GENERAL GEORGES SADA, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR TO THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT
Page: 20311
Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [2.36 a.m.]: Last Monday I met a remarkable man in Canberra in the main hall of Federal Parliament House, General Georges Sada, who is the National Security Advisor to the Iraqi Government. During the Iraqi regime led by Saddam Hussein, General Sada was the Air Vice Marshall in charge of the Iraqi Air Force with particular responsibility for fighter aircraft. He was the guest speaker at the annual prayer breakfast held in the main hall of Federal Parliament House, which was attended by more than 600 guests. Many Federal parliamentarians took part in the prayer breakfast, including John Anderson, Peter Costello, Kevin Rudd, Harry Quick and Bruce Baird, as well as the Governor General.
General Sada told us some interesting stories. One story concerned orders he received, when he was the Air Vice Marshall, from Saddam Hussein to equip 96 supersonic fighters—I understand they were Russian aircraft—with chemical bombs which would be dropped on the main population centres of Israel.
He was given that order in front of a number of defence officials in the regime and he refused to carry it out. He persuaded Saddam Hussein that the Iraqis could not succeed in their mission because they would be "flying blind" while Israel had the "eyes". He meant that the Israelis had superior military equipment and could identify the aircraft before they reached their targets. However, some of the aircraft could have got through. Sada said that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Some of them were destroyed but a large number were shipped across the border into Syria, where they remain to this day.
Sada shared another story with us, of which I have had confirmation from a former American Air Force Colonel, David Eberly. In January 1991 Colonel Eberly and some other coalition pilots were shot down over Iraq and captured. They were made prisoners of war. Saddam Hussein gave the order that all the pilots were to be executed as they were classified as criminals of war. Because Sada was head of an air force department he was put in charge of the prisoners of war. He received the order that they were to be executed but disobeyed it. As a consequence, Saddam Hussein threw him into prison, where he suffered greatly. The pilots whose lives were saved by Sada's stand have expressed their appreciation for his bravery.
Sada was ordered to join Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party in 1986. He refused to do so and was thus forced to retire. The key fact in this man's life is that he is a Christian. I was amazed that a Christian could hold such a high position in the Iraqi regime. But his ability to fly aircraft and to organise the air force for Saddam Hussein made him invaluable. Shortly after Sada was forced out of the air force Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and Sada was the first man he called back into service. He was restored to his former position and put in charge of the air force. Sada was obviously a loyal citizen of Iraq but because he would not execute the American prisoners he was thrown into prison. Sada is a remarkable man. I understand that he will be visiting Parliament House tomorrow. I am not involved in Sada's visit—I have only just learned of it—but I urge honourable members to take the opportunity to meet this remarkable Christian, who showed amazing courage and faith by putting his life at risk to protect the American pilots.