# Is it true that Saddam killed his first man at 15? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327 "2003-03-22T07:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/1 "2003-03-22T07:47:08Z")
I was watching one of those documentary-type shows, the subject was SH and his murderous ways. I don’t remember all the details as this was a few years ago and I wasn’t paying full attention, but they related a story about SH having some sort of neighbor dispute with an adult male. As I remember it ,He slinked into the neighbors house at night and shot him to death. Am I recalling this correctly? ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/2 "2003-03-22T16:38:23Z")
Hmm No-one knows this one huh? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/3 "2003-03-22T16:52:24Z")
I’ve seen that story mentioned ( variously reported as a cousin or a schoolteacher ), but most biographies don’t go into any real detail on any violent activities until 1959, when he participated in an assassination/coup attempt ( he was also apparently somehow involved in the 1956 coup attempt, but not necessarily as a shooter ) . When they do mention it, it is usually in an uncertain context, so it may be apocryphal. Regardless, by 1959 ( age 21 or 22 ) he was definitely a thug for the Ba’ath party. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/4 "2003-03-22T17:25:32Z")
An Iraqi colleague told me yesterday that when Saddam took over Iraq, among the people he killed was one of his closest friends, because he didn’t really trust him. While he was giving the orders as to whom should be taken outside and shot, he wept. Then apparently he shut himself away for three days and wept. This, my colleague feels, was the beginning of the transition of man -\> monster. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/5 "2003-03-23T04:03:59Z")
So it’s prolly an urban legend then huh? We’ll, I posed this question to the big guy. I wonder if he has anything to add… ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/6 "2003-03-23T06:13:46Z")
That’s nothing. Davy Crockett killed a b’ar when he was only 3. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/7 "2003-03-23T06:29:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*That’s nothing. Davy Crockett killed a b’ar when he was only 3. \*\* Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/8 "2003-03-23T07:44:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Mr2001 > That’s nothing. Davy Crockett killed a b’ar when he was only 3. > Cite? “The ballad of Davy Crockett” one of the top 10 pop tunes in the mid fifties. Also according to Folsom Prison Blues,Johnny Cash shot a man in Reno,just to watch him die.Having not paid much attention to the song,tho,I don’t know why he was in Folsom for a Nevada crime. I’ll bet there’s some Iraqi songwriters trying to oneup the US in folklore songs,and somebody pieced a legend together. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/9 "2003-03-23T16:24:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lure \* > \*\*“The ballad of Davy Crockett” one of the top 10 pop tunes in the mid fifties. > > Also according to Folsom Prison Blues,Johnny Cash shot a man in Reno,just to watch him die.Having not paid much attention to the song,tho,I don’t know why he was in Folsom for a Nevada crime. > > I’ll bet there’s some Iraqi songwriters trying to oneup the US in folklore songs,and somebody pieced a legend together. \*\* At over 400 posts you _should_ know thats those dont pass for cites ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/10 "2003-03-23T16:55:08Z")
Gee **Tony** you sure are a serious fellow. When I first read your threads title I thought: Born in Tikrit under a palm tree Killed his first Ba’ath when he was only fiftEEn Saddam, Saddam Hussein. Dictator of the IraqEEEE. I think **Mr2001** showed great restraint in holding back that throwaway line until more serious answers were given. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/11 "2003-03-23T17:08:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NotMrKnowItAll \* > \*\*Gee **Tony** you sure are a serious fellow. \*\* Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/12 "2003-03-23T17:14:01Z")
Maybe I soulda’ inserted smileys along with “Cite?”… ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-saddam-killed-his-first-man-at-15/163327/13 "2003-03-25T00:05:56Z")
interestingly, i was reading an autobiography by sgt. york about 2 wks ago…iirc, he said that he saw the d. boone tree.