Fadil Al-Barrak: Saddam's era

There is so much tel tell about Sulayman Frizli's new book, `Alamat Ad-Darb (Signposts of the Road).  But I don't have time to respond to everything in an 800-book (thanks Ali and Laure for bringing me the book).  The writer was a former editor of many pro-Iraq Ba`thist publication and who worked in many Arab political weeklies.  I met him once in my life: in 1983 just before I came to the US.  I was working at an oil publication, `Alam An-Naft in Beirut.  The owner was a friend of his and he brought him to introduce him to me for some reason.  He told him that As`ad is leaving for the US to finish his PhD at Georgetown.  He was smoking a huge Cuban cigar and he said: people only want to get PhDs for prestige.  It still bothers me that I did not respond with: yes, just like smoking those huge cigars.  Anyway, the book has many revelations about Arab politics and media. He was very close to Michele Aflaq, and there is a whole section about the mysterious Fadil Al-Barrak, Saddam's chief of intelligence for years.  I did not know that Al-Barrak's widow was made to marry Barzan (Saddam's brother), perhaps to humiliate the man even after his death.  But Frizli's account of him is way too uncritical and even apologetic.  But the book is worth reading.