# Iraqi Jokers...No Really! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096 "2003-04-11T19:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/1 "2003-04-11T19:14:38Z")
According to this link, [Most Wanted](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030411/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_central_command&cid=540&ncid=1473) the U.S. Military has issued a most wanted list for Iraqi leaders in the form of a deck of cards. Saddam is the Ace of Spades and his son and former heir, Qusay is the Ace of Clubs. Wouldn’t you love to have a deck of these cards? Who would be the other Aces, Chemical Ali, and Saddam’s other son, Uday? They do say that they haven’t left out figures who are likely dead. What card would Baghdad Bob, the Info minister be, a joker? Perfect for a game of go fish. Shark ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/2 "2003-04-11T20:27:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shark \* > \*\*According to this link, [Most Wanted](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030411/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_central_command&cid=540&ncid=1473) the U.S. Military has issued a most wanted list for Iraqi leaders in the form of a deck of cards. Saddam is the Ace of Spades and his son and former heir, Qusay is the Ace of Clubs. > > Wouldn’t you love to have a deck of these cards?\*\* Printing decks of cards for servicemen so they can recognize common field equipment is a tradition dating back to Old Army days. It was _vitally_ important that the guys on board the destroyers and battle wagons of the last century (who spent much of their free time playing cards yet spending tense action-packed hours on deck chasing away Japanses Zeroes with anti-aircraft fire) be able to tell the difference between friendly and hostile aircraft. Same thing with ship silhouttes and I suppose, though I’ve never seen them, armoured vehicles. This is just another clever tool created by the military to allow our troops to readily identify, almost subconsciously, the most dangerous elements of the enemy arsenal. In this case, they’re not concerned with recognizing the burning hulk of a surplus Soviet T-72, but rather the face of the men most wanted for capture. > [@](#): > > **Who would be the other Aces, Chemical Ali, and Saddam’s other son, Uday? They do say that they haven’t left out figures who are likely dead.** Those are some good guesses. Even the “likely deads” could show up somewhere; it happens all the time. I work with a girl who looks like Sarah Jessica Parker and a guy who looks like Pete Townshend. > [@](#): > > **What card would Baghdad Bob, the Info minister be, a joker?** No, those would be Geraldo Rivera and Peter Arnett. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/3 "2003-04-11T20:39:20Z")
:smack: There’s a picture of them. The four aces are:[ul][_]Saddam Hussein (Big Cheese himself) - Ace of Spades[_]Odai Hussein (Hussein’s son) - Ace of Hearts[_]Qusai Hussein (Hussein’s other son) - Ace of Clubs[_]Abed Hameed Hmoud (Hussein’s cousin and secretary) - Ace of Diamonds[/ul]Those are pretty neat. I could enjoy a deck of those. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/4 "2003-04-11T21:06:46Z")
I read that Baghdad Bob wasn’t on the list. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/5 "2003-04-11T21:08:20Z")
[CNN was where I read that](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/11/sprj.irq.wanted.cards/index.html): “Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf, the infomation minister, is currently not in the deck, but is still a ‘person of interest.’” ---
**Author:** ![WillGolfForFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@WillGolfForFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillGolfForFood)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/6 "2003-04-11T21:25:36Z")
> [@](#): > > I read that Baghdad Bob wasn’t on the list. Nor should he be, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/7 "2003-04-11T21:31:19Z")
Can somebody explain to me why they call him Bob if his name is Mohammad? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/8 "2003-04-11T22:14:08Z")
Alliteration. Baghdad Corky didn’t have the same ring. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/9 "2003-04-12T00:59:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Already in Use \* > \*\*Can somebody explain to me why they call him Bob if his name is Mohammad? \*\* It’s like “Tokyo Rose.” Or “Hanoi Jane.” 😉 Not parrelel. Just a joke. It’s just a convenient nickname give to the person on the other side broadcasting obvious disinformation. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/10 "2003-04-12T02:54:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by c\_goat \* > \*\* > > “Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf, the infomation minister, is currently not in the deck, but is still a ‘person of interest.’” \*\* They want him to go on tour with the USO…the man is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/11 "2003-04-12T04:09:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Already in Use \* > \*\*Can somebody explain to me why they call him Bob if his name is Mohammad? \*\* [Sky TV calls him ‘Comical Ali’](http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1086736,00.html) [CentCom has links to the ‘deck’](http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2003/g030411-D-6570C.html) I reckon CentCom wants to find most of the folks on the cards just so they can start to find out where others are and if they can accept an Unconditional Surrender from the 10 of diamonds, or should they hold out for Jacks or better. I don’t see how Ali, the Information Minister is off the hook as just a “person of interest”. He seems to have long ties to the Ba’ath party. Although I’d not be entirely suprised for him to show up as a correspondent a-la Liddy, North and Kissenger. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/12 "2003-04-13T05:49:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Padeye \* > \*\*Alliteration. Baghdad Corky didn’t have the same ring. \*\* One radio station out in LA has dubbed him “Baghdad Elmo”… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/13 "2003-04-13T12:30:08Z")
Well, it’s a good idea. In Bosnia, famous war criminals passed through checkpoints many times unrecognized. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-jokers-no-really/168096/14 "2003-04-13T15:30:48Z")
There are 55 cards. You can buy them on ebay for $8.99, e.g. Item # 2170125463