the occupation is proving to be worse.

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